"Poeta is an all-day Italian cafe at the base of a fancy boutique hotel on East 11th Street. It’s from the same team as Intero, a romantic restaurant that makes some of our favorite pasta dishes in town. Fortunately, Poeta is home to a handful of the same great handmade gnocchis, tagliatelles, and rigatonis we’ve come to know and love at its sister concept. Where the two differ the most is that Poeta is much more casual. This is a place where you can pop in for a 10am breakfast of yogurt and mortadella hash, or dress up and turn it into a cute date-night destination. photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel The dining room has a vintage feel with a few bohemian touches. Tiled floors and small wooden tables give off a European bistro vibe, but the floral upholstery and fringed lamps bring it right back into the cozy zone. It’s bright and inviting during the day, and a little more intimate by night. Start with the grilled snap peas and a roasted beet salad. After that, get more pasta than you feel comfortable ordering, and make sure to throw in a plate of incredibly crispy chicken milanese. Food Rundown photo credit: Richard Casteel Arancini The rice balls’ stuffing is pretty light, and the outside isn’t as crispy as we’d like. Skip these and save room for more pasta. Grilled Snap Peas These are one of the best ways to start a meal here. The peas are sweet but charred to a slightly smoky finish, and the pickled tomato on top adds a bit of acidity. photo credit: Richard Casteel Roasted Beets These could use more salt, but the beets are roasted nicely and the orange adds a pleasant sweetness. photo credit: Richard Casteel Mezzalune These stuffed pastas are veering into dumpling territory, with pasta that gets a bit too thick around the edges. But the blue crab stuffing is tasty, and the fennel and preserved lemon pair nicely with it. photo credit: Richard Casteel Spaghetti The noodles are cooked perfectly, and the grilled pork, black pepper, and leeks add a savory punch. This is not your mom’s spaghetti. Make sure it gets to your table. photo credit: Richard Casteel Chicken Milanese Poeta uses chicken thighs in their chicken milanese, which almost feels like cheating. But when the end result is a perfectly tender, juicy piece of fried chicken topped with prosciutto, endives, capers, and parmesan, we aren’t complaining." - Nicolai McCrary
