Cavatappo cures the rainy day blues

What is it about rainy days in winter that makes it nearly impossible to drag oneself out of the house? The combination of the cold, and the damp, and the wind... for some reason I'm much more able to handle snow than that awful winter rain.

Well, Sunday of MLK weekend was just one of those rainy winter days. Up on the UES with no dinner plans, we defaulted to a sure thing: Cavatappo Grill. We were early so it wasn't very crowded, and we even got the elusive table by the window we'd been coveting for the past few visits. Cue a quick round of orders and the bread course-- same as ever, though I didn't partake this time around. Soon enough, our entrees arrived. AV went with one of their noteworthy pastas, this time the penne with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. As expected, there were melty chunks of fresh mozz throughout... oh delish. AV pronounced it "excellent."

Steeeeammmmmy

My choice was that incredible salad I've had a couple times before, with cremini mushrooms, pears, walnuts, fontina cheese, and white truffle oil, all on a substantial bed of mesclun greens. So savory and filling, delicious and just how I remembered it.

A mess of gustatory delight

And that was that. After a brief respite from the harsh elements, back we tumbled out the door into the world. Cavatappo is a triple threat: cheap, delicious, and friendly-- it's well worth noting that the service is always welcoming, competent, and almost effusively solicitous. Cavatappo, we'll be back soon.

Cavatappo Grill
1712 First Avenue, between 88th and 89th Streets
212-987-9260