As a lifestyle aficionado, I am head over heels in love when glamorous cross-platform elements come together into one harmonious whole. What exactly do I mean by this psychobabble, you might ask? For example, I am enamored to see an amazing pair of shoes perched upon a glorious ottoman or the delicious merger of a top chef in a dramatic setting overlooking a balmy bay.
So, naturally, I was entranced last night when I dined inside starchitect Renzo Piano’s New York Times building in the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square. The destination? Montenapo.
From restaurateur Jozef Juck, the Italian outpost takes its name from Milan’s fashion-centric Via Montenapoleone. And although the interior may not look onto the marvelous Milanese street scene, the restaurant does open onto a lush, birch-filled atrium (amazing unto itself as the restaurant is just across from the exceptionally urban, gritty Port Authority bus depot).
Fabulous architecture, verdant vistas and glorious Northern Italian cooking—what’s not to love?
I started with the fabulous seared jumbo sea scallops with a luxe sun chokes puree scented with black truffles before moving on to the divine spaghetti loaded up with sea urchins and garlic. The meal wound down with lady finger cookies soaked in a double espresso—divine!
Next time you’re Manhattan-bound, check it out.