Welcome to your new favorite neighborhood Italian joint. Tucked away on 62nd Street in the Upper East Side, you’ll find elegance and comfort at Dopo East with their carefully curated art, grand piano in the dining room, and a quaint outdoor garden.
Dopo East comes from the creators of Trattoria Dopo Teatro in the Theater District. Other than their knack for Italian cuisine, the restaurants are anything but the same: while the Trattoria is expansive and caters to the tourism of its neighborhood, Dopo East is of demure elegance and sophistication in an intimate setting on the ground floor of a beautiful brownstone.
The menu is curated by the youthful and talented Executive Chef Patrizio D’Andrea, formerly of Cipriani’s and an honor graduate of the Aurelio Saffi Culinary School. His Italian background is shown enthusiastically in each and every one of his dishes, where he uses a selection of organically grown vegetables, hormone-free meats, and fresh seafood. Owner Emilio Barletta (of Zanzibar and Cascina) and partner Pino Manica pull the ambiance together through a partnership with art from Artioli Findlay.
Our knowledgeable serve Alex took care of us and started us off with a colorful red and yellow beet salad topped with oranges and micro arugula and a light ginger and sour cream dressing. The tangy beets paired nicely with the mild buffalo mozzarella carprese with organic tomatoes (peeled to reduce acidity), basil sprouts, and balsamic dressing.
In a city filled with a seemingly unlimited supply of Italian cuisine, it’s quite difficult to make stand-out pasta dishes. But Chef Patrizio D’Andrea has done so with his corn ravioli with shaved black truffles filled with sheep milk ricotta. My favorite dish of the night was the amazing home-made ricotta gnocchi with baby lamb ragout, each bite packed with dense and delicious flavor.
We also had the pleasure of tasting a sample of the Filetto di Agnello alla Griglia – grilled lamb tenderloin with a side of Chanterelle mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and potatoes with a calming horseradish yogurt sauce.
Other patron favorites include the spinach and egg Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno with wild mushroom ragout and the pan-seared Branzino in Padella with veggies and an almonds gremolada. For a real treat, try the Bistecca alla Griglia 28-days dry aged rib-eye steak with a green scallion puree, porcini mushrooms, and potatoes, or the Gamberoni alla Primavera, jumbo grilled shrimp infused with smoked butter and diced vegetables.
Their dishes go hand in hand with a generous selection wines from all over the globe. Under Director of Operations Gianni Onofri, the extensive wine list is predominately Italian, but is continuing to grow to a selection of over 600 bottles from around the globe.
For dessert, we were delighted to try their signature tiramisu. The sweet and fluffy cream is balanced with the dark chocolate powder. Their smooth cheesecake is topped with a tangy berry sauce, and the semifreddo juxtaposes the frozen cream with the crunch of almonds.
For large groups, there is a private dining space downstairs, and when the weather starts to cooperate, the outdoor garden will open. To let loose on the weekends, there is live jazz music on Fridays and Saturday nights, and there are rumors of Summer Friday happy hour with sparking wine. Until then, book your reservations for dinner!
Yours,
Von
Dopo East
345 E. 62 Street
between 1st and 2nd Avenue
646.484.6548
Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 5:00PM – 11:00PM
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Photos via Benvenuti PR and by Socially Superlative
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