Walk into Bread And Stone on East 6th Street in the East Village and you’ll feel that you have just walked into the ultimate romantic storefront restaurant. It’s in an old tenement building with tin ceilings and exposed brick walls—and the extremely dim lighting brings the cozy feeling all together. The pace is slow, and the staff does not mind if you linger. There is a slight hipster vibe as well since nearly every night there is a rather punky female accordion player that sings both Italian favorites and rock classics.
The menu is small with five or less items in each dining course and it is accented by a bar staff who create unusual signature drinks with amusing names. Bread and Stone opened since last October, has already become a legend with New York foodies. There is a designated pizza maker in the back who creates an unusual pizza dough that is infused with Peroni beer, house made marina that takes 10 hours to cook and fresh mozzarella. The pizzas look like the ones that you really see in Southern Italy.
PIZZA & PASTA
Of course, we had to start our meal with one of these pizzas that has already become a legend in the New York We decided to try the Tartufo di Parmigiano which features herbed butter crust, fresh herbs, Parmesan cream, black truffle essence, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, and a balsamic fig drizzle. It was a soul satisfying pie that was very rich and satisfying.
Additionally, the pasta has been getting a lot of fanfare. We could not resist ordering the Cesare di Bruxelles which is warm shaved Brussel sprouts lightly sauteed with lemon, olive oil, fresh herbs, pistachio, cranberries, and caramelized onion; it’s then topped with homemade Caesar dressing and topped with a crispy Parmesan crust and focaccia crouton dust.
Our pasta choice was the Bucatini al Pomodoro con Burrata which features freshly made bucatini, the famous house made marinara, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and olive oil; it’s topped with fresh basil, grated Romano and huge piece of homemade burrata. This dish is a winner because of the super fresh taste of the pasta (it tasted like it was just made) and the intense flavors of the tomato, shallots, and garlic. All items including the pasta are sized for two or more, depending on your appetite.
OH MY, THAT PIE
For dessert, there are only two choices but are remarkable: They are Rosemary Balsamic Apple Pie which is served with a cup of vanilla gelato and topped with a strawberry balsamic glaze, and Brown Sugar Bourbon Pecan Pie which is also served with vanilla gelato and topped with fresh bourbon caramel. The flavors are intense and unforgettable, and the pecan pie was possibly the best we have ever encountered anywhere! These are served warm.
We had to get the back story of this unique eatery directly from owner Zach Neil who officially entered the hospitality business at the age of 15 when he became a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant and eventually moved up to line chef. He tells us, “Coming from a home filled with traditional Italian food that was excellent made me frown when I would eat at Italian restaurants that simply were not as pleasing as made at home.”
The restaurateur also feels Bread And Stone is the perfect environment. It’s cozy—like you’re eating at a friend’s house. It’s warm, inviting, comfortable and happy. Bread And Stone is everything that you love about fine dining without being pretentious or overthought.
The affable entrepreneur (who also spent time as a touring musician) concludes with a smile, “Our goal is to create high end Italian food with organic whole food ingredients…adding love, care, and attention to detail.” You will see the impeccable attention to detail for yourself and be totally wowed when you dine at Bread And Stone.
For more information on Bread And Stone, visit www.breadandstone.com