Da Silvano is that yellow-awning Italian restaurant on 6th Avenue with the outdoor seating you pass during the spring and summer time and think it’s the best dining situation ever. The sidewalk is lined with tables and the indoors remind you of a classic Italian trattoria in Europe. Brick walls line the restaurant and the white table clothed tables are close together. All of the waiters are extremely friendly offering their family-style hospitality with their true Italian accents. If you can’t understand them just nod and smile. Everyone here wants to make sure you are happy and enjoying yourself which keeps this place bustling.
Bone Marrow
The menu is composed of antipasti such as Burrata and Salumi, pastas like Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and meats such as Steak, Rabbit and Veal Shank. The nightly specials, however, are the jam. The list is amazing ranging from Lobster Gnocchi to Veal with White Truffles. Getting the lobster gnocchi is not a choice it’s a requirement. It’s bomb and in a very light sauce that you wouldn’t even know there was something on it. Gnocchi is always awesome but anything with lobster is like adding candy so this is a great combo. The Eggplant Parmigiana is not like our friends at Parm down the street. It’s baked in a round dish with thin cut layers of eggplant and plain tomato sauce. No cheese, no breadcrumbs, just a taste of Italy.
I also loved the Taglierni Contadina pasta which is thin spaghetti with sausage, light cream and tomato sauce and peas. This was a last minute order after having envy of our neighbors dish. Thank goodness this happened because it was probably the best dish all night yet so simple. I was not a fan of the Rabbit Stew or the huge Flintstone Bone Marrow that everyone else seemed to be devouring in love. The Chocolate Souffle with ice cream is the perfect way to top off the meal. It’s very cake like, addicting and not too rich. It reminds me of molten cake. The pistachio gelato is also a winner and the cheesecake is unique because of the hint of lemon. The pineapple upside down cake sold out pretty quickly but it looked like it would’ve been a good choice.
When you dine at a cozy place with unbeatable service like at Da Silvano it’s hard not to want to come back regularly. Everyone is having a good time, you’re being taken care of and eating warm feel- good food. Definitely a good winter spot, too. When you are looking for a place to go with a small or large group and want to leave dinner feeling like you had a successful night, just think Da Silvano. Silvano himself is the stylish one perusing each table and making sure everyone has their Bone Marrow fix. You’ll know who he is. He has a white pony tail, amazing silver bracelets and trendy shoes (catch a glimpse of him below). He moved from Florence to open this restaurant in 1975 and serves fashion and media celebs regularly such as Anna Wintour. Introduce yourself…he’s a good one to know.
