For over a year now, I’ve had a goal to eat at the elusive Italian restaurant, Uva, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan but for one reason or another, I never made it happen… until last night.  Needless to say, I had huge expectations; this place had been talked up by almost everyone I knew on the UES as the best Italian restaurant the area had to offer.  We got there around 8 pm and had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated (party of two).  The ambiance was unbelievable and the menu was loaded with authentic Italian dishes, all with names my Irish boyfriend sounded very silly pronouncing.  I was in Italian cuisine heaven, but of course, one dish immediately caught my eye: Gnocchi di Ricotta served in a creamy black truffle and chive sauce.  Here’s the scoop….

• The gnocchi itself was sub-par, it didn’t do it for me.  It was too dense, not pillowy and fluffy, and didn’t fall apart in my mouth like I so wanted it to.  I couldn’t even taste that it was made of ricotta.
• The sauce was okay.  I’m a sucker for truffle oil, which it didn’t lack at all.  However, the cream was too rich and the cheese seemed a bit heavy for me. I would recommended NOT ordering this if you’re trying to avoid dairy in any capacity.
• Overall, I’d say go with something else on the menu other than the gnocchi.  The place has amazing reviews but the gnocchi didn’t live up to them.
• My Rating: Meh. Too creamy.

I know I’m a harsh critic when it comes to gnocchi but I do want to make clear that the restaurant itself had a lot of other amazing things to offer on the menu.  The service there was also unbelievable.  I would 100% go back but order the Eggplant Parm, which looked fabulous.

Uva address: 1486 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10075

Website: uvanyc.com