My older brother never fesses up to being a gourmand, but whether he realizes it or not, he always opts for tasty food, never settling for mediocre. This is why no matter how many restaurants are on my must try list, I will always eat wherever he chooses.
A few weeks ago, we went to a favorite pasta joint of his, Sapore on Greenwich Avenue. The place is unassuming to say the least. Across from the glitzy and ever-packed Gusto, also known for its mouthwatering Italian, Sapore could be easily missed. Of course, the two are very different types of restaurants. While Gusto offers not only delicious food but also an ambience that would put a princess at ease, Sapore gets straight to the point with the food and relies on the smiles and kindness of the staff to create a pleasant environment. And, that it does, extremely well.
When I arrived with my brother on a Saturday night around nine, there was a wait for one of the fifteen or so tables. The manager apologized for the wait and offered us a gratis glass of wine to get the evening started. We were ravenous and the generosity took off the edge.
We watched steaming bowls of fusilli ai formaggi, spaghetti con polpettine, and rigatoni melanzane arrive at tables before we were seated at ours fifteen minutes later.
We asked for an order of bruschetta, but the waiter brought two instead, explaining that one was on the house for having to wait. The dish was superb: dark grilled bread topped with chopped cherry tomatoes, onions, oregano, basil, and garlic olive oil to add a kick. We were both very happy that the waiter had bought us an extra order.
We were carb-loading for the marathon the following day so we each ordered a portion of the penne sapore. Our mother used to make penne more than any other pasta and we keep a spot for it in our hearts. This penne came with fresh tomatoes, grilled onions, zucchini medallions, and basil, topped with ricotta salata. The pasta was cooked just a minute beyond al dente (how I like it) and the veggies were a great blend of fresh and cooked.
All in all, Sapore provided an unfussy but completely gourmet meal that I would have never discovered without the help of my brother.
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