Restaurants We Know You Want to Put on Your Radar: Da Toscano

Michael Toscano once owned a restaurant called Perla on Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village. Then he left the Big Apple for Charleston South Carolina so he could open a restaurant there and deal with people being nice all the time. But as the immortal Michael Corleone once said about the New York restaurant game, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in,” and so Toscano did what few others get a chance to do. He opened a new restaurant…in the exact same space as his old one. That alone tells us Da Toscano is poised to be a hit. I mean have you ever walked down Minetta Lane? It’s SO cozy.

A look inside Da Toscano, opening this week Photo: Da Toscano

Like any intimate date spot, you’re expecting some decent chow, and Da Toscano has some intriguing finds. Even in a city saturated with Italian joints, Da Toscano is separating itself with dishes like octopus carpaccio, veal head parmigiana, and agnolotti with lamb neck. Moving down to South Carolina helped Chef Toscano connect with some awesome purveyors like Holy City Hogs, so we’re excited to taste all the pork dishes. A few menu options we’ve also heard about by paying attention to all the blogs include grilled beef tongue, snout to tail soup, angel hair pasta with skate and chilis, oysters roasted with crab fat (jesus that sounds delicious), and barbecued oxtail. There’s an open kitchen and the interior will likely make you want to wear a suit and sing Dean Martin songs while waiting for dinner.

The Porchetta Chop. Only 10 Are Made Each Night! Photo: Da Toscano

Oh, and don’t forget to save room for dessert. We’re seeing some cheese and carrot cakes pop up on social media, so you’ve been warned.

One sexy slice of carrot cake Photo: Da Toscano