Manzo

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Best Supermarket eating eva

For Mother’s Day, I decided to hit up Manzo which is located in the heart of hell Eataly. I avoid Eataly because I am anti-social and the place is generally very crowded and full of people. Also I find most of the things that I need I can get from Buon Italia, Dipalos or other places. However, after eating here at Manzo, I think I can make an exception on eating here. 

Unlike the other restaurants in Eataly, Manzo is actually like an enclosed space and despite the amount of people in Eataly, it is actually quite quiet here and you are able to have an actual conversation. Also the enclosed space does not have people leering over you and staring at your plate or when you back your chair up, you may accidentally knock over the shelves of anchovies. On to the Food!

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I hate revolving doors.

It is easy to pass by Otto that is located in the Village and close to the NYU campus. Besides the maroon awning, you could mistake it for a NYU administration building. Inside Otto is modeled to have a timeless yet suave look of a Euro train station that you can imagine if this was Roman Holiday and combined a traditional enoteca. Maybe add in a weird sewer stench (no doubt given the Euro Zone lately, the sanitation department is most likely on strike) and street urchins making passes at your pockets and it will be just like that!  Above the hostess stand is a faux timetable of “trains” destinations to major European cities, specifically cities in Italy. 
  


Bread and grissini- easy to stash for later



 A fresh freshman out to lunch with the parents, stated loudly that the faux schedule were names of bigger parties that were waiting to get seating and the city names were the last names of the parties. I do hope that private school education is put to good use Mom and Dad, and hope to god she is not going to be a poli sci major. However, if I am wrong, my apologizes to the Napoli family. Sarcasm aside, Otto feels to one of the most accessible restaurant in the Batali Empire and family friendly yet could pull of a respectable casual date here (I mean, if I went on dates this would be fine, right?). 

Bread

The bread comes out in a neatly wrapped parcel and a pack of grissini, I guess it adds to the “in motion” type of theme going on here at Otto. Note, they do not give you any olive oil or butter and if you want to, you must ask for it specifically. The bread crusty and springy and a nice sourness that I actually could have eaten on its own but not everyone is weird like me and since I was not dining solo for once, we got some olive oil which I believe they use at all the Batali restaurants. The olive oil is quite good, grassy and buttery and smooth throughout. The antipasti are a must at Otto especially the vegetables. I generally do not praise vegetables but the vegetables are a must get here at Otto. We opted to go for one of the constants, the cauliflower alla Siciliana and the season-like one the autumn corn with fregola, (bead-like pasta). Covering the USDA Dinner plate slot, we got the octopus, celery and lovage (herb).  Enough Bread! Food After the Jump!