Italian Gelato Mixes With Japanese Crepes
One of NYC’s best-known spots for creative gelato, Il Laboratorio del Gelato, is collaborating with T-Swirl Crepe for a delicious mash-up of flavors. Available at T-Swirl Crepe’s many locations, the sweet treat features the Japanese-style crepes and several gelato flavors as part of a new menu.
The gelato makes an appearance in several of T-Swirl’s new offerings, including Blueberry NY Cheesecake, with vanilla gelato, fresh berries, whipped cream cheese and other ingredients. A Matcha Azuki Bean crepe features Il Laboratorio del Gelato’s sweet matcha with sliced strawberries, red bean paste, match custard cream and Pocky sticks. For the chocolate lover, T-Swirl features Chocolate Nut Party with gelato, truffles, custard cream, chocolate sauce, and nuts.
This latest example of combining Japanese and Italian cuisine in NYC sure sounds sweet.
Carnival Cruise Announces New Italian Restaurant Concept
Cruisers who sign on for Carnival’s Venezia line will have a new Italian restaurant to dine in when they leave from NYC ports this summer. The company announced this week that Il Viaggio—Italian for “The Voyage”—will serve an Italian menu created under the direction of chief culinary officer Emeril Lagasse.
“Highlighting the various Italian regions renowned for certain specialties will invite our guests to enjoy an immersive exploration of flavors — a meal that’s truly unique, delicious and offers an enriching experience as well,” Lagasse says in the announcement.
The menu actually spotlights a dish’s region, such as pappardelle al Cinghiale, a Tuscan pasta with pork ragù in a red wine marinade. Appetizers, entrees, desserts, wine and even cocktails all note their Italian region of origin, and a section of signature dishes, “Favorito” entrees, features items like a “Sicilian-inspired Pollo Parmigiana Pizza,” which sounds like a combination chicken parm and pizza.
The Venezia line is set to start sailing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal June 15, and reservations for Il Viaggio are already open to cruisers on the Carnival website—the flat charge is $42 for adults and $10 for children.
Song E Napule’s New Houston Street Location Opens
In case you missed the news in our story from earlier this week about the Nepalese front-of-house employee Giggino, Song E Napule has opened its expansive new location at 132 Houston St., a few doors down from its flagship. Owners Ciro and Austria Iovine have transformed the former home of Jamaican hot spot Miss Lily’s into a bright, airy tribute to all things Napoli.
The restaurant, now the fourth Song E Napule, will still specialize in pizza and other Neapolitan and Italian staples, with a crowd-pleasing menu that ranges from eggplant parmigiana to Mediterranean salads to in-house made pasta and gnocchi.
Napoli’s football club is central to the décor, from the servers’ azure-blue jerseys to the team chants written in Italian around the space. There are also colorful tiles sourced from the Amalfi Coast, photography spotlighting Naples (and Napoli football legend Maradona), and half of a Vespa scooter near the entrance. The space more than doubles the footprint of Song E Napule's original West Village location, but it's advisable to make recommendations if the first busy week is any indication.
Did you catch last week’s NYC Italian food news? Check out Three New NYC Italian Restaurant Openings.
