La Pecora Bianca is a fairly new and innovative Italian restaurant with six locations spread around the Manhattan area. With many reviews and perspectives across social media, I was given the impression that this restaurant gives New Yorkers a cuisine and feeling they crave. The question is: am I one of those many people?
While all locations are charming and inviting, the Chelsea/Nomad location is the most beautiful. Smartly nestled in a corner space, customers enjoy staring out at the vast expanse of Broadway while enjoying a bowl of pasta or even one of the overlooked delicious entrées. On top of that, I feel like the dishes at this restaurant give comfort foods a modern twist. For example, the burrata appetizer: rather than being paired with some form of tomato and basil like many other places, it’s served with poached apples and bitter greens. It’s beautifully seasonal while mixing salty, sweet and overall phenomenal cooking.
The next section of the menu boasts thoughtful salads with gems of Italian-American ingredients: arugula, Tuscan Kale and farro–thick grains, which come from ancient wheat. Three out of the four salads feature Parmigiano Reggiano cheese which after a while gets a little repetitive, and can be amped up with proteins like shrimp or chicken (along with that extra fee of course). If you’re looking to stay in a more affordable zone, one of these salads can be an easy way to order only one larger course and keep the check down. La Pecora Bianca also phases in popular comfort foods like burgers, which offer a more American-style lunch choice.
The pasta section is thorough, ranging from spaghetti to garganelli to gnocchi, with main proteins such as steak, fish and chicken. I can’t imagine, realistically, that many people order several courses at lunchtime – but I recently tasted the pork chop with squash agrodolce (sweet + sour sauce), pancetta (Italian-style bacon) and orange. The saltiness of the pancetta against the floral orange and almost earthy squash gave me feelings of winter and Thanksgiving all at once. These contrasting, earthy tastes followed in the dessert section, featuring a chocolate hazelnut budino (Italian for pudding) which made me reminisce about Crumbl Cookie’s limited-edition Hazelnut Mudslide cookie.
The menu is clever and, generally, the locations serve the same menu during lunch and dinner. A busy restaurant makes for a happy staff and La Pecora Bianca is no exception. The servers are attentive and the warmth of the kitchen can be felt in all of the cooking. Don’t be entirely fooled by the casual, homey nature of this particular chain of restaurants – making a reservation is mandatory. I found that the host staff were a little abrupt when they got overwhelmed which is understandable, so it’s best to know what time you made a reservation and be prepared to show your “credentials” when you arrive. Then, you can sit back and enjoy the food.
It’s hard to find good mid-priced meals in Manhattan and even harder to find reliable ones. La Pecora Bianca, for me, is similar to The Smith, which has been serving more American bistro fare for 17 years. It leaves me similarly satisfied without being over-committed or robbed for an overly small portion of often forgettable fare. The climate for restaurants since the pandemic has been challenging with labor and cost of goods (not to mention rent) through the roof, so it was a pleasure to see these “chains” popping up and growing in various neighborhoods in Manhattan. I think it’s a nice sign that restaurants are returning to the city – but we need to continue supporting restaurants in Manhattan whenever we can, and forge that same sense of community we feel at Fieldston.
