Adoro Lei opened in 2015 in the dive bar space that formerly held Antarctica. You can find the restaurant on Hudson Street in Soho. Inside the decor is more upscale and sophisticated than your average pizza place. The space is sleek, the lights are low, and the music is bumping Kanye and Jay-Z. Everything is as black as my wardrobe- the walls, ceiling, tables, and booths.
The food didn't change my life in any way but it was still delicious. It's your standard Italian menu of pizza & pasta but done very well. There is a fantastic variety of salads, shared plates, and vegetables to accompany your meal. The meatballs in the Adoro Sliders were the perfect texture and full of flavor. I love the truffle risotto balls because if you can't love cheesy-truffly deep fried carbs you clearly have no sole.
For the pastas, we tried two versions. The penne vodka was fine but not memorable. That's not to say that every menu shouldn't have this type of staple available for their less adventurous diners. The sauce was good and the little chunks of prosciutto were a welcome salty bite. The "lover’s purses" were special, filled with an inventive combination of pears, brown butter, walnuts & arugula.
Pizza takes center stage here. There are over 15 varieties of red & white Neapolitan style pies on the menu. They come with every topping you could ever want from traditional to new & innovative. You won't be disappointed with any of the options. The Pietro white pie with arugula and prosciutto was the perfect combo of cheesy/salty/bitter. Another favorite was the Medici with pesto, soppressata, and peppers. The crust is perfectly chewy and absorbs tons of blistering & char from the wood burning oven. If you find yourself in Soho craving a pie, I'd suggesting giving this a whirl. Here's what we had:
ADORO SLIDERS - Veal & Pork Braised Meatballs in Tomato Sauce/ Sheep’s Milk Ricotta/3 Petite Buns
TRUFFLE RICE BALLS - Artisanal Truffle Cheese Rice Balls with Almond & a Panko Crust
LOVER’S PURSES - Pasta Purses with Artisanal Cheese/Pear/Brown Butter Sage Sauce/Roasted Walnuts/Arugula/ Parmigiano Shavings
PENNE VODKA SUPERIORE - Tomatoes/Touch of Cream/Proscuitto/ Sun Dried Tomato/Peas/Grappa
PIETRO - Marinated Cherry Tomatoes/Basil/ Pecorino/Wild Arugula/Prosciutto/ Parmigiano Shavings/Truffle Oil
MEDICI MAGNIFICENT - Pesto/Soppressata/Roasted Peppers/Fresh Mozzarella
CASANOVA - San Marzano Tomatoes/Pecorino/ Buffalo Mozzarella
CHARLOTTE - Veal & Pork Braised Meatballs/Ricotta/ Mozzarella/Tomato Sauce
ASPARAGUS - Poached Egg/Artisanal Grated Cheese/Nutmeg
BRUSSEL SPROUTS - Ham/Onions/Craisins/Nutme
Churros w/ nutella & blackberries
Address: 287 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013
Phone:(646) 666-5096
