Getting a table at Rao’s is not easy, they don’t take reservations like a regular restaurant rather each table is “owned” by a lucky individual each night the they are open (Monday- Friday). There is only one seating per evening so it is a very valuable commodity, I have never understood exactly how the tables are acquired but I am fortunate to have been granted access to one recently and after fasting for the day in preparation I am here to report back.
I had visited Rao’s about 8 years ago and hoped not much had changed, though as it happened there were two glaring losses, Nicky Vest the larger than life personality who manned the bar and danced with guests after dinner (myself included) has passed away, and the classic jukebox has been replaced by a modern digital version mounted on the wall. You are still able to program a steady stream of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to accompany your evening, but it’s not quite the same.
Those are the only negatives, dinner at Rao’s still takes you back to a different era and is not only an evening of delicious food, but a rare taste of a New York that no longer exists. Here’s the drill: the doors open at 6:00 pm for drinks, but nobody is seated until 7:00 at which point you can stay as long as you like. We settled in for a drink at the bar, and just for the record it is a very potent pour. By the time we sat down we were ravenous (especially me as I hadn’t eaten all day). There are no menus, and there is no wine list, a gentleman pulls over a chair and gets a read on what you are in the mood for, listing all of the dishes available and making suggestions. We had an idea of what to order based on our last visit as well as recommendations from friends so we felt like we had it all under control. As far as wine we started with a Brunello (no options or vintages were offered) as well as a bottle of Panna water.
The restaurant is filled with a varied assortment of signed photographs collected over the years as well as Christmas lights and Rao’s Homemade lamps which adorn each table. I was told the bread was delicious, and can attest that the wine was quite “fresh”.
Our first selections soon arrived and were greeted with excitement. The roasted peppers were dotted with plump raisins and pignoli nuts which paired perfectly with the fresh mozzarella. The oil and lemon drenched seafood salad was heavy on the sliced calamari and slightly bland but still tasty. The spicy calamari (which sadly I could not eat) was the big hit of the three, crispy, spicy, tomatoey and satisfying, the very generous serving was gone before long.
Finally with some food in our bellies we sat back and took a good look around the room. We hoped to spot some illustrious politicians, local celebrities or maybe even some low level crime bosses but it seemed as though the restaurant was filled with “Finance Bros”. No matter, everyone was happy and enthusiastic, the energy level was high with people happy to be part of the scene at Raos.
The pasta course was up next, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage was highly touted, and proved to be a big winner. I opted for gluten free pasta ( I was so happy they were able to accommodate me) with arrabbiata sauce and broccoli rabe. The pasta was perfectly al dente but the kitchen was very heavy handed with the oil, it was good going down but I was definitely reaching for the tums on the ride home! The much anticipated meatballs were impossibly light, flavorful, and tremendously filling (according to my guys). In case you were wondering, they are not pouring sauce out of a jar in the kitchen, everything is homemade.
At this point we needed a little breather and to loosen our proverbial belts. Also, since we were out of wine we needed another bottle, switching to a Chianti as the Brunello was a little disappointing. I put the vote in for the sautéed escarole (lots more oil) while my guys ordered shrimp parmigiana (excellent) as well as pork chops with cherry peppers which looked amazing but went untouched until the next day as it was packed up in its entirety to bring home as we had reached our saturation point as far as the main courses went; though there was still a little room for dessert.
I’m not sure about you, but I always need a little chocolate at the end of a meal and the Tartufo and chocolate ice cream hit the spot, though now we were really over-stuffed! Although I wanted to stay longer (I was hoping someone might start dancing) my husband was signaling for the check. Rao’s is all cash so be sure to bring along enough to cover the bill plus lots of tips for the outstanding staff!
Long story short, if you are lucky enough to have an opportunity to dine at the original Rao’s in NYC you absolutely must, the food, the atmosphere, and the history combine to make for an unforgettable evening. There are branches of Rao’s in LA, Las Vegas and Miami but there is no comparison to the original. Is the meal incredible- no, but the entire experience is, which I can state unequivocally even after a mighty hangover both from the wine and the generous amount of oil I consumed.
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