Paola's

Paola's - Review - Upper East Side - New York - The Infatuation

"Italian restaurants on the Upper East Side never close. Every few decades, they just move a few blocks. After over 30 years, Paola’s has settled into its fourth location, a compact room at 92nd and Madison where soft yellow lighting bounces off glossy wood-paneled walls. The menu covers your usual suspects (meatballs, salmon, cacio e pepe), which outperform most neighborhood Italian counterparts, but the real draw is the restaurant’s air of confidentiality. There are only around 10 tables, and, maybe due to having relocated more than a third-string quarterback, the place still feels like a secret. Bring a date, get a heavily dressed caesar, and eat some bucatini with smoked pancetta while you whisper over the sounds of a humming saxophone. Food Rundown Cesare A proper caesar salad should have slightly more dressing than is appropriate. This one fits the mold. photo credit: Bryan Kim Petto di Pollo Milanese Not the most exciting dish, but the execution is flawless. When you spritz some lemon over the chicken, the crust immediately absorbs the juice but remains perfectly crisp. photo credit: Bryan Kim Bucatini all’Amatriciana Here, the restaurant swaps out the typical guanciale for smoked pancetta. It’s an incredible move. The diced pork belly reads like Italian burnt ends, and the chunky tomato sauce is littered with the stuff. photo credit: Bryan Kim" - Bryan Kim