Is That A Steak Wearing A Hat?
You have every right to ask that question. What exactly is riding atop that beautiful looking steak?
The answer follows, as I take you to perhaps New York’s wildest new restaurant opening of 2023!
Welcome To Bad Roman!
New York’s culinary scene was salivating over the opening of this new Italian restaurant in the Columbus Circle area of Manhattan – a very playful one as their mascot would attest to:
New York foodies flooded social media with their first takes on this wild new restaurant – from a company that has a pedigree in the city that is hard to top – as they point out:
“Bad Roman is a playful, modern Italian restaurant from Quality Branded with stunning views of Central Park. Bad Roman features an exciting menu of bright salads, unexpected pastas, a signature filletto, and more, all in a maximalist room filled with colorful fabrics and lush greenery. The restaurant is the latest concept from Quality Branded, the New York City-based restaurant group behind Zou Zou’s, Don Angie, Quality Meats, and other midtown favorites.”
Folks, that list of restaurants like Don Angie, Zou Zou’s, and Quality Meats are all terrific, so my wife Alex and I dragged my son Jeff to bite down on Bad Roman!
The interior is big and bright, with lots of colorful designs and retro booths – I’ve eaten there twice, and while brunch has different dishes, they also serve Bad Roman’s signatures dishes as well….oh, and for brunch, why not start with a champagne tree for the table?
Now that we’ve had a drink, let’s look at some of the signature dishes on the menu, beginning with a dish you’ll need plenty of:
Roasted Garlic Babka!
This is the way to begin: hot, crispy on the outside and chewy inside, the garlic babka is a dish you’ll go back to for the rest of the meal!
Starting with appetizers, first up is their take on a Caprese salad, the “Tomato and Burrata”:
The creamy Buratta is wedged inside the partly hollowed out tomato, and it’s a light and refreshing beginning to the meal.
Beef Carpaccio All’ Ernesto’s!
This beef carpaccio dish was full of flavor and presented beautifully, and one thing to note: most of the dishes are for sharing, which gives you more tastes throughout the meal – like this one:
This Yellowtail crudo with charred grapefruit and pistachios is a great “one bite” and pass it on dish – delicious, but better to save your appetite for the next dish:
The Spicy Gem Caesar Salad!
This is a delicious take on a classic Caesar salad, with ciabatta bread crumbs on top of little gem leaves and a deliciously spicy caesar dressing!
Here’s another uniquely delicious dish that everyone will dive into: fried rosemary sage fries!
Of course, Bad Roman’s “fries” are actually thick cut fried potatoes! They make another unique appearance as well:
Beef Carpaccio All’ Ernesto’s!
That’s right, this sliced raw beef is also served over fresh, thinly cut potato chips! Everyone will want a bite of this one, but there’s more!
How about some pasta?
Here’s some braised short rib pappardelle, or perhaps you’d like some penne with pancetta:
All of the pastas we tried were very rich and full of flavor!
For our main courses we all sampled a bite of this glazed veal chop, which was delicious as well:
But the star of the menu is without a doubt the “Filetto.” My son ordered their signature dish – which tasted as good as it looked!
The “Cacio e Pepe Raviolo Topped Filet!”
Yes, what a dish! You can order the filet with special sauces as well as additional toppings – like this raviolio!
Here’s what it was like to cut into it!
This is a show-stopper to be sure, and delicious – a nice crusty exterior and velvety smooth inside – but it’s not the last show-stopper – check out this lemon sorbet dessert!
Yes, the dish looks like two lemons served atop crumbled graham cracker.
The outside is solid and icy cold, and you break it open to find the lemon sorbet inside!
While some has criticized the “over the top” nature of the menu, we found it fun and inventive – and everything tasted great to us!
It’s a tough reservation to get but worth it! It’s part of my deep dive into some New York restaurants like this legendary one:
Minetta Tavern is also impossible to get into – but we did and had a wild meal there as well!
Clcik here to see my in-depth review:
Our exploration of New York’s great restaurants is just beginning but we’ve already had some incredible adventures:
This one was truly “crab-tabular!”
Click here to see how many different preparations come from this crab at Wu’s Wonton King!
We also had a very memorable gospel choir brunch thanks to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s terrific “Red Rooster” restaurant in Harlem..here’s a listen:
You can see what we ate and some more great performance as well by clicking on mys tory here:
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All the dishes look lovely. I’d definitely go for a pasta dish followed by lemon sorbet.
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We are going there again this weekend with friends from out of town who read all of the stories about it – it’s a hotspot to be sure and your dinner choices would be perfect! Cheers!
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Enjoy!
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Although it all looks delicious…The garlic babka and the lemon sorbet has my name on it…I’d be happy just to taste them with a glass of bubbly of course…:)
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Carol, it really helps to have at least 4 people because they are rich dishes and a bite or two is more than satisfying…and of course champagne makes everything better! Cheers!
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Just WOW, and definitely YUM!
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Thank you for reading!
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You’re welcome!
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I don’t see it as ‘over the top’ – it sounds delightful and very creative.
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You weren’t joking!! Everything looks over the top, as I would expect from top NYC restaurants, but I can’t get over the crab or that steak!!
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We are actually going with friends on Saturday and I am going to get the Filetto – as for the crab from Wu’s, the place is always packed and the food is great!
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If I ever get back there, I’ll keep your recommendations in mind. I know right now, I’m drooling!!
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Sign me up for that ravioli-topped filet, John. It looks amazing! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, it’s a unique dish and delicious! Thanks for commenting!
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