A few weeks ago, I attended a media dinner at Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe in the East Village. The restaurant, owned by industry expert Anthony DeGrezia and his fiancée Saje Dyer, features fine Italian fare in an intimate atmosphere. The dishes come from DeGrezia’s family recipes with new names to fit the East Village vibe. A great starting item is Rolling with the Eggplant that’s filled with ricotta and mascarpone cheeses, topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Another one is Grandma’s Lamb Specialty, lamb meatballs served with a mushroom polenta crostini. And, of course, the Caesar Cardini, a fresh take on the Caesar Salad.

For the main entrée, I’m a big fan of the Truffled Money Bags, bag shaped pasted filled with ricotta cheese in a white truffle sauce. This dish is creamy and delicious! Unfortunately, due to my shellfish allergies, I couldn’t taste a few of the dishes. Though I heard that The Crustacean, a lobster and pasta dish, is delightful.

Tableside Italian Shoppe also has an extensive wine list and cocktail selection. My favorite cocktail is the Muddler, which has vodka, lime juice, prosecco, muddled basil, mint, strawberries. It’s very refreshing! Another satiating cocktail is the Marcelene Louise, a vodka and watermelon-based cocktail. The names are quite creative.

Be sure to check out this new gem in the East Village! Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe is at 345 East 6th Street, open Sunday through Wednesday 5:00 – 10:00 PM and Thursday – Saturday 5:00-11:00 PM.