where jess ate

Located in the heart of the financial district, Little Anthony’s (@little_anthonys) has been open for over 17 years. The restaurant has recently been relaunched with a new executive chef, Garth Legree and a new menu. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a media dinner previewing some of the new dishes.

The dining room, which was redesigned last year, is quite large and spacious. Catering to the financial district crowd, there are also two separate dining spaces – a  private room which seats 50 and a boardroom which seats 12.

This neighborhood osteria is owned by Andreas Antoniou who also owns the popular Estiatorio Volos restaurant across the street. During our dinner, Andreas explained to us that the restaurant wanted to bring more rustic dishes to the menu.

Without further ado, here’s a look at what we sampled…

Little Anthony’s signature cocktail, the Milano Sunrise – with Campari, Martini Bianco, soda & grapefruit.

Bacon Wrapped Dates – with a gorgonzola filling

Cheese Tortellini – with scarmoza, saffron béchamel, watercress and breadcrumbs

Shrimp Scampi – with a lemon butter sauce, garlic, fried bread, parsley & arugula salad

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara – with pancetta, egg yolk, parmigiano reggiano, parsley and nutmeg

Pan Seared Scallops – with grilled radicchio, marjoram & garlic vinaigrette and smoked bacon

6oz Flat Iron Steak – with potato gnocchi, roasted mushrooms, thyme & peppercorn sauce

Filetto di Branzino – with white beans, lemon al burro, P.E.I. mussels, braised fennel and orange

Roasted Capon – with brown lentils, crispy confit thigh and glazed spring vegetables

Lemon Sorbet

Tiramisu

Needless to say, it was quite the meal, starting off with the bacon wrapped dates – what’s not to love? A perfect sweet and salty combination.

One stand-out for me was the shrimp scampi. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and I couldn’t get enough of the garlicky, buttery fried bread.  For some freshness, the parsley and arugula salad was a nice addition. I was also a fan of the tagliatelle alla carbonara. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was spot on. I have to add that the meat and seafood in all the dishes were wonderfully cooked – moist and tender!

We ended off our meal with a refreshing bite of lemon sorbet and a light tiramisu which had just the right amount of sweetness. A great way to end off the meal!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post are my own.*