West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

Here’s the Dish: Celeste’s Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito

July 28, 2023 | 11:58 AM
in COLUMNS, FOOD, NEWS
8
Photograph by Ava Stryker-Robbins.

By Ava Stryker-Robbins

Chicken liver is not for everyone. Carmine Mitroni acknowledged that in a phone interview with West Side Rag last week. For more than two decades, Mitroni has owned Celeste, the popular Italian restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets.

Chicken liver is for me, however, and Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito (a mouthful) is delicious. The balsamic glaze that coats the livers is unique. Mitroni described the dish as “comfort food [with] a sustaining taste to it.” The bread-and-sage garnish enhance the experience, adding additional flavors that blend perfectly with the liver.

While Celeste has been serving Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito for about 21 years, it originated in another restaurant Mitroni owned. He grew up in Italy, moving to New York City in 1986, opening restaurants in both locations. His family was also in the restaurant business, but Mitroni tried to “stay away from it for as long as possible,” he said. Eventually, it drew him in.

Photograph courtesy of Celeste.

Mitroni views Celeste as a place where people can “escape from the realities of living in the city.”

In addition to Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito, Celeste serves pizza, pasta, a range of entrees, brunch, and much more (including a delicious blood orange sorbet with balsamic vinegar and strawberries!). As Celeste’s website says, “Enjoy your calories.”

The Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito costs $17.

Note: Celeste is a cash-only restaurant for in-house dining. They accept credit cards for online ordering, pickup and delivery, and corporate and private dining events. There is an ATM machine on site.

The Dish: Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito
The Restaurant: Celeste (502 Amsterdam Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets)

To read all our Here’s the Dish columns, click here.

Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Paul
Paul
1 year ago

Can they chop it, with a dollop of schmaltz, and little bit of hard boiled egg?

0
Reply
Adam
Adam
1 year ago

While the food is ok, the owner is downright rude. He acts as if he is doing people a favor by taking their money. It is the “hospitality” industry after all, but that seems to be lost on the ownership and service of this place.

3
Reply
Meg P
Meg P
1 year ago

Celeste’s linguine with clams is my favorite go-to dish, and I appreciate their homestyle food, reasonable prices, and refreshingly un-fussy, neighborhoody atmosphere.

5
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
1 year ago

I’ve been frequenting Celeste since it opened and am a big fan of both the food and Carmine. (He’s quite the character, in a good way. ) I don’t go with Fegatini Di Pollo Con Pane Abbrustolito, but I have had most of the appetizers and most of the pastas, as well as other entrees, and am almost always extremely pleased. (The wine list is good too.) The only thing I quibble with is Mitroni’s view that Celeste is a place where people can “escape from the realities of living in the city.” Alas the tables at Celeste are very close together–there’s barely a seat in the restaurant where a waiter or busboy won’t brush against you during your meal. To me, that means Celeste is very much a place where you experience the realities of living in the city! Having said that, the food is fresh and delicious and the atmosphere generated by Carmine’s personality is convivial, and that makes the overall experience very positive.

3
Reply
Barbara Fight
Barbara Fight
1 year ago

This dish is amazing!!! I order it almost every time I go. The flavors meld perfectly!

2
Reply
Liz G
Liz G
1 year ago

I have also been going since it opened, love it and Carmine (the first time we went he told us about the cheeses he brought in his suitcase.) I’m a vegetarian, and my go-to dishes are their well made pizzas! Yum

2
Reply
AdMan78
AdMan78
1 year ago

Although I’m a vegetarian, still relish these dish descriptions and backstories. Keep ’em coming, Ava.

4
Reply
StephanUWS
StephanUWS
1 year ago

Carmine prides himself on his array of cheeses, which he shared with me he brings clandestine in a suitcase on his frequent trips to Italy. You can draw your own conclusions as to why this is a “cash only“ restaurant.

1
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

Calling All Scientists: Did They Get the Manhattanhenge Date Wrong?
NEWS

July 11 and 12 Offer Last Views of Manhattanhenge in 2025: Where to Watch on the UWS

July 10, 2025 | 8:54 AM
Throwback Thursday: Memories of the Upper West Side in the 1970s and 80s
ART

Throwback Thursday: Memories of the Upper West Side in the 1970s and 80s

July 10, 2025 | 8:49 AM
Previous Post

Con Ed Just Asked New Yorkers to Limit Energy Use — Here’s Why

Next Post

Woman Sucker Punched in Face on Columbus Avenue Thursday Evening

this week's events image
Next Post
Updated: Two Suspects Arrested in Three Riverside Park Sexual Assaults:  NYPD

Woman Sucker Punched in Face on Columbus Avenue Thursday Evening

West Side Canvas: ‘A Sanctuary Church in a Sanctuary City’

West Side Canvas: 'A Sanctuary Church in a Sanctuary City'

Weekend History: Our Bloomingdale Neighborhood in 1855

Weekend History: Our Bloomingdale Neighborhood in 1855

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.