There are quite a few restaurants that I love, but it does take a certain level of food and overall environment to get me there. The restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be well-known, it just has to execute exceedingly well. In my recent visit to Lupa, I am well on my way to loving it. The entire meal was delicious from start to finish. Dishes that my family had included the simple (but somehow hard to get right) spaghetti pomodoro and the Tagliatelle with a chicken ragu.

But, I’m going to skip over all that and focus on two dishes that absolutely blew me away (I ordered both, btw - I won!). First, the daily house-made pasta. The spaghetti on the menu was high-quality dried pasta, and it’s very very good. But, if you go to Lupa, it’s really a crime not to order the house made pasta. That night’s selection included Orechiette, little ear shaped pastas that act as tiny cups to capture just the right amount of sauce. Orechiette is always one of my favorites, but Lupa’s really took it to a new level. A bit thicker than typical orechiette I’ve had in the past, these little scoops had such a beautiful bite, I can practically still feel the texture. Their thickness was in no way gummy or heavy, just a reminder that they were made by someone’s adept hands rather than spat out by a machine. The sauce was sweet Italian sausage that was spicy and rich without being overwhelming. Fresh and warm essence of fennel in each juicy, meaty bite. I couldn’t imagine the meal getting any better than that. And then, it did. Again, with the daily special, three flash-fried lamb chops that were mind-blowingly delicious. A gorgeous crisp searing kept the meat incredibly moist and tender. Simple perfection.

The only downside to the entire meal was after a pasta and meat (shared amongst the table), we were all quite too full to sample the desserts, which looked equally tasty. I guess another trip to New York is going to be called for soon.

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