New York City’s restaurants are thriving again, with diners packed onto outdoor patios as well as inside bustling dining rooms. Serra by Birreria, the rooftop restaurant at Eataly’s Flatiron location in Manhattan, even received a makeover for the occasion; it relaunched in April with a greenhouse-chic aesthetic featuring flower buds in tiny vases on each table, with greenery and plants weaving throughout the dining room and the partially open-air, glass roof.
Of course, the Italian menu is on-message with the design, with a greenmarket-driven seasonal menu that also features a farmer spotlight. On a recent night, the “Meet the Farmer” section of the menu profiled Norwich Meadows Farm in Upstate New York, which supplied the spring peas in the wild nettle cavatelli with lamb ragù. The farm’s vegetables also were served raw with a Bagna Cauda for dipping.
Cocktails at Serra by Birreria.
Serra’s commitment extends to its drinks, with cocktails featuring seasonal botanicals, and an Italian IPA beer menu to showcase hops. Natural and biodynamic wines and warm-weather mocktails provide even more farm-driven beverage options.
The chefs clearly take advantage of this Eataly location’s proximity to the Union Square Greenmarket, making Serra’s Italian dishes some of the most farm-to-table-driven in the city. The antipasti feature an array of veggie-driven salads, while “spiedini,” or skewers, feature locally sourced meats, mushrooms, and vegetables. The pasta—from the wild nettle cavatelli to housemade pansotti filled with spinach, ricotta, Mutti tomatoes, and basil—allow the warm-season produce to shine.
For summer nights when attending an Italian dinner party in a greenhouse on a farm isn’t an option, Serra is your best alternative.
Farm-to-table Italian dishes at Serra by Birreria.