Dell’Anima

Dell’Anima, the quaint Italian restaurant nestled in its own little world on W4th is a place I’ve been meaning to try for quite some time. I used to walk by during the summer time (usually on my way to Corner Bistro) and would see people leisurely eating outside (I think Rashida Jones is a huge fan of the restaurant because I used to see her outside ALL the time). I finally made my way to Dell’Anima on a packed Tuesday night.

We sat on barstools by the chef’s counter and had bread and olive oil to start our meal:

Lou’s friend, Julie, works at the restaurant, and was nice enough to have the kitchen send over a quail appetizer with mint, basil, tomatoes, and red onions:

The quail might’ve been my favorite dish of the night; seasoned very well, light and fresh flavor combinations, and tender meat that we both really enjoyed. I also loved the use of mint (especially since I’ve been trying to find ways to use the mint I’m growing from my Aerogarden!)

My friend came the week before and said the octopus was definitely worth ordering:

The octopus appetizer comes with rice beans, chicory, and chorizo. Maria warned me that the portion was going to be really small and slightly salty (coming from a girl that uses lots of salt in everything). The rice beans were creamy and added a nice contrast to the charred octopus, but if I were to go back, I don’t think I’d order the octopus again.

We had a great view of the chefs – here’s a picture of a chef preparing pasta (and the pre-measured pasta in the background):

For our main pastas, I ordered TAJARIN “alla carbonara” speck, egg, pecorino:

O.M.G is basically all I can say about the dish; al dente pasta flavored with speck and pecorino and finished with a creamy egg yolk. I know this dish is super easy to make at home, but it’s seriously worth ordering at Dell’Anima because it is definitely done right here.

Our second pasta dish was equally delicious – MALLOREDDUS braised goat, rosemary, pecorino:

The pastas are all hand made and incredibly delicious; the dish was a tad on the salty side (probably because I’m sure the braised goat was seasoned but adding pecorino probably pushed it over the edge), but still very enjoyable.

For good measure, we also ordered POLLO “al diavolo” broccoli rabe, garlic, chilies:

Neither of us could finish because we were so happily stuffed, but we pressed on and ate about half of the dish. The chicken was tender and flavorful and the serving is a lot larger than the other dishes. If I were to visit again (which I definitely will), I’d probably order the quail over the chicken.

I loved the atmosphere and liveliness of Dell’Anima and will definitely be back for more pastas, wine, and quail. Thank you so much for making the reservation and being so nice, Julie!