Thursday, September 11, 2008

Heavy on the pasta, light on the pocket...


In sticking with our tradition of showcasing neighborhood staples that cater to our inner foodie without breaking the bank, we present Pepe Rosso's. In the heart of the expensive and trendy SoHo, there is still hope for an affordable meal at Pepe's. Located at 149 Sullivan Street, between Prince and Houston Street, Pepe's serves as a hot bed for the mixing of SoHo neighbors, travelers and the like. The place is tight, yet cozy so don't be surprised to learn that the person sitting next to you is your high school best friend's roommate.

As for us, the foodie troopers set out for an enjoyable mid-week late lunch at Pepe Rossos: antipasti for two and two pasta dishes to pair with it. Our antipasti, a platter of air cured beef, arugula, goat cheese and truffle oil was the perfect leading plate for any pasta dish. The air cured beef, bresaola in Italiano, is a salty cured meat, sliced thin like prosciutto yet much leaner and is commonly served with arugola and parmesan cheese. Pepe's serves the meat, cheese and arugula with truffle oil meant for a gentle drizzle. (I personally prefer Olive Oil drizzled over the arugula and bresaola.)

Sufficiently content from the antipasto, we went on to try their Penne Arrabiata and Spaghetti Bolognese. The penne arrabiata was slightly al dente, and the arrabiata sauce had enough kick to enjoy the pasta as well as appreciate the heat of the pepper flakes. A sizeable portion makes this plate suitable for a meal and unquestionably is a value deal. I spent a year abroad living in Rome, Italy feasting on the fabulous pastas and fresh produce available transformed into the very food that we appreciate as foodies. If this is the experience you are looking for, Pepe's might not be the place. The food is decent, and for the price, you can't ignore the bang for the buck element. But sincerely some of the flavors were generic and not quite a bite out of Italy.



You can easily recognize the difference between good pasta and great pasta as it comes down to the ingredients, the dedication and love that should be put into every order. The joy in the blend of basil greens, tomato reds and cheese whites is that unmistakable reminder of the Italian flag and consequently the joy of Italian cuisine. Nevertheless, the foodie trooper in us was happy to see that there still exists a value institution that can bring decent food, and great aura from the SoHo neighborhood together for a hands down enjoyable New York meal. Don't miss out on the dishes and people-watching that is bound to yield a good eating experience. -Morris