Cacio e VinoAh, La Bella Sicilia e Cacio e VinoFather's Day was a delicious dinner . As always, Diego was warm and welcoming as if I had gone home to my cugini in Palermo. He is a knowledgeable somelier; always right on the money when it comes to wine. His food recommendations are amazing; you savor this absolutely delicious food. The fritti de pesce with calamari, shrimp and zucchini was so tasty and done to perfection; the spicy marinara sauce had a fresh taste of basil, tomatoes and seasonings like my nonna's seafood sauce. My grilled calamari with zucchini, cherry tomatoes was delicate, but sumptuous. I had to use bread to soak up the sauce. The Lamb Shank was the best in the city. My experience was one to remember forever. Service was attentive.. Grazie, Diego e Andrea.6/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was tasty and theThe food was tasty and the service was very good. Our waiter was especially helpful in picking a delicous (inexpesive) wine.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMVery enjoyable experience.Very enjoyable experience. Fine southern Italian cuisine and friendly service. The open kitchen is fun to watch.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMA waiter who understands his job -All to often, a waiter is merely a food carrier - they take your order and schlep your food to your table. But every now and again a waiter stands out for trying to help you have a marvelous time at his restaurant: he knows the menu and the wine list, and he listens to you as you ask your first few question, and . . . . he gets you! That was Cacio e Vino. The waiter listened and made great recommendations - he checked back to make sure they worked - he understood what we were asking about and took care of us. And when the stray friend arrived, he was served instantly. It was a great evening and a special restaurant!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSicily in AmericaBeing Sicilian and having been to Sicily many times - my wife and I were curious about Cacio e Vino. Diego, our host and server, was very friendly and helpful with our food and wine selection and made us feel like we were eating in a friend's restaurant. The food was authentic sicilian with dishes like panelle, grilled octopus with fennel and orange, and Anelleti alla Parlemitana - a must try! The Eggplant Timbale was delicious as was our wild arugula salad with shaved primosale. The best way to enjoy this menu is to order a bunch of appetizers so you can enjoy all the flavors this island has to offer! We couldn't think of a better meal to complement our anniversary and will definitely be back to our little slice of "Sicily in America"!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprisingly FabulousI'd never heard of the place and somehow felt that because they were right on Second Ave they would be ordinary, a tourist destination. Wrong. The food was exquisite, memorable. The leg of lamb was mind-blowing. I can't imagine how they made it so tender and succulent. Everything was great and the service was attentive and friendly. Wonderful surprise.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe came here with a GrouponWe came here with a Groupon and I was a little worried after reading other reviews from people with Groupons, but that was not our experience at all. Our portions were full sized, as was the wine and we were able to order anything off the regular menu. The food was terrific, we had the Pasta with Peas, served from a huge wedge of cheese and it was amazing. I would go back again, with or without a Groupon.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMA real treatI tried this restaurant because of a Groupon, and could not have been more delighted with the experience ... there was no problem using the groupon, the service was attentive, considerate, I asked for a recommendation and was certainly pleased with the entree recommended (the fish stew -- better than most equivalent dishes I've had in NY), it was just a very pleasant place to have dinner, really good food, not over-priced, felt like the "real deal" (I've spent time in Sicily, and although I can't swear to the authenticity, it is not your run-of the-mill Italian restaurant that is for sure).
I'm looking forward to my next visit, the real test of how I feel about a place!5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI love itI had a lunch on mother's day, i just can say Great food, great service..... I really did like the branzino al sale also I liked who cleaned the fish in front of me, very friendly and funny guy5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat food and service, location/sugreat food and service, location/surroundings mediocre5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMLike Coming Home to my Nonna's housI decided to take myself back to Cacio e Vino's restaurant on Mother's Day. As a treat for myself I wanted to taste my Sicilian roots in the delicate and exotic flavors of Sicilian cooking. The chef's cooking is flawless. The wine as always was delectable and my sea urchin pasta was the best.
Our appetizers were a meal in itself: The caponata with chick pea fritters was my daughter's favorite and the timballo with melanzano and buffalo mozzarella is like nothing you have ever tasted in your life.
The baked gnocchi was a very subtle dish with mozzarella and basil with tomatoe but the mussels Southern Italian style was the best that I have ever had. The sauce was just a bit spicey but the cherry tomatoes melted in our mouths.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMno need to go to Italyloved the food, great service, pasta is made there and prosecco kept coming! we loved our waiter too.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMSeriously, some of the bestSeriously, some of the best food I've had. Didn't know what to expect when we walked into the restaurant, hadn't heard anything about it. What a surprise!! Already recommended it to my daughter. Waiter couldn't have been more accomodating.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWe visited the restaurantWe visited the restaurant for an early dinner so I can't account for the noise level later in the evening. Our waiter was pleasant, chatted about menu selections, made a few suggestions. The food was excellent - our appetizer was especially tasty - calamari, shrime and zucchini, very nicely presented. The pasta was a little different from what we've had before - and our waiter explained that the restaurant featured the sicilian style and we'd probably had mostly roman style. I guess the tables were a little tight, but since it was early that was not a problem. The wine selections were varied - and the pour was not stingy! A very enjoyable meal on all levels. We'll definitely return4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMdinner was very good, servicedinner was very good, service friendly and helpful -- can't ask for much more.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was very enjoyable. SpecialFood was very enjoyable. Special kudos to oyster shucker; the oysters were pristine.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AM