Beware steak and pasta lovers. If you love bowls of handmade red sauce style pastas and hunks of meat in every kind of cut, Costata will “pleasantly” murder you and eat you up. Altamarea Group & Michael White’s SoHo restaurant which isn’t a typical steakhouse but offers the highest quality of steak options as any other player in the game, is pretty spectacular. Upon arrival, you’ll enter on the first floor where you’ll see one of my favorite paintings in all of New York (including pieces at the MoMa) by London’s Nasser Azam called After Carolyn which is a bright painted canvas of a fashion model wearing oversize glasses with her mouth open similar to a Warhol screenprint. I tried to walk out with it. It is for sale- I asked, but since I can’t afford it anyway they gave me a lovely postcard that is joyfully hanging in my room. Now back to the tasty stuff. The menu is organized into Oysters, Crudo, Apps, Pasta, Seafood, Steaks & Chops and Sides.
Ferratini with Pork Shoulder Ragu
It might seem absurd to order pasta before a giant steak dinner, but after my experience it’s nothing but genius (and how can you go to a Michael White restaurant without it?) The portions are small enough preventing you from overindulging too early in the game yet giving you enough to share with others and a taste. I loved all three of the pastas and had to keep tasting a bite of each to try and pick my favorite which seemed impossible. The Pappardelle Alla Cacciatore stood out because it’s rare to see chicken stewed like this in a pasta when this is how it should always bee cooked. The Ferratini with Pork Shoulder Ragu and Pomodoro is a standard Italian craveable dish. What surprised me most was the Tagliatelle with Morels, Pistachio Crema and Parmigiano. It’s so different than your typical pasta. Totally into it. After this course, you are feeling so successful at this point course because you killed it with your order and the steaks haven’t even arrived.
Tagliatelle with Morels
40 oz Porterhouse with Sides
The next batter up was the Fiorentina, a 40 ounce Porterhouse that is 100% black angus beef and aged for a minimum of 40 days. The filet side left me speechless and my mouth full. The charred outskirts and soft tenderness in the middle is a recipe that melts in your mouth and makes you want to jump up and shake your tail feather out of happiness. I mean this baby is incredible and you need to take it down immediately. No need to even order a sauce, it’s better without anything and just the natural juices and seasonings. They also have a pretty sweet deal called the “Butcher’s Block” which is $54 pp offering a Pasta, 5 oz filet of Beef, Choice of Side and a Sauce.
The sides, however, are not that impressive. I think it’s because the crudos, pastas and steak are so impeccable that why waste room in there for sides? We tried the Crispy Red Bliss Potatoes, Creamed Spinach and Artichokes. My last pick was the Snap Peas, but those happened to be my favorite. Cooked in brown butter, horseradish and almonds, these guys pair well after a few bites of steak every now and then.
Artichokes
The classic rock keeps you jiving and singing in your seat and the staff couldn’t be any nicer. They provide the respect and professional attitude at any fine dining restaurant or steakhouse without feeling too stuffy or “white-tableclothy.” All you guys scoping out steakhouses in midtown to get down with your bros or bosses at, give it an extra think and come down to Costata in SoHo. I’m telling you it’s way worth it and you’ll be dreaming and beaming for days.
