A Night Out In NYC At San Sabino
Proof that dressing up for dinner is always worth it.
The sunny scalloped-edge umbrellas bloomed from the sweltering city sidewalk like palm trees in a desert mirage. I pointed them out to Ryan, before realizing they marked the entrance to our own Friday-night oasis of sorts: San Sabino, the briny little sibling restaurant to Michelin-starred Don Angie. (Don Angie, also Italian-American but less seafood-forward, is just a few doors down.)
As we swam across the grotesquely humid but irrepresibly charming West Village streets between the Eighth Avenue L stop and Greenwich Ave., I considered the lengths I’ll go for my No. 1 summertime — okay, anytime — food group, a spicy tuna app.
The answer is: fairly far in block-heeled sandals! But at least the path to reservations was already cleared for us, thanks to the fast-acting skills of Ryan’s cousins Kelly and Dean. Kelly snagged us all a table inside weeks in advance, and when I tell you that air conditioning felt as refreshing as an Aperol-soaked coastal breeze with a view (if you squinted), I mean it.
While Ryan and I are no strangers to swapping our usual dive-bar date night for something a little sparklier, it’s always a thrill to get dressed up for a night out in NYC. I’m on a bit of an ill-advised heels kick, and love an excuse to wear them.
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That Night’s Look
What We Ordered
We started with the spicy tuna, served over crispy split arancini and topped with a charred scallion crema. (Spoiler alert! This dish was so good, everyone felt guilty scooping up the last bite. A lot of “You take it!” and “No, you have it!” could be heard at our four-top.)
Next up: the stuffed mussels, packed with savory ‘Nduja rice (a spicy, spreadable Calabrian salami I’d never heard of but now fully support) and finished with a bright squiggle of lemon aioli. They looked like they’d been nestled into rinds plucked straight from an Italian lemon grove. Delicious!
I got the famous lobster triangoli for my main, which had a white vodka sauce. It was good, but not as memorable as the spicy tuna and stuffed mussels, for which I’d 100 percent return to San Sabino. And based on the delightfulness of those two plates, I bet their crudo is fantastic.
If you’re in the mood for a place that feels like a little vacation from your usual dinner routine (beachy but not kitschy, buzzy without being unbearable), San Sabino is your girl. And if you’re not into seafood? You will be after that spicy tuna. You might even leave a little glowier than you came in, and it won’t just be from the humidity.
Yours In Doing NYC Date Nights Anywhere With Spicy Tuna,
Elly xx
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Fashion guru and fine dining connoisseur! Is there anything you can’t do??
Yummmmm!
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