From the kitchen of Ron Suhanosky, founding chef of Sfoglia, author of James Beard Award-winning Pasta Sfoglia and The Italian Table, you can buy fresh, hand-made pasta to take home and cook.
Has that sunk in?
It might take a few minutes, so in the meantime, let me tell you about Nonna’s Table, Suhanosky’s wonderfully intimate gourmet Italian grocery store at 163 E. 92nd Street off Lexington on the Upper East Side in New York City.
In a charming setting, Suhanosky serves snack-sized plates, sells pre-made pasta dishes and sauces to go, and offers a selection of Italian food stuffs curated with knowledge gleaned from years of cooking excellent Italian food – it can only result in a satisfying experience in your own kitchen! On the grocery shelves and in the refrigerated cases you’ll find such treasures as buffalo mozzarella that’s flown in every Thursday from Italy; organic peeled roma tomatoes in glass jars from Puglia; a full selection of dried pastas from Faella, a brand he favors; jams, crackers and breadsticks; and hard-to-find items like Galil grape seed oil. There’s a good selection of cured meats including finocchiona (fennel) salumi, porcini (mushroom) salumi, and cacciatorini (‘hunter’s’ salami, which is small, made for carrying) salumi.
Nonna’s offers a brief, daily menu of small bites that you can sit down and eat – a soup, a pizza and a sandwich, along with Italian sodas and espresso drinks. Also available are fresh baked desserts made by Suhanosky’s mom, and you may find her – or other members of the extended family – behind the counter when you visit. If you go to Nonna’s, do not leave without a pre-prepared dish of pasta that is, again, made fresh daily.
Although there is a definite ‘voice’ behind the offerings at Nonna’s Table, it’s really designed as a go-to spot for a customer who’s sophisticated or simply enthusiastic about great food. When I visited, a local called to make sure a few pieces of the day’s pizza were put aside for him. That speaks volumes to the kind of personal relationships built upon the delivery of high-quality products being nurtured at Nonna’s. It’s very local and very Italian.
Nonna’s Table is so authentic it doesn’t have a website, but if you wish to call ahead, the number is (212) 831-9200. You can host a private event (on the smaller side) at Nonna’s, too.
Happy hunting . . . Anne
the global grocery 