LIVINGNew York City Hotspot L'Amico Is the Place to Be! Inside Chef Proprietor Laurent Tourondel's Rustic Italian Restaurant
Check out New York City hotspot L'Amico, located near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden!
Dec. 20 2024, Published 6:49 a.m. ET
Looking for somewhere chic and delicious to eat in New York City? Head over to L'Amico, which is approaching its 10-year anniversary in the NoMad neighborhood, known for its prime location and tasty food.
“At L’Amico quality comes first. There are a lot of things that have been keeping L’Amico thriving for what will soon be ten years and one of them is the quality and consistency of the food — it is something we are always paying attention to," Chef Proprietor Laurent Tourondel exclusively tells OK!.
The restaurant is located in NoMad.
The menu reflects Tourondel's journey from growing up in the European countryside to exploring and redefining what American food can be. He created L'Amico after being reminded of his memories of cooking Sunday dinners with his Italian grandmother.
The kitchen is front and center, visible from the dining room and street, making it fun for people to see the pizzas fired in the copper-clad ovens or freshly made pasta coming to life.
“The design of the restaurant is also long-lasting — it can not really go out of style. It is a rustic restaurant with two beautiful wood ovens that you could think were built yesterday," Tourondel says.
Try the pasta or pizza — you can't go wrong!
Additionally, the restaurant's extensive wine menu, which was named one of Crain’s New York’s “Best Award of Excellence” in 2023, brings wine lovers and enthusiasts all the offerings they could imagine.
At L'Amico, Chef Tourondel makes sure to use seasonal ingredients, with each dish telling the story of its moment in time. Aside from Tourondel's signature wood-fired chicken and a carefully curated fish preparation that showcase the season's freshest catch, Tourondel evolves the rest of the dishes. Burrata, crostini, bruschetta, tuna crudo and pastas change with the seasons. The restaurant's wood-fired pizzas and wood-roasted chicken are an absolute must, along with the pastas, which people rave about.
His homemade desserts, which change with the seasons, currently include a Monte Bianco with chestnut puree, hazelnut dacquiose, vanilla gelato and latte caldo, Banana Baba Au Rhum with vanilla dipomat and candied pecans and the Torta Della Nonna with pignoli, poached pears and cranberries.
The staples — Tiramisu with la colombe nizza espresso biscuit — are also great to order.
The dishes 'are so loved,' the chef says.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
“It’s all about balance. Some dishes are so loved that we choose to keep them on the menu throughout the seasons —like that wood-roasted chicken — which is on the lunch, brunch and dinner menus. But we also love experimenting with new flavor profiles, so the menu reflects what is inspiring me and my team at that moment, paired with what’s in peak season. If something works, it stays. If not, it evolves into something even better," Tourondel, who appreciates and enjoys cuisines from all over the world, says.
The wood-fired pizzas are made right in front of guests' eyes!
Not only is the food worth it, but the location — situated within the trendy Hotel Eventi — is just steps away from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.
“Our diners range from loyal regulars who’ve made L’Amico a destination to local patrons who’ve made us a neighborhood staple, and even hotel guests and business travelers from around the globe who choose L’Amico for meetings they won’t regret," the chef explains.
The chef was inspired by cooking with his grandmother.
There is no bad time to visit L'Amico, especially since Chef Tourondel has some exciting things in the works, but the heart of it will always be the same: incredible food, amazing ingredients and that welcoming vibe that keeps people coming back.
For more information, click here.
