This past weekend the Knockturnal had the pleasure of attending a tasting at the newly opened Duomo 51. Duomo 51 is a Tuscan restaurant from the Ramerino Italian Prime team and Executive Chef Vilfrid Hodoj.
It is a hidden gem on the 7th floor of the DoubleTree Hotel. Stepping off the elevator guests are greeted by beautiful flower arrangements and ushered into a dining room with spectacular views of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Center. The restaurant boasts a glass-enclosed terrace. We dined on the terrace under heat lamps that kept us warm.
We began our meal with fresh rolls of bread dipped in a sauce of sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil. The service was friendly and swift.
For appetizers we sampled calamari alla grilia, which is grilled calamari topped with arugala pesta and confit cherry tomatoes. This is different from the style of calamari you may know as it is not fried or breaded. It tasted crisp and healthy.
We also sampled the melanzane alla parmagiana, an eggplant dish topped with tomato, Parmigiana-Reggiano, and basil sauce.
Next up for our pasta course we had caccio e peppe, which consisted of homemade tonnarelli, fresh black pepper, and grated 24-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was so tasty.
We also had the Bolognese, which is made of fetuccini pasta, traditional veal ragu, and 24-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was warm and savory.
Duomo 51 also offers a wine list composed of selections from Italy and California with a focus on Tuscany, including super Tuscan varieties. Their cocktail program focuses on classic cocktails like martinis, Manhattans, and old-fashioneds. The Duomo51 is their signature cocktail. It is made of whiskey, lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and port wine.
For dessert we had chocolate lava cake served with vanilla ice cream and tiramisu. The house-made desserts were fresh and delightful. The tiramisu was fluffy and melted in the mouth. We finished our meal with a cup of coffee.
Highlights from their menu include, but are not limited to:
Antipasti:
- Caprese Invernale: roasted tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil, with ursini olio novello.
- Polpo alla Griglia: Grilled octopus with chickpea cream and a dash of lemon juice to add a fresh, citrus taste.
Pasta:
- Barone Rosso: Chef Vilfrid’s Tuscan specialty of rigatoni in a red pesto composed of tomato sauce with pine nuts and burrata cheese.
- Tartufo: Pappardelle with wild mushrooms, goat cheese, truffle oil, and demi-glace.
Land:
- Vitello Ai Funghi: Veal scaloppine with wild mushrooms and brown sauce.
- Fileto al Chianti: Filet mignon cooked in a red wine reduction.
Sea:
- Dover Sole: From the Mediterranean Sea, prepared tableside.
- Cartoccio alla Isolana: Baked Italian orata fillet with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, capers, olives, in a white wine sauce.
