Giovanni Rana Opens in the Chelsea Market; Best Pasta in NYC
Because there's always room for more first-rate plates of pasta in this town, please join us in issuing a hearty "benvenuto!" to the Italian import Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucino, recently opened in the Chelsea Market. Giovanni Rana has been making pasta in Italy for more than half a century, so it's safe to say that they know a thing or two about how to create and cook these glorious noodles.
The Chelsea Market restaurant and store is the company's first outpost in North America, and after a couple of meals over the holiday season, we can say that it is some of the best pasta in NYC. So, once again: yay for New York City!
Giovanni Rana Pasta in the Chelsea Market
Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucino has a load of great qualities that make it one of the best restaurants in the Chelsea Market. First, it's a full service restaurant, a big, bright, airy room done up in a pretty good approximation of a rustic Italian kitchen. Yes, those are copper pots and pans strung over the wooden tables, and an impressive collection of vintage cheese graters hang over the bar. The staff is friendly and enthusiastic, the portions generous, and the Giovanni Rana menu features more than a dozen different Rana pastas, including plenty of the kitchen's famous, specialty-stuffed varieties. There are also some hearty proteins on the Giovanni Rana menu, as well as a number of nicely-executed veggie-centric sides.
For the Best Pasta in NYC, Go to Giovanni Ranna
We've really liked everything we've tried off the Giovanni Rana menu, but our favorite pasta so far has to be the Cappelletti al Prosciutto. It is plump with the sweet, gamey meat, perfectly cooked, infused with sage, paired with a crisp crostino piled high with even more of the ham. Squisito! The side dishes are pretty tasty as well, including a boat of steamed swiss chard, bitter and bright, topped with melted asiago cheese. Chelsea Market's Giovanni Rana also has a full take-out area. You can enter through the market itself, rather than via the 10th Avenue front doors. The take-out menu has a wide array of prepared pasta dishes, each from only $8 to $10, as well as scads of stunningly-colored fresh pastas which you can bring home and cook yourself. If you're anywhere near the area, Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucino is definitely worth a visit.
Taste Giovanni Rana Pasta for Yourself
Giovanni Rana is located within the Chelsea Market, with the main entrance on 10th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets, and is open daily at 11:00 a.m., serving lunch, brunch, and dinner to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday. Take-out service ends at 9:00 p.m. each night. For more information and a look at the complete Giovanni Rana menu, visit them online!
Posted in Downtown, NYC Dining, Westside | Tagged Best pasta in nyc • Best restaurants in chelsea market • Giovanni rana chelsea market • Giovanni rana menu • Giovanni rana pasta • Rana pasta
