The Upper East Side has no shortage of restaurants but it’s our guess that the neighborhood will happily welcome Cucina Ciano into their folds. Brought to you by veteran restauranteur Stratis Morfogen and nightlife philanthropist Unik Ernest comes a farm to fork Italian eatery boasting seasonal fare. Once the eatery opens sometime this November, patrons will be welcomed into a traditional and rustic, yet contemporary space designed by former Accessories Editor at Vogue Filipa Fino. The main dining room features a large leather banquet, cozy bookshelves and fun artwork (which will change seasonally). Once the warmer months come back our way, diners can enjoy their meal al fresco with 20 seat outdoor dining. Anyone looking for a little privacy can look forward to their ‘secret’ dining room, on the restaurant’s lower level. The private space has a separate entrance, is adorned with bottles of wine, a 50″ flat screen TV, and is the ultimate dining den.
Manhattan with a Twist took a sneak peek of the space, cocktails and menu favorites. Executive chef Tin Hunyh offers an array of dishes to please every palate. To start, we tried both the Pan Seared Diver Scallops ($16), made with apple fennel puree, pancetta, brussel sprouts and candied walnuts, and the Imported Burrata Cheese ($14), served with ‘panzanella’ arugula salad and balsamic vinaigrette. The burrata was very tasty and creamy, while the scallops were some of the best I’ve ever had.
For the main dish, we were lucky to try quite a few items from the menu. The Tre Formaggi Raviolo ($12 or $22), made with stracchino, buratta, and parmigiano with rosemary brown butter and aged balsamic vinegar was a delight. We were also surprised with the Lobster Fra Diavolo, which was amazing. It was flavorful and meaty; more than your typical lobster. We also tried the Pan Seared Giannone Chicken Breast ($20), served with chard onion puree, heirloom carrots and brussel sprout leaves. This was a unique chicken dish, served with a sauce reminiscent of teriyaki, making it stand out.
We also sampled some of their cocktails from their extensive menu. Being served were the Ginger Snap ($12), 1948 Margarita ($14), and Spiced Pear ($12) cocktails. We enjoyed the Spiced Pear before dinner and the other cocktails with our meal. Each showed us how different each cocktail is on the menu and were all very refreshing, yet poured with a strong hand.
Unfortunately, we did not try dessert, but are looking forward to coming back to try it out! Additionally, each night the dining room blackboard will feature select wines available by the glass or 1/2 bottle. This new spot is most definitely going to be hopping once it opens and we look forward to dining there again.
Cucina Ciano is located at 181 E. 78th Street.
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