Family members hugged warmly and gave congratulations outside the doors of Procida (named after an island in the Bay of Naples). The brand new Italian eatery in the Marigny Triangle is helmed by Chef Valeriano Chiella (formerly Executive Chef at Domenica), and his relatives and friends were among the excited diners who got a preview taste of this culinary venture.
The sun gleamed through the windows, showcasing the texture and character of the historic brick walls and worn wood door frames. The chic palm-painted ceiling, brown marble bartop, and rich brown leather seats added contemporary, yet classic style. Celebratory glasses of champagne were passed around before everyone grabbed their seats to enjoy the anticipated menu broken down into five sections: antipasto, insalate and zuppe, primi, contorni, and secondi.
Seafood is woven throughout the menu, but not in a way that is cliche Creole. Beyond the bluefin tuna crudo and seafood ragu offerings of the antipasto, I chose to go for the decadent dishes of Smoked Scamorza al Forno and Neapolitan Soffrito. The smokey, hot cheese dripped oil as you cut a piece and dropped it on the lightly charred bread. It had an amazing chewiness to it, and the addition of salsa verde added just a hint of herbal flavor to balance the oil. The Soffrito consisted of three meats all smothered in a thick pomodoro sauce that I scooped up well after the meat was gone. A homemade meatball, braciole, and braised beef swam in the sauce and had a healthy coat of cheese and basil to top it.
An Aperol Spritz was an excellent way to refresh the palate after such intense openers. The pastas that ensued re-drenched the tongue in savory flavor.
The Bucatini Aglio & Olio was a lighter pasta with a blue-crab flavor that touched every part of the dish. The generous amount of chili pangrattato, a dash of lemon, and a dusting of calabrian chili balanced the crab. I adored the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina because of the tangy vodka sauce, pecorino romano, and shreds of fresh basil. The soft gnocchi held the sauce so well, but, again, I scooped it out well after the pasta had been eaten. Speaking of tangy, Nonna Pina's Eggplant certainly had a tongue-tingling flavor as slices of grilled eggplant are marinated in red wine vinegar. This tasted like an old world dish.
A delightful Limoncello Spritz was a good introduction to the twin desserts of lemon custard dish dotted with fresh whipped cream and a lighter-than-air tiramisu. Hardly any chewing was needed for either as they glided off a spoon and slipped down the tongue.
Procida is set to open on August 19th, and making reservations is highly recommended.
