Cucina 8/12

“The best chicken parm in NYC”

Midtown West, Manhattan
9 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

Come here for: Date night, business dinner, delicious cocktails & pasta, the tableside trio

What are the vibes? Contemporary Italian dishes served in a spacious, beautiful dining space

A little background:

Cucina 8/12 used to be Brasserie 1/2, not to be confused with La Brasserie (another great new restaurant). Located in the lower level of the Solow Skyscraper, the space has a beautiful large bar and lounge area. The dining area is separated and has several tables of various sizes and comfortable booth seating. It’s definitely more upscale than your average Italian restaurant. All of the ingredients are fresh and you can tell with each dish and drink. The bartender, Jeanette, uses these ingredients to create creative cocktails that switch up regularly. This is a dining experience where you’re unlikely to leave disappointed.

What we ordered:

My friend Eddie recently moved back to New York after living in Dubai for years. I knew it had been awhile since he had a quality Italian dinner so he was my number one choice to dine here with. I met him at the bar where he was having a glass of wine and the free bites they provided (potato chips made in-house and bruschetta). The hostess brought us to the dining area where we sat at a booth. After seeing the restaurant on Instagram, I already knew I wanted to try the tableside trio; their special of Caesar salad, pasta, and chicken parmesan served tableside, but first drinks (obviously). I started with the Pooch, a cocktail with vodka, lychee and St. Germain. It was delicious. Eddie ordered the smoked old fashioned. It was served covered and smoke comes out when you uncover it. He loved his drink as well. We were already off to a great start.

We placed our order for the tableside trio for $69 and the polpo alla griglia (aka grilled octopus). Each dish ordered separately costs way more in total, so it’s better to get the special if you want to try them all. The salad was prepared in front of us. The dressing was made from scratch and all the ingredients were mixed together and topped with parmesan cheese. You definitely taste the difference from other salads with pre-made dressings. The grilled octopus was delicious as well. It was not rubbery, which can happen sometimes; again super fresh.

The second part of the trio was the spaghetti al limone (aka lemon spaghetti). Eddie loved it. I personally wasn’t crazy about. It was tasty for what it was, but the lemon just wasn’t my favorite, but it is good. It’s an acquired taste. The third and last part of the trio was the chicken parmesan. Chicken parm used to be one of my favorite dishes when I was younger. This one was definitely one of the best I’ve had. Again, the fresh ingredients are prevalent. The fresh cheese and sauce were delicious and the chicken was juicy.

In addition to the tableside trio, we also ordered the ricotta ravioli, one of their pasta dishes made from scratch. I love burrata and originally wanted to order it as a starter, but since we chose this pasta dish, our server suggested skipping it. She made it seem as if the burrata would be served whole in the center of the dish, instead it was in small pieces. Since it was on top of warm pasta, the texture was rubbery. It would have been better added to the dish tableside to stick with the tableside theme. That way it would be cold and would keep it’s creamy texture. Nevertheless, the pasta itself was delicious. I love ricotta so I enjoyed it. We also got the black sea bass which was cooked very well and had delicious flavor.

We went through the entire cocktail list. Eddie’s favorite was the Pomodoro Mary made with fresh tomatoes. He also got the Fiore Di Ibisco with tequila, hibiscus and a chili-spiced rim. I ordered the limoncello spritz which was refreshing. Eddie also ordered the Mandorla E Ciliegia which was a whiskey and amaretto cocktail. It looked similar to the Old Fashioned so I didn’t take a picture of it.

We obviously had to end with dessert. I ordered a cappuccino and Eddie got an espresso. Eddie was excited to get the zeppoles and I was intrigued by the pistachio tiramisu. In between courses they brought out chocolate biscotti and fried cheese. They add the powdered sugar to the zeppoles at the table which is fun. They were just okay though. Very light and airy, not greasy and thick like the ones you have at a street fair. I like those better. The pistachio tiramisu was delicious though. Overall, the meal was delicious, albeit expensive. The bill was over $400. Granted, we ordered a lot of food and drinks. No regrets. It was an enjoyable dining experience for the both of us. I recommend going here.

Bottom line: Get the tableside trio with a cocktail each for a nice dinner that will cost way less than ordering each individual item. You can also come here for drinks in their bar/lounge area and small bites. The ambiance is nice and their cocktails are great. You have options here and however you do it, you’ll enjoy delicious cocktails and tasty Italian bites.