Esca
402 W 43rd St
(between 10th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10036 (212) 564-7272
40 Reviews for Esca
Perfect. It was a wonderful dining experience. The fish is fresh. I ordered the oysters as a appetizer and they were so good! My entree was the taggatelle with king crab it was great. If u love seafood try this place. It is very expensive but well worth it.
This review is really only about the crudo at Esca. We ordered other things, but I don't remember any of them. It was at least a year ago. I do, however, remember the crudo. It was marvelous.
We ordered a crudo tasting, during which I believe 9? 12? raw sea creatures were delivered unto our salivating mouths. Every item was incredibly fresh, but two stand out to me still: the sea urchin and the tuna.
The urchin was presented in a little urchin shell. It was a briny delight. I believe we giggled a little bit with pleasure as it went down.
The tuna. Oh, yes. When I put that tuna in my mouth, I shut my eyes and tasted its life in deep, cold waters. I've never been able to taste the origins of a creature as much as I did that tuna's. It was incredible.
As I recall, the service was a bit full of itself. Not enough to detract from the experience, but enough to notice. There's really no need for that.
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Warm decor, interesting fish dishes - a lot of carpaccio options (think sushi with olive oil), pasta options, interesting main dishes. I had the pollack, which normally I associate with fish sticks. Not bad, it was about as interesting as pollack could ever be.
The standout for me was the wine list. Almost all are Italian, with a lot of whites from regions I barely ever heard of, especially towards the northeast of Italy - so starting to blend towards Austria, there were Gruner Veltliners and Muller Thurgaus mixed in with the Soaves and Sangioveses. The sommelier, a pleasant and patient woman, helped pick a very nice one for $60; many wines are below $40 which is rare in a top New York restaurant.
Party people, why all the comments about the bad location? It's on 9th Ave in the 40s -- heart of Hell's Kitchen, with one appealing restaurant or bar next to another. It's not like it's in Inwood or on York Ave in the 90s or in New Jersey or something. I guess if you subway it to Port Authority, you come to the restaurant via 42nd Street, which is still a little skeevy. My recommendation: approach from the north, stroll down 9th ave from about 50th and stop somewhere for a drink before reaching Esca. We had drinks at Kemia Bar, whose sexy middle eastern waitresses did not disappoint in terms of being eye candy.
The building it's in is Manhattan Plaza, a luxury rental complex that went bankrupt in the 1970s and has been an artists rental co-op since then (you have to prove a link to the arts to live there). http://en.wikipedia.or...
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Lovely service. Divine dessert. Delicious soup. So-so entree.
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Rule #1: Stick to what they are good at.
Go ahead, cry about the constancy of the risotto, but it's your own damn fault ;)
These guys are good at fish and all their energy goes to fresh fish, so stay with what's fresh for the day and you won't be disappointed. The formula that I have found best is going with a first course for each person and then splitting a fresh fish with a side of veggies for every two people. This is usually more than enough and gets you at taste of everything.
The signature Spaghetti with Lobster, Chili and Mint is a great first course to start with. The pasta is almost always cooked super-al dente, but compliments the fresh, chunky tomato sauce and lobster just fine. In regards to the fish, split a whole fish and have them debone it - ask for them to remove the skin if that's what you like. The simpler the fish, the better, in my experience, although they do try to keep the whole fish pretty simple.
The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Be aware that this has a prime pre-theater crowd so, during the week, it may be packed at 6:30, but tends to clear out if you put your name in and hang around an hour or so. Unfortunately, the bar is too small to really enjoy a drink and is usually filled with those pre-theater goers who didn't think ahead enough to reserve a table.
If you go with my 2 first course + 1 fish formula, you can usually get out for $125 with a couple of beers and tip and feel full. Worth it every week? - No. But certainly worth the walk to its kinda-a-bit-too-west-side location when you need a Mediterranean seafood fix...
Update: I went back last night and had the Spaghetti with Lobster and, as you would expect from my sloppy self, I splashed some sauce on my shirt. The maitre d' saw me scrubbing my shirt with my napkin from across the room and quickly came to the rescue with a "Shout" stain remover wipe. Now THAT is what I call service...
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I had high hopes for Esca, especially since it's a Batali restaurant. Iron Chef, shmiron Chef - unfortunately I am sad to report that Esca blows. For many different reasons.
1. The bread they served us was burnt.
2. The "one pound lobster" pasta we ordered and split as our appetizer was ho hum, and definitely less than one lb of lobster was in it. And, the lobster was mushy and the pasta was extreme-al dente.
3. The $64 salt encrusted Mediterranean sea bass we ordered was 'aight. Nothing special. Eh.
4. And the KICKER- after finishing our food, we noticed a baby cockroach crawling on the wall next to our table. After telling the waiter, he did not act surprised.
Yea- skip this one. Better Italian food in North Beach. The only reason they're getting 2 stars is because it was relatively easy to get a reservation.
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eh...decent dining experience.
i love seafood, so i tried a few options on their menu. the fluke was light and flavorful. the lobster itself was fantastic...but served with undercooked pasta, as was the linguine with clams and pancetta. my friend had the crabmeat and sea urchin pasta, but complained about the lack of fish meat within the dish....could have been better had there been separate pieces of meat, instead of blending with the sauce.
perhaps my table would've had a better dining experience if we had ordered the fresh fish instead. overall, the food was decent, the atmosphere was warm, and i loved watching the fish get scaled at the center table - right in the middle of the dining room. the waitstaff was very courteous and friendly. if i were to dine at esca again, i would definitely opt for the crudo and fresh fish entrees instead of the pasta dishes. but there are many other restaurants i would want to try before going back.
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Three Bad things to note upfront:
1. The location of this place puts it in an area only a NYTimes staffer with an expense account would ever visit.
2. The service is SO slow.
3. The music pumped throughout the restaurant on the night I visited was from some 80's rock station. Do I need to hear "YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND BABY RIGHT ROUND..." while eating oysters?
That being said...The food at Esca is great and well prepared as you'd expect from any Batali establishment. We went for the oysters to start with prosecco to drink. Up next was razor clams which were awesome mixed with some onions and citrus to make a nice acidity. For our next course my date and I split the shrimp ravioli which were good, but seemed to have an artificial shrimp like taste. The shrimp pasta we ate at Lil Frankies a few nights later trumped the ravioli's in flavor and delicate texture.
For our main we shared a salt encrusted branzino for two which was about as good as a fish can get. However, the lack of sides Esca offers is really troubling. Boiled potatoes? Carrots? Broccoli? Is that really it? I enjoyed my branzino with green onions and a nice sauce at Lure Fishbar much more but that's just me. You sort of get a palette fatigue halfway through your large fillet because you just want SOMETHING else to eat with it.
One thing I really enjoyed was that the wines came by the carafe so you can really sample a bunch of wines with your date and not get stuck with an entire bottle.
Overall I'd recommend Esca but why would I ever be in that area and why would I go out of my way to drop $300 on a random dinner?
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I'm not a seafood lover, with the exception of shellfish (LOBSTER, yummmmm....). OK, sorry, done drooling here. BUT ... I took two friends to Esca last year. She was visiting from the Midwest, is a fan of Batali on Food Network, and wanted to try one of his restaurants. Since this one was in the theater district (HELL-O?! Mike B. -- why do you THINK the restaurant is where it is????), we hit it for lunch before a Wednesday matinee.
Oh, the food! We shared the Bigoli (whole wheat pasta with fresh sardines and walnuts). I then had the Passera (Whole Roasted Local Fluke with Almonds and Tarragon). If I could cook fish like this, I'd eat it every day! Flavorful, light as air, and absolutely heavenly!!
I highly recommend this place -- and it's less expensive if you go for lunch. Still, it's worth the price!
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If you like seafood, you must try this place. When you go, you must start with a round of crudo (raw seafood appetizers). I took my parents here when they were in town and they loved it. Although my father did look at the hamachi appetizer drizzled with balsamic vinegar and remark "Sixteen dollars for three little pieces of fish." Still, it was delicious and definitley worth it. Usually, I'll order a bunch of crudo, order a pasta dish to split among the table, then finish with a main fish dish. They have a great wine list and a nice sommelier who will help you pick exactly what you want. It's quite a unique place in the city.
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One of Batali's lesser known ventures and the only one I've been to so far.
Great fish place. The crudo tasting flight offers a selection of a few "italian style sushi" offerings. The sea urchin and razor clams were awesome.
Also shared the whole fish that's cooked encrusted with sea salt. They crack it out of it's salt shell for you tableside.
A great meal.
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Did the tasting menu. The extra crudo round was great, but way too much food. I felt like a glutted little puffin at the end of the meal.
Mostly, the food was good. Not transcendent fishy flavors, as I was expecting, but more than competent. The crudo was the best, by far.
One note -- on the last fish course they brought out what may be, quite possibly, the worst dish I have ever had in my entire life. Seriously. Hideously overcooked salmon (how is that even possible?) and this pumpkin puree that looked and smelled like homemade babyfood -- if said babyfood had been carelessly prepared by a bunch of meth-addled Hell's Angel parents. Or something.
That being said -- if you are in the mood for a face full of fish, this is a decent option.
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The food here is OK. The risotto with the red wine is too salty. The pasta here--tagliolini--is delicious.
What with the cold weather upon us, I was reminiscing about the east coast and all the times I went to great restaurants in NYC.
ESCA was always my fave.
I love sitting at the bar, it's the best. We always went when this one particular bartender was around, his name was John. He always remembered what we had the last time we were there, and not just our drinks, but our food too!
I once had an Heirloom Tomato plate that made me cry with gustatory pleasure! So simple. So Perfect.
They have a lot of grappa, which I came to adore. Especially one made by the Batianich family, it has a flowery background, maybe chamomile or something?
I have had so many great meals here, I can't even list them, but sometimes I just wish I was back on the EC, so I could go visit.
Fave experience: Sitting at bar (as usual) and suddenly the whole restaurant comes to life, people scurrying about, getting things in perfect places, and a group comes in and sits next to us at the bar.
I was eating a zabaglyone (sp?) and I heard whoever had sat next to me ask me if it was any good. I look up - and it's Jean-Georges V. ! Wow! So we hung there with him & his pals, for a while, they were nice and were given practically everything on the menu.
It was a good nite.
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I've been to Esca 3 times. I recommend:
1. Tasting menu pairing with wine - My boyfriend and I had it on my birthday, it's a real treat and the sommelier even wrote down the wine list per our request. The food was fabulous. Highly recommended.
2. Crudo: Italian sashimi. Sashimi lovers will appreciate the delicacy of crudo.
3. Pasta: all are awesome.
We always go at non-busy hour - either like 5:30pm or Saturday lunch time. Maybe that's why we've never received inattentive service. One thing I do notice is that they missed out a special pastry on my birthday. (I didn't realize it till I saw they gave other people a heart shaped "Happy Birthday" pie at our 3rd visit. Then my boyfriend told me that he was waiting them to bring something special on my birthday but it didn't happen.)
Overall Esca is the place for impeccable seafood dishes.
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This was my second time here; and while I think I was more impressed the first time I was here (the sea urchin and crab pasta is to die for!); the second time was still a lovely experience. The service, decor and food (like all of Mario Batali's restaurants) are wonderful, elegant and warm. The sommelier recommended a fabulous wine (from Umbria region) that was reminiscent of a juicy syrah. I wish I could remember the name... We tried the crudo sampler - very fresh, sweet, delectable bites of seafood at its best. I also had the black squid ink past - while I thought the texture of the pasta was wonderful, the sauce was just a tad too salty for me - but admittedly I have a very sensitive palate for salt. I would still recommend this place for anyone who loves seafood.
Had a very nice, if too expensive, belated Mother's Day Lunch here. The pasta is definately a standout. They should have a lunch price fixe like other hyped pricey places.
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First time I went I had a 5 star experience. Second time it was packed and the service was horrendous. The food is really something else - OUT OF THIS WORLD. I recommend trying them on a night when they are not so busy.
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Went there for a work dinner and was very impressed. The waiter was very knowedgable and helpful with the menu and wine list.
For an appetizer we had the Polipo (Octopus) which was great, but could have been bigger. Also had the Anguila which are little fried eels that are served like french fries (breaded and fried).
For the first course the three of us split the Taglierini which is a spaghetti like pasta with scallops and black truffles. It was perfectly done and a great idea to share, so we could get an entree and a pasta.
For the entree I had the skate which was lightly breaded and fried. It was nicely cooked, but too salty. Another person in my group had the halibut, which was also very good, but too salty.
For dessert we had a selection of gelatos which were all great.
Overall, I'd say it was a very well done seafood restaurant with a variety of tastes and creativity. The wines were nice and complemented the meal well. Service was great.
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Sorry, I'm going to go against the grain and recount my bad experience at Esca. We came here to celebrate my birthday with high hopes of a wonderful dinner and great service. The restaurant itself is extremely elegant with soft lighting, and a good amount of wood for a comfy feel. However, I was less than comfortable.
First, our table was located in a small room with a whole bunch of other tables... I felt like I could have leaned over and grabbed the diners sitting on both sides of us. In fact, I overheard snippets of conversations from the people seated next to us and it was difficult going to the rest room since the table literally had to be pulled out so I could get out.. trust me, there was almost no room between tables!!
Secondly, what weighed on me more was the disappointing food. It was bland, the fish I ordered was completely overcooked and the vegetable sides tasted like the flavor was boiled out of them.. mushy and undistinguishable. All of this for about 150 bux... with one drink each. If you ask me, that is overpriced for mediocre food.
I know Esca has a great reputation for good seafood with Mario Batali's name backing it but I didn't see any of that the night I dined there. We found out later that when we were patrons, Executive Chef David Pasternack had left Esca.. Wish I celebrated my birthday elsewhere.
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Two of my favorite things to eat... sashimi and pasta. Well, here at Esca, I can have the best of both worlds! Mario Batali has weaved in an amazing crudo (Italian sashimi) menu at Esca along w/ the more traditional italian / Mediterranean fare. The crudo menu portion is along worth the visit. My mouth was watering as I read each item... oysters, bay scallops, fluke, hamachi, bluefin tuna, etc... When I was finally able to move on to the other side of the menu, I was pleased to see a great selection of appetizers, pastas, and main entrees. With all the choices, I was somewhat overwhelmed. Well, our waiter to the rescue. Not only did he provide good, professional service, but I must credit him for recommending some excellent dishes. All of his choices were spot on.
My 2 friends and I decided to share everything (love family style, esp at restaurants i'm checking out for the first time). We started w/ 2 crudo: bay scallops (super fresh and delicious) and medium fatty blue fin toro with just the right amount of olive oil, herbs, and a sprinkling of some nice sea salt which provided a nice slight crunch to the fish. We then had fried freshwater eel for apps... nice batter (not too oily)... never had eel like this before. The next dish was one of the best pasta dishes i've ever had! Just thinking about it is making me hungry... maccheroni alla chitarra. This was divine... perfectly house-made thick pasta noodles with sea urchin and crabmeat. I would've never thought uni would go well w/ pasta... who knew that it's actually a marriage made in culinary heaven. The uni provided a great texture and a bit of sweetness... the buttery flavor with the pasta and small chunks of crab was delicious... and surprisingly, not that heavy. For our main meal, we had a lovely black cod; good but paled in comparison to the secondi pasta dish. Also could not help but take the waiter's recommendation for the lemon cake dessert -- another winner. I can honestly say that everything I ate that night tasted good to great. Rare that I'm completely satisfied with every dish but I was!
The interior is not all that interesting but it's comfortable. The focus here is on the food and that's where my focus was for most of the night. Definitely will be going back for some more crudo and the pasta.
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Majorly let down.
Babbo + Molto Mario (FoodNetwork) = I *heart* Mr. Batali.
Til I ate at Esca that is..
Four of us went here- I'd say 1 meal was worth trying again.
Yup, 25%. That one dish = the 2 stars. Probably would give 1.5, or should give, because of the tab.
I don't expect a return visit.
Major bummer because I love fish too...
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"Excited, then a little disappointed, and then fireworks."
Just got back from a dinner and a show, and ESCA was the place that was decided to be the kickoff point for our evening. And as many recommended before us, we went with the tasting menu with the wine accompaniment.
The decor was excellent and fitting, nothing too ostentatious but functional. The crudo that we had was excellent and varied among all 4 of us. This way we all could taste each others raw fish. The olive oil used in all of the dishes was fantastic and the quality spoke for itself. The goat cheese ravioli with guacale was amazing and was by far the star of the evening.
But as we descended down the list, the stars began to fall. The wolf fish was over cooked (and fried, hmm) and the sea bass was yet again over cooked. I read a few other reviews and it seems like ESCA is starting to be known for this. If you are going to an establishment that is named "Bait" and serves all seafood, and prides itself on the excellent crudos (raw things), then why is the fish cooked well over it's heat capacity. Fresh fish, especially a menu that rotates around the "catch of the day" should feature the fish at it's optimal cooking point. I guess I have grown accustomed to "raw is the only way to get fresh fish" methodology, well, then Mario, needs to get back in the kitchen and ask the chefs to take the fish off the fire. This would be similar with his philospohy of pulling the pasta out in order to get that al dente texture. Don't get me wrong, the deserts (I'm not a sweets guy and I could not put the spoon down) and the wines were amazing and was well worth the price of admission, but when you are spending the money that we spent, you would expect a little more from the "Child of Batali".
The deserts, like stated previously, were absolutely amazing, and really brought me back around for the experience. Next time I think we will explore the whole crudo section of the menu, order a bowl of the ravioli or the squid ink risotto, and share one of the many deserts and chase it with an espresso. Ciao.
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LOVED this place! My hubby and I came here for lunch, and the experience was fabulous. We had fantastic food, and the waiter suggested a fantastic Rosato that helped cool my mouth during a gloriously spicy meal. I also had a great Valpolicella for dessert. So sorry for those of you who had bad experiences...Give it a second chance!
I'm waivering between three and four stars here. Three of us arrived around 9:30 on a Tuesday evening--not exactly prime dining time. We were told we couldn't be seated outside (despite the fact that it was more than half empty) and we were put at a table directly next to the kitchen and bathrooms. Granted, we were a party of three casually dressed young people, and they didn't expect much out of us, but it's still off-putting to be so obviously treated poorly in a restaurant. Our waitress was helpful and attentive however, despite the fact that the hostess was a total bitch.
The wine list, as is to be expected, is Italian-heavy, but it's decently large with a tolerable selection of red, whites and sparklers, and overall fairly moderately priced, with a few standout bottles hitting $200 and above. PS- don't go by the wine list they have online, they are COMPLETELY different.
As for the food, the amuse of bruchetta with navy beans and pickled mackeral was fantastic. The crudo toro was really outstanding, the grilled octopus was delicious with a light char, and the razor clam was fresh, although not particularly flavorful. The broccoli rabe was great, and so were the fingerling potatoes, but the button mushrooms drenched in balsalmic were bland at best.
The pasta in the spaghetti neri--homemade squid ink spaghetti--was fantastic with a great bite and a smooth texture, and the light tomato sauce was perfect for the strong pasta, but the calamari was horrifically overcooked.
"Horrifically overcooked" is about all I can say about the entree, as well. I can't even remember what the fish was because it was basically just a dry, chewy mass. Not to mention it was supposed to have a ramps sauce, and there was nary a ramp in sight, much to my disappointment.
They had a nice selection of after dinner drinks, of which we had the amarone platinum grappa...mmmm!! I love a restaurant that carries good grappa.
So, overall, some of the food was excellent, some was mediocre at best, the service was (just barely) passable and the prices could have been worse. That seems like a solid three stars, yes?
This is longest review ever known to man. Uh, sorry.
Went here on a business lunch.
The decor is nice, and the service was really good. We had ended up with a bigger party than expected, and they accomodated and moved us to a bigger table in the back.
As far as food: the Crudo was really good. Calamari was eh. I really liked the brussels sprouts that came with the vegetable side plate.
I had the scallops as my entree, and thought they were really good.. maybe a bit salty though. All in all I'd say the experience was good, especially the service.
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I wish I didn't arrive here semi-full already. The food here is fantastic and the waitstaff very attentive. We sat in the back room in a corner table that was quite intimate for a bustling restaurant. I loved our charcuterie board and my boyfriend couldn't get enough of the peanut butter and beets. I soooo wanted to eat more but just couldn't fit it!
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This place is awesome. Expensive, but awesome. The food was excellent, particularly the halibut on the tasting menu. The service was impeccable, helpful, friendly, and not overbearing.
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i'm a bit biased since i love seafood.
i visited this place with a few co-workers, and we were all wowed by this place.
it's a good place for a work expense dinner, and there are plenty of suits around you. lupa's casual, but esca's a bit more upscale.
recommendations: crudo appetizer and lobster spagetti. great wine list.
Heres the deal. I think Esca has some pretty good food. I'd been going for a while since it opened and had never been disappointed except for some overcooked fish once. So I had some friends in town from San Francisco and we were going to different shows in the hood so decided to meet up here. I asked the waiter for a dozen oysters while we waited for our friends to arrive and he said he wouldn't serve them until they arrived. I looked at him in disbelief. The chef Dave Pasternack came out of the kitchen shortly afterward and I asked him if we could have the oysters and he said sure. I'm not used to being told no in an establishment like this, and hate to seem bitchy or demanding, but this was inexcusable. I'll think twice about returning
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Esca is part of the Mario Batali triumvirate (Babbo and Lupa[Lupa Osteria Romana] are the others) and somehow I scored a reservation for 8 with one day notice. The speciality is fish. Fish, fish fish. Thankfully they way they cook it, it's fantastic.
I started with some crudo (raw fish, italian sashimi) which was good, but had large peices of pepper that crunched and I don't like crunchy when I'm eating raw halibut belly. Next I split two pasta dishes: linguini with some clams and some amazing green gnocci. The pasta was wonderful. I split the snapper, which came with some fancy pesto-like spread; it was good, but not as good as I expected.
(It looked and smelled like everyone ordered the sea bass baked in salt crust). For dessert I had the espresso cake which was phenomenal: dense espresso cake, espresso ice cream on top and a coffee.
Overall, it was very enjoyable. It's unpretensious and quite accessable. The waiters were very attentive and choreographed clearning courses off the table. They finish preparing the baked fish dishes in the dining room so you get to smell and watch the fun. The ambiance is nice enough (although for some reason the music was a bit off-kilter when I was there)
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I had a birthday there and loved it. First off, Dave Pasternack is a cool guy. He is a good long island fishing guy who really knows fish in an unpretentious way. I wound up talking to him at the table about fishing for about 1/2 hour. Please see the excellent New Yorker article about him from last year for more detail. His food is excellent and inventive. The crudo thing is a bit overated as a concept but it's still very tasty. The tasting menu for 8 was one of the more expensive checks I have ever seen but it was a memorable meal. The sommelier was excellent as well (a Batali trademark).
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Esca is one of the best restaurants owned by Food Network chef - Mario Batali. When someone else is picking up the tab - the experience is that much better!
The crudo appetizers are a must - if you are splurging - go for the crudo tasting, otherwise go with whatever is special that day or pick from the delicious Black Bass, Tuna, Hamachi, well any of them!
For pasta courses, the spaghetti with lobster, chili and mint are amazing!The spaghetti neri and bigoli (a Tuscan thick style spaghetti) are both great dishes - it's almost too hard to choose.
For the secondi, I would always recommend the Branzino for two - it's so classically Italian. The other fish dishes are all incredible - I've never seen such huge cuts of sea bass! You simply can't go wrong with this menu.
In terms of wine selection it's just a matter of narrowing down the list - this is an exhaustive list of regional wines from all over Italy. Since Joe Bastianich is also involved and has his own vineyard in Friuli, there is an incredible focus on lesser known wines from producers that are perfectly suited to the menu. The sommelier is so helpful - don't be afraid to ask for suggestions.
Esca is an incredible destination - especially for fish lovers.
Although Esca is not in the greatest area of Manhattan, the decor is nice. It is ideally located, if you want to have dinner and see a show. Esca focuses on authentic Tuscan fare. The patrons were on the older, posh, side.I had the grilled octopus, as a starter which was good. I can't remember what I had for my main, but it wasn't great. Excellent wine list, very extensive. Service was professional, and kind. Or maybe the server took pity on me, since I was on a terrible first (and last) date.
I recently dined with a party of eight at Esca. The atmosphere is kind of coastal Mediterranean, a little dim, and sleek and rustic if those last two words can be used to describe the same place. The food menu changes daily so rather than describe specific dishes, I thought I might caution you what to expect and what friends you choose to bring along. The Tasting menu with wine pairings is the way to go. The Tasting menu will always have a Crudo del Mercato which is basically whatever they caught that day served up raw. Other courses are guarantied to have additional ingredients that some diners might consider adventurous a la baby octopus, etc. My point is that the tasting menu is only available if the entire table agrees to order it. One picky eater or non-raw participant and your table is out of luck. We convinced all eight people to go for it and we did and we were rewarded with a fantastic gastronomic experience. The wine list at Esca all Italian so brush up. Tasting menu with selected wine pairings is $95.00 per person. I would definitely go back to Esca.
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another meal that makes me want to chronicle every bite -- but their menu changes every day so it wouldn't do much good! still, i will list the highlights:
1) the yellowfin tuna carpaccio: oh. my. god. it was so so so good. i absolutely ADORE raw tuna, and this was some of the best raw tuna i have ever had.
2) the grilled baby octopus: not recommended for anyone who gets squeamish when their food looks like what it actually is, given the body and little legs were laid out on the plate like a baby octopus would be, but it was really delicious. sorry, little baby octopus!
3) the maccheroni (i didn't misspell that, it's the way they had it on the menu) with sea urchin: another "oh. my. god." dish. it was amazing. and split three ways it was the perfect amount of pasta, since we also had main entrees on the way.
4) the scallops: i wish i had ordered them. i had a bite of my dad's and they were wonderful -- succulent, sweet, tender but still firm... mmm delish.
5) our waiter: he was great! other reviewers have complained about bad service, but we all agreed that it was some of the best service we've had in a long while. he was friendly, attentive without being pushy, really helpful in picking out two (very tasty) bottles of wine... i mean, my entree was a bit disappointing (i had the zuppa de pesce) but our waiter was so pleasant that he earned back the 5th star i would've otherwise taken away.
so, to wrap up, the restaurant is very expensive and i could never afford to eat there on my own (at least not yet) but i was very happy to go for my dad's birthday. i guess the wide range of ratings past reviewers have given esca is a reflection of the daily changing menu, but i would definitely recommend taking your chances.
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overpriced. nothing special. the only saving grace is batali's name backing it... that... and the soft shell crab.
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Quick tip for those trying to get a reservation: eat at the bar. It's like having Italian style sushi & your own sommelier : ) I love this place!
i figure a mario batali restaurant has got to be amazing.
good for a business lunch - business casual attire.
i got the vegetable antipasti salad (with a touch of goat cheese) - it needed a little more kick from the balsamic vinegar.
Got the crispy skate - disappointed - a little overcooked, and when I ordered a side of vegetables with my one other guest, the waittress automatically assumed we would need a variety of seven rather than five. did i mention she rolled her eyes twice at the table next to us for interrupting conversation?
will probably not go back
