Before the southern Italian food can sweep you off your feet, the dining room at this Upper West Side favorite (opened in 2003 and named for a partner's daughter, Francesca) seduces visitors with its warm woods, open floor plan, luscious brown fabrics and soft light from custom-made iron lamps. Chef Kevin Garcia's straightforward menu includes daily specials (or
piatti del giorno) and a three-course pre-theater offering, with choice of salad, entrée and dessert (buffalo mozzarella,
pollo al mosto and gelati, for example). 'Cesca makes its expertly seasoned pork sausage in-house and offers rustic side items with which no
paesano could find fault: brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and Tuscan herb fries, among others. If you've no time or money for a trip to Napoli, consider a visit to 'Cesca to sate the craving for a southern Italian experience.
I was at `Cesca with just one companion: we didn't - to be honest - get to sample all that much food. But everything we had was a hit: the small veal-and-pork meatballs in chicken broth, a tweaked holdoverFrom [former chef Tom] Valenti's menu; the huge, succulent sea scallops with caramelized cauliflower, capers and pancetta."
- Frank Bruni,
The New York Times
This hearty Italian establishment is designed to convey equal parts elegance, bonhomie, and sheer bulk."
- New York magazine
'Cesca has what it takes to attract large, convivial crowds.
- Newsday
The New York Times: ** (very good); Critics' Pick
Zagat 2012:23 food rating (very good to excellent)
The Village Voice: Recommended
Full bar. Serving dinner nightly. Sun brunch noon-3 pm.
Before the southern Italian food can sweep you off your feet, the dining room at this Upper West Side favorite (opened in 2003 and named for a partner's daughter, Francesca) seduces visitors with its warm woods, open floor plan, luscious brown fabrics and soft light from custom-made iron lamps. Chef Kevin Garcia's straightforward menu includes daily specials (or
piatti del giorno) and a three-course pre-theater offering, with choice of salad, entrée and dessert (buffalo mozzarella,
pollo al mosto and gelati, for example). 'Cesca makes its expertly seasoned pork sausage in-house and offers rustic side items with which no
paesano could find fault: brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and Tuscan herb fries, among others. If you've no time or money for a trip to Napoli, consider a visit to 'Cesca to sate the craving for a southern Italian experience.
I was at `Cesca with just one companion: we didn't - to be honest - get to sample all that much food. But everything we had was a hit: the small veal-and-pork meatballs in chicken broth, a tweaked holdoverFrom [former chef Tom] Valenti's menu; the huge, succulent sea scallops with caramelized cauliflower, capers and pancetta."
- Frank Bruni,
The New York Times
This hearty Italian establishment is designed to convey equal parts elegance, bonhomie, and sheer bulk."
- New York magazine
'Cesca has what it takes to attract large, convivial crowds.
- Newsday
The New York Times: ** (very good); Critics' Pick
Zagat 2012:23 food rating (very good to excellent)
The Village Voice: Recommended
Full bar. Serving dinner nightly. Sun brunch noon-3 pm.