By Yana Krasnitskaya
A couple weeks ago there was a stretch of 45 minutes during which New York City felt like it was in the middle of a hurricane. The downpour came on suddenly and aggressively, upending my plans to catch the opening night screening of the Anthony Bourdain biopic, “Tony.”
Instead, I did the next best thing – which definitely would have been Bourdain-approved – and went out for a late dinner in my neighborhood. Visiting the Upper West Side location of the Italian restaurant Felice that evening felt like as much of an escape as a movie might have been. Except unlike “Tony,” which is set on Cape Cod (where Bourdain had his first restaurant job), I got to escape to Italy for the night – getting whisked away by Felice’s summer spaghetti.
Given how busy the dining room was that evening, I was surprised Felice had plenty of reservations available. First, we settled at the bar to wait for our table and as an act of rebellion against the disappointing weather blip, I ordered the Bianco Spritz ($18). It was a delightful concoction of mint, cucumber, Prosecco and Italian liqueurs that truly felt like summer in a glass. The cocktail set a certain tone for the meal that carried throughout.
When we finally sat at our table, the waiter brought out a delicious combination of bread and olive oil. Both were exceptional. The olive oil was appropriately sharp and had a depth of flavor I haven’t previously tasted stateside. The bread, as I learned, came from the artisan bakery Orwashers, 10 blocks to the north. It was a soft whole grain base studded with crunchy, savory seeds and a crust that I used as a handle for dipping in the olive oil – which, I learned from our waiter, is made in a historic Tuscan vineyard, Fattoria Sardi, founded by the Counts of Sardi some 200 years ago.
For main courses, my friend got the branzino ($45), which came encased in parchment and emitted the most delicious aromas once she unfurled it, while I made the acquaintance of what, to me, was the star of the evening: Summer Spaghetti with a side of locally made burrata ($4) that I immediately plopped right into the center of my plate.
There is no other way to describe this dish other than to say it tasted like summer. Specifically summer in Italy. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente – the bite made even more substantial by the fact that I asked for whole wheat pasta. (You can also request gluten free.) The portion was generous – the mountain of noodles hiding a good amount of garlic, lemon zest, pecorino romano cheese, fresh basil, and the real star of the dish: tomatoes. They are sauteed right along with the pasta, creating a beautiful light pink sauce that leaves just the perfect bit of sweetness on your tongue. The garlic and lemon compliment the tomato flavor brilliantly, together encompassing all the Italian flavors I love without overpowering each other. I did my due diligence and alternated bites of burrata with bites that were burrata-free, and I can tell you with confidence both options work. The burrata isn’t totally necessary here to give you a fresh, bursting taste of summer, but I’ll be the first to say that there’s something magical about the combination of the creamy cheese, tangy tomato and fresh basil. Whenever I got a forkful of all three, I was in heaven. I marveled over this dish for a while.
In addition to the spaghetti and fish, we also ordered two appetizers: the prosciutto and melon special ($25) and the bruschetta ($18), which is a mainstay on Felice’s menu. With a pile of chopped and olive oil tossed tomatoes and an unapologetic amount of garlic rubbed right into the soft, bouncy bread, the bruschetta stole the show for me. If I closed my eyes, I could easily picture myself sitting under an olive tree overlooking the Tuscan hillside, the scent of wine and olives permeating the air as I snacked on chunks of perfectly ripe, perfectly juicy tomato.
I’ve yet to see “Tony,” but if the reviews are to be believed, it will be just as wonderful as I anticipate. Felice, on the other hand, with its summer spaghetti and an homage to the beauty of the tomato, was a welcomed surprise — one I hope to repeat on future visits to this slice of Northern Italy on the Upper West Side.
The Dish: Felice’s Summer Spaghetti ($25)
The Restaurant: Felice, 240 Columbus Avenue (at West 71st Street). Open for lunch Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; and brunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner hours: Sunday through Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Read all Here’s the UWS Dish columns here.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
These restaurant reviews are way out of my budget. That’s a $100 meal.