I Sodi

2008_05_isodi
Two groups of friends had been to I Sodi in the past few weeks and loved it.  As I am always looking for another good restaurant in the neighborhood, we went last night.  A total winner.

I Sodi is located on Christopher between Bleeker and Hudson.  This particular stretch of Christopher is undergoing change.  Rag and Bone, Lord Willy's, McNulty's Tea and Coffee Company (which has been there forever) and now I Soldi is a change from the racier shops on the street.  The diversity on the block is what I love about the village.

Walking into I Sodi made me feel as if I was entering a local restaurant somewhere in Rome.  A long wooden bar, banquettes of tables on the other side, wood beams, simple architecture with a feeling of old world.  Behind the bar are simple marble shelves chocked with any alcohol you can think of.  The menu changes every Monday so seasonal is the theme.  I like that. 

The portion was perfect.  Not too small and not too big.  Lots of different wines to choose from too.  I started with an artichoke Parmesan salad.  Classic Italian.  Thinly sliced artichokes served on a small round plate with a few shavings of cheese over the top dressed with a very light olive oil.  Just as Italian food is meant to be.  Simply bringing out the taste of the each individual ingredient and pairing tastes that are meant to highlight the senses.  Josh had a side dish to start of fried artichokes.  Tiny artichokes cut up and deep fried that melted in your mouth.  Crispy, browned and not greasy.  Delicious.

Main courses.  Fred went with the Branzino which they told us would take 25 minutes.  At one point, our waiter said it would be another 8 minutes.  Loved that.  Not 6 minutes, not 7 minutes but 8 minutes.  A large filleted piece of Branzino topped with tiny roasted tomatoes and potatoes on the side.  Flavorful, juicy and perfectly cooked.   Josh had the spaghetti with a meat sauce.  Rich, tasty and just good.  I had the lamb chops.  5 rib lamb chops that were not that thick and fanned over the plate.  Full of taste over a small portion of sauteed spinach.  The portion was perfect.  If I really wanted to have a heyday, we could have each had an appetizer, half a portion of pasta and then a main but not necessary.  Although going back with a group and trying more of the sides and splitting a few pastas could be worth feeling full.

I walked out perfectly content.  We just added I Sodi to our neighborhood restaurants.  I can truly hardly wait to go back. 

Comments (Archived):

  1. Chris McBride

    Glad to see your nice write up on I Sodi. It’s been pretty under the radar until recently and deserves a bit more attention. Jennifer and I had a great meal there a few weeks ago and loved it. The fried artichokes are out of this world.