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by Barbara Penny Angelakis
San Domenico NY
240 Central Park South
New York, New York 10019
Telephone: 212-265-5959
Email: sandomny@aol.com
San Domenico NY
Brunch in the City
Brunch with Italian flair. The first in our new series of articles featuring restaurants with exceptional Sunday brunch, a culinary ritual of affluent New Yorkers.
 Walk up Fifth Avenue to Central Park on the south side of 59th Street, also known as Central Park South, and you will probably pass by Tony May’s San Domenico NY without a glance, that is, unless you are looking for a superb dining experience. The unassuming physical exterior blends into the site that it has occupied since 1988 with just the name simply painted on the window to mark its presence. Enter through the revolving doors into an area with a well stocked bar and a smiling receptionist poised to greet you. The main restaurant, designed by Adam Tihany, with it’s terra-cotta tiled floor, green leather banquettes with gold, blue, and red striped fabric backs, and plain white table linens, is comfortable, inviting and fits the traditional upscale Italian restaurant perfectly. Indirect ceiling lights guarantee that no harsh table lighting will color or obscure your food or obstruct your view of your dining companions or the flow of conversation. The one seemingly out of place but charming item in the dining room is a standing dark red lacquered Berkel & Parnall’s proscutto slicing machine, complete with the tasty meat perched atop waiting to be sliced and brought to table.
Brunch is served only on Sunday and families are invited, a fact Marisa May Bocognano made a special point of mentioning. Not only are children allowed but in fact they are welcomed. Tony May’s bubbly and charming daughter is also a knowledgeable hostess and makes you feel welcomed, as if you are dining with friends. She explained that many of the dishes on the menu are variations on a traditional Neapolitan theme, blending fresh seasonal ingredients-- many imported directly from Italy for use in the restaurant-- and traditional recipes adapted by Supervising Chef Odette Fada, in a new and innovative way. For instance, the Incapriata (see recipe in the Cook’s Corner section), an unusual blending of purée of fava beans with peperoncino and flavored olive oil. The smooth creamy, delicate yet complex flavored soup, served in a white cup-sized tureen, was remarkable. Not normally considered brunch fare, it nevertheless was a lovely way to organize the palette for the treats to come.
Brunch at San Domenico begins with a freshly squeezed orange juice and prosecco cocktail accompanied by a plate of tasty sweet breads served with a generous portion of Nutella/Nocciole/Gianduja - whatever name you know it as- the decadent rich chocolate hazelnut spread that is one of Italy’s many culinary gifts to the world. The menu was varied and contained the classic brunch offerings of blueberry pancakes (Pancakes Con Mirtilli) French toast (Pan-Brioche Toast with fresh fruit and chocolate sauce) hot cereal (Orzo of barley with cream, raisins and chestnut honey) along with notable and unusual choices such as the Purgatorio, three poached eggs in a tomato and fresh oregano sauce. The contrast of the white egg in the red sauce graphically points out our moral choices but I was too busy sopping up purgatory to think anything but heavenly thoughts. Also outstanding was the Pesce Affumicato, a selection of smoked sturgeon, white fish, trout and salmon and served with the de rigueur New York City bagel but with Italian stracchino cheese instead of the traditional cream cheese. The portions were more then sufficient without being overwhelming and the service was attentive without being intrusive. The pace of the meal was leisurely and without pressure to allow for digestion and conversation with ample time to make menu selections and enjoy the items chosen. All bakery items are made on premises and the dessert offerings change depending on the season and available ingredients. My selection was an icingless chocolate cake subtly flavored with almond paste whose delicious taste belied its simple presentation, while my companion selected a fruit tart that looked and tasted scrumptious.
The prices were appropriate for the quality offered.
And a post script for the ladies. Along with impeccably clean restroom facilities, foaming hand soap and good quality large sized hand towels, is the unique feature of a bidet in each spacious bathroom stall. I cannot say for certain, but I would hazard a guess that this is the one and only restaurant in the city, Italian or otherwise, that features such a fixture for their woman guests. It is just another instance of making you feel like a guest in a friend’s home, an endorsement for any eating establishment.
© November 2006 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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