Cacio E Pepe

ItalianCacio E Pepe is located on 2nd Avenue between 11/12th.  They have been open for 2 years now.  We had dinner with a group of people there the other night.

It happened to be a beautiful night.  Warm but not too hot and low humidity.  Sitting in the garden behind the restaurant was a delight.  Not many of those in NYC.  The restaurant was hopping by the time we left.  I don’t think there are an empty seat in the place including the outdoor seating on the street. 

The menu was good.  A mixture of salads, pastas, meat and fish dishes.  Everything sounded delicious.  I went with the specials of the evening.  Tossed greens with fava beans and pecorino cheese.  Simple, tasty and light.  Not too heavy handed which I really liked.  I also had the Striped Bass special.  Striped bass roasted with a rich tangy tomato sauce that was mixed with olives, capers and onions.  Really wonderful.  I tasted a few other things that night too.  Pounded chicken breaded and deep fried was juicy on the inside and crisp and not oily on the outside.  On top was a mixture of tomatoes and argula salad in a light sauce.  A great summer meal.  The house pasta is served on top of a large piece of parmigiana cheese.  That didn’t wow me.  Way too much salt.  The pasta with sardines, breadcrumbs and raisins was quite good. 

Desserts were just OK, nothing great.  Personally I have always found the meal much better than the desserts at Italian restaurants.  If I am going to be in that area again, I will absolutely go back.  The food isn’t off the charts but it is good and the menu is worth exploring a little bit more.

Comments (Archived):

  1. Josh Ozersky

    It’s peccorino, not parmesan.

  2. scott

    i find y our statement about dessert in Italian restaurants to be true. In fact, I’ve discovered that Italians aren’t really big on dessert. They eat their “sweets” in the morning with a latte, and then usually just eat something like fresh fruit or a nice marscapone cream over strawberries type thing for dessert after meals. Then there’s gelato for post dessert dessert.