By Yana Krasnitskaya
For years now I’ve been curious about the restaurant Canto. Located on Broadway between West 68th and 69th streets, Canto’s sprawling outdoor seating area is almost always full, regardless of the weather. I’ve seen people lounging at the tables with Aperol Spritzes and just as many braving the cold with steaming plates of pasta and glasses of red wine.
I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to try Canto than when I had a friend in town from California, and was looking for a place where we could properly take in the unseasonably warm October day. We went for brunch because I was specifically excited to try the shakshuka ($22) on Canto’s brunch menu.
I’m here to report that it did not disappoint.
With roots in Northern Africa, shakshuka is a dish of poached eggs in a spiced tomato-and-pepper sauce. The word shakshuka roughly translates to “all mixed together” in an Arabic dialect from that region, and accurately fits the dish’s one-pan preparation. Something as simple as eggs cooked in a tomato-based sauce can serve as a beautiful canvas for experimentation. I’ve tried shakshukas that were made with spinach and green peppers and with tomatoes and no peppers. Once I even had a shakshuka inspired by Japanese curry that truly blew my socks off!
Canto’s shukshuka straddles the line between traditional and experimental in a way that was incredibly pleasing to my palate. The base is a sumptuous, tangy sauce of tomatoes and red bell peppers, bolstered by a good helping of onions and garlic. Two beautifully poached eggs sit in the middle and are topped with bits of goat cheese that melted right into the sauce. It’s finished off with chopped scallions and a smattering of parsley. I also picked up hints of cumin and paprika, along with a good amount of salt and black pepper. In traditional shakshukas, harissa paste is added as well, but I didn’t notice any here. What I did notice is how well the richness of the liquidy egg yolk balances out the edginess of the sauce — as does the crisp, garlic-rubbed piece of toasted country bread that comes on the side. It is wonderful for dipping.
In addition to the shakshuka, I ordered the Bucatini alla Carbonara ($27) for the table. This is a traditional Roman pasta with a creamy sauce made from pancetta, egg, and pecorino cheese. The yolk arrived whole, right in the middle of the plate, to be mixed into the sauce. The noodles were perfectly al dente. Sharing this dish as an appetizer reminded me that Italians actually eat pasta before their main entree. It also made me eager to try Canto for dinner!
The Dish: Shakshuka ($22)
The Restaurant: Canto, 2014 Broadway, between West 68th and 69th, (646) 360-3857, M-Th, 4 p.m – 12 a.m., Fri. 12 p.m. – 12 a.m., Sat. -Sun. 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Read all Here’s the UWS Dish columns here.
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