Tessa M. Dobrow

Nestled on the Upper East Side, San Babila opened its door to The Knockturnal once again, this time to experience their after dinner Digestif Cart and enjoy a sneak peek of their Truffle Tiramisu.

The restaurant’s welcoming ambiance invited us into the bustling Italian cuisine establishment. We enjoyed the soft lights of the dining area, sipping on a bottle of Moscato. After the meal, the staff serves the Digestif Cart, filled with a variety of spirits. So naturally, we tried some additional options from the menu to properly enjoy the post dinner service.

Apps & Entrees

We started off the night with a deconstructed Caesar Salad and Tartare Di Tonno. The salad consists of five wedges of crisp baby lettuce garnished with pickled red onion, parmigiano, and anchovy bread crumbs. In addition, both balsamic and Caesar dressing complemented the salad. The tartare contained thick tuna chunks flavored with Sicilian olives, fresh mint, oranges, and basil, giving the dish a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Next up were noodles and gnocchi. The Fettuccine Alla Nerano consists of delicately soft noodles, stracciatella foam, and a zucchini purée, topped with zucchini chips. The Gnocchi Al Tartufo included rich, cheese-filled pasta balls, tender mushrooms, and sautéed spinach that perfectly balanced out the richness of the pasta sauce. Nutty pine nuts garnished the dish, complementing the wonderful flavor of the black truffle.

Post Dinner Digestif

Our server brought us the Digestif Cart only after we had thoroughly enjoyed dinner. The elegant trolley style cart is adorned with spirit glasses, a variety of garnishes, and of course a selection of liquors. The perfectly lined-up liquors were all handpicked by Executive Chef Francesco Lamanna. They each come from his homeland of Calabria, giving a nod to his heritage. They include more bitter spirits such as the Roger Amaro and Amaro Importante Jefferson. The more floral options included the balsamic herbal liquor Madame Milù, the Bergamotto Fantastico, and the Mr. Three & Bros. Each spirit is aimed at helping digest the meal. Executive Chef Francesco Lamanna personally walked us through each option. He aims to guide every guest participating in the Digestif Cart, since it’s meant to be enjoyed as an experience!

Since we’d be enjoying dessert, it was recommended we try the Bergamotto Fantastico. They poured the spirit over ice and garnished it with a sprig of lavender. The spirit was strong yet refreshing, with notes of citrus and pine. Drinking it felt like consuming a sophisticated version of gin, but more complex in the best of ways.

Tasty Truffle Tiramisu

Lastly, they served us an exclusive preview of San Babila’s Truffle Tiramisu, which will be making its debut shortly! This decadent dessert is filled with rich liquor, which is balanced out excellently by smooth espresso. Beautiful layers of cake and cream were present in every bite. The only thing that made it better was the tableside shaving of fresh truffle to garnish the dessert! Truly a tiramisu to remember!

Photo Courtesy: Tessa M. Dobrow