Da Silvano has one of the biggest restaurant scenes in New York City. Any season, any time of day, New York City’s elite fill the outdoor tables of this hotspot for laughs with good friends over even better food. Da Silvano is located next to Bar Pitti and across from El Toro Blanco, both of which are known for their outdoor seating, cocktails, and good scenes. You are guaranteed to run into at least a few people that you know sitting outside on this corner, so as you can imagine, this corner has the ability to make big ‘ol New York City feel quite small…
As much as I love a good scene, I’ve avoided eating at Da Silvano as the menu can be classified as “heavy Italian.” However, this changed this weekend when I went to the restaurant and learned that not only is there an extensive list of nobread approved foods under the antipasti, insalate, and secondi piatti sections of the menu, but Da Silvano also serves gluten free pasta! So what can you order? Essentially anything! To start, I recommend any of the cold cuts and cheeses (if you can tolerate dairy) and you will see platter of cheese/meat/fruit on just about every table. The meats are delicious and the perfect way to start your meal. Also, the arugula salad and fresh mixed salad with Italian dressing are nobread approved. For those as obsessed with olive oil as I am, Da Silvano sells extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany at $27.50/btl. For mains, I recommend any of the exotic meats (the veal chop and grilled shell steak are popular) or pastas (as long as you ask for the gluten free pasta).
Whatever you do, don’t overlook Da Silvano’s seafood options! The seafood is not on the standard menu (apart from the Langostine Catalana – which is also gluten free), but fish is featured on the daily specials, depending which fish is freshest from the market each day. Typical fish specials include whole fish like branzino or filets of sole, as well as other special fish like yellow gunnard, seared peppered tuna over salad, and oysters and clams from Oyster Bayand. If you stop by during the summer, you HAVE to try the Lobster Salad with avocado, tomatoes, and lettuces – no bread!
Great food, a great scene, and the perfect way to spend your afternoon especially on a sunny day; I recommend Da Silvano for the nobread crowd. Don’t be intimidated by the “heavy Italian” menu, there are plenty of nobread approved options for you to try, making your overall Da Silvano experience a success!