DISH OF THE WEEK: FIORE DI CARCIOFI at BAR PRIMI

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

My newest scheme is to visit some of the hottest restaurants in New York City at lunchtime. I’m often free after my tours, hungry, and these places are much easier to get into at lunch, sometimes the prices are even lower, and the lighting for my food photos is far superior.

I hit up Bar Primi late last year at lunch and tried one of their pastas and their roast beef sandwich. Both were great, but I was disappointed that their most buzzed-about item was not available. That’s the one big pitfall for coming at lunch. Sometimes you miss out on the masterpieces which are only reserved for those brave enough to stop by at dinner.

Well, I finally made it back to Andrew Carmellini’s casual pasta palace after 5pm. And that’s when the Fiore di Carciofi is finally available.

So I only had eyes for this pasta, a brilliant invention meaning Artichoke Flower. It certainly lived up to all the hype. It’s quite unique – the love child of ravioli and fettucine. Long ribbons of thin pasta are stuffed with an artichoke and cheese filling. That might be tasty enough but the pasta snake swims in a decadent broth of pecorino cheese, bacon, and lemon. The bright acidity cuts nicely through the richness of the sauce. While the portion size is a bit modest, that’s probably for the best since the flavor and gluttonous quotient is high.

Lunch is definitely a good move for some of these hot spots, but if the food is good, like at Bar Primi, it’s usually worthwhile to come back for dinner.