via carota — when there is food

Since I’m leaving for college soon, I’ve been trying to frantically visit all the places in NYC that I’ve desperately been wanting to go to for ages. And one of those places happens to be via carota, an absolutely amazing Italian restaurant that is normally impossible to visit for dinner because they don’t take reservations. But these days, they do outdoor dining during lunchtime as well. So the other day, I put on my running shoes and my nicest exercise clothing and jogged approximately 4.5 miles to the West Village, where I ended up being one of the first customers of the day.

After much careful deliberation, I decided to get their iconic tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and the piselli salad with lettuces, peas, prosciutto, and robiola, for you know, health.

Soon enough, my mountain of a salad arrived, which explained the $21 price tag. I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be shared, as I was given a separate plate and serving utensils for me to actually eat the salad, as I don’t think the laws of physics would’ve allowed me to eat this salad right off the plate. Anyways the salad itself was decently tasty and refreshing, as the creamy dressing balanced out the earthy flavor of the crisp pea shoots and lettuces. I especially liked the thin shards of slightly smoky and meaty prosciutto, as they still had some body to them, and weren’t completely floppy, like the prosciutto you find in grocery stores. However, to be honest, I’m not completely sure I would order this again, as I would have to share it, and I’d prefer to spend my money sharing another one of via carota’s pasta dishes.

One of the prettiest mountains I’ve ever seen.

And then at last, it was time for the main event: the pasta. First off, visually, it’s very enticing. You know this pasta is going to taste fantastic. Also, it’s a very substantial portion, which is good for sharing, or in my case, prolonging the experience of eating this pasta.

This pasta is immaculate. Everything about it, from the creamy, cheesy, and peppery sauce to the slightly chewy, curly tonnarelli, is amazing. The saucy is slightly runny, which means it gently coats the thick noodles, making the dish a lot less heavier than it could be, and the grated cheese half melts when you toss it with the rest of the pasta, adding extra cheesiness and umami that never hurts.

This is the summer aesthetic I constantly strive to have.

In fact, the only thing I wish I could change is if it came with bread(yes more carbs) to mop up all of the creamy, slightly greasy sauce.

You know, there really is nothing quite like shoveling warm pasta into your mouth while sitting on the sidewalk, as a symphony of construction noises and cars serenade you. Honestly, it’s a whole experience, and I kinda love it. It really encapsulates my summer in NYC.