Opera and food are the heart and soul of Italian culture. Lincoln Center, home to the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera House, the New York City Ballet, and the Lincoln Ristorante, is the cultural heart of Manhattan. Yet, it is at this Upper West Side “jewel box,” where a quintessential Italian experience awaits.
Through May 2020, the Met Opera House will be performing five of Giacomo Puccini’s beloved operas including La Boheme, Tosca, and Turandot, in addition to the compositions of notable Italian composers like Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata.
Your Italian adventure begins in the glass structure known as the Lincoln. This modern Italian restaurant offers a $76 pre-theater prix-fixe menu, a new addition when Shea Gallante took over as Executive Chef in 2017. “We have an extremely diverse clientele on the Lincoln Center Campus,” says Gallante, who previously worked in the renowned kitchens of Felidia and Bouley, among others. “We developed a menu with good balance that appeals to a broader audience.”
With views of Revson Fountain set against the glowing, white theater buildings outside, from the moment you sink into your leather swivel chair, the entertainment unravels within the open kitchen. Reservations two hours before showtime are suggested so that guests can indulge in the Italian custom of a leisurely meal.
If Chef Gallante were to dine pre-Puccini, he would start with a glass of Franciacorta. Next, he would order Tartare Di Hamachi followed by the Conchiglie Con Granchio (coming to the menu next week), a shell pasta dish served with Dungeness crab, chives, Perigord truffle, and rosemary breadcrumbs, pair it with a Brunello, and end on a sweet note with Tortino Di Cioccolato ($10 supplement). The Lincoln’s seasonal menu changes four times a year. Cocktail options include a Negroni Bar, and the wine list features over 400 labels from classic and new Italian producers.
Although pre-theater is the restaurant’s primary dinner business, being steps away from the Met Opera allows ample time to settle into your seat before curtain call. Once the music starts, you might believe, for a moment, you are in Milan at the Teatro Alla Scala opera house. Can’t get more autentico than that!