Being press sure does get you going to a lot really unique and different places inside and out of Manhattan to try out and review. Normally my reviews tend to be a mixture of mostly good but some things that can be improved on. For Macelleria, in the heart of the meat packing district, it is not only all good, it’s freaking amazing. Macelleria was part of New York City’s first ever Italian Dine Out Week, which featured twenty three prominent Italian restaurants located all across New York City. This one stood out to me for its location and great buzz I have heard about it, and boy did it not disappoint.
My friend and I each chose an appetizer, entree and dessert for us to taste and try out. The two big highlight dishes in my opinion was the Branzino and the Steak option that I chose. The steak was thinly sliced but such a fantastic cut of meat and the flavoring that came with it was truly phenomenal. Other options that we tried out that were just as fantastic if not better was the Carpaccio and Prosciutto de Parma, which is where the Olive Oil truly shined in anything we ate.
I got to know Violetta Bitici and her father Sergio, who are the owners of the esteemed restaurant. The location has been around for over a decade and boasts an incredible array of authentic and imported Italian delicacies (one more noted on mine and my friends end was the best tasting Olive Oil I have ever had). During my time there I got to know more about the background of Macelleria, especially Sergio Bitici’s journey to being quite the restauranteur from his days growing up in Italy to a force to be reckoned with in the New York City restaurant scene. I also met head chef Diego Bigucci, who from the food that he made me and my friend deserves a ton of James Beard awards and anything else that might be out there for him to win. All three of them are class acts in their own ways.
If you are in the Manhattan area and are craving all things Italian, stop on down to Macelleria on 48 Gansevoort Street and see for yourself why it is truly the best of the best. Macelleria offers lunch from 11:30 am to 5 pm, then dinner from 5 pm to 1 am on Monday through Friday, and on Saturday/Sunday offers brunch from 11 am to 4 pm, and dinner from 5 pm to 1 am. For more info, log on to their official website.