Roman Cuisine Makes its Way in NYC Despite the Pandemic

Roman cuisine is trending in the U.S. as on-the-go diners increasingly seek soul-satisfying and delicious food with seasonal ingredients and rich history. In fact, Americans are getting to know Roman cuisine more and more, appreciating its simplicity and its tastiness. A relevant sign of its popularity is the growing number of Roman-inspired restaurants and menus, that have also found ways to adapt traditional classics into take-out specials.

The latest is Forsythia, a venue that opened June 1^st for take-out only on New York’s Lower East Side – founded by head chef Jacob Siwak (previously of Olmsted), sous-chef Mark Coleman (previously of Rezdôra and Marea) and baker Brian Maxwell. 

Inspired by their Italian culinary experiences, Forsythia’s Roman-influenced menu has a focus on seasonal antipasti and handmade pasta. It features weekly rotating menus and meal-kits that include focaccia made in-house, seasonal salads, handmade pastas and more.

The antipasti include panzanella salad, sourdough croutons, heirloom cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, fava beans, capers, balsamic vinegar of Modena and the classic Roman street food supplí, fried rice ball stuffed with leeks, hazelnuts, and taleggio cheese. A simple but authentic selection of primi piatti feature maccheroni e ceci – medium tubed pasta with chickpea sauce, chickpeas, white wine, herbs, and Parmigiano cheese. Another classic Roman pasta served here is gnocchetti, a freshly made gnocchi pasta with simmered tomatoes, lardo, and pecorino di Fossa.

And that’s not all: The dessert menu even offers gelato with basil & lavender and a classic maritozzo – a sweet Roman sourdough brioche with Chantilly cream.

“I was inspired by the trattoria food of Rome,” comments head chef Jacob Siwak. “It's notoriously unfussy, but the food is some of the most flavorful in the world. We want our food to be accessible and understandable for everyone, not just people in the hospitality industry or foodies. Refined Italian comfort food based on the best trattorias of Rome allows us to do that while simultaneously raising the bar for what Italian food can be like in the States.”

The menu focuses on lots of pasta – plus it’s highly seasonal with fresh dishes to complement. For the take-out phase, they are doing two antipasti, two primi, and two dolci (along with their fresh focaccia).  “Our dishes will be highly representative of Roman cuisine, with a few exceptions of dishes from Northern and Southern Italy based on seasonality,” continues Chef Siwak. “We place an emphasis on same-day preparation: All of our bread is baked daily, and all of our pasta is hand-rolled daily. Our produce and dairy all come from the Union Square Greenmarket, and all of our cheese, cured meats, and flours come directly from Italy. I think the reason why Roman cuisine is getting more popular in the USA is because it is a very approachable cuisine, but it’s still far more elevated above typical dining.”

Prior to opening Forsythia, the team spent time in Italy separately: Siwak began his journey in front of the pasta station at Rome’s SantoPalato before traveling to Bologna and training in hand-rolled pasta with Alessandra and Stefania Spisni at La Vecchia Scuola. Coleman obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra before working throughout Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna at various Michelin-starred restaurants like Antica Corte Pallavicina. And finally, Brian began his training as a chef in Florence with Tina Fallani, and spent time afterward in Manciano, a small town in southern Tuscany, where he worked on a farm cultivating sheep’s milk for a variety of cheeses and dairy products.

Today, with New York having entered Phase 2 of re-opening, Forsythia’s menu will be available for take-out out from a ghost kitchen at 104 East 7th Street (between 1st Avenue and Avenue A) while the construction is being finalized at their full-service restaurant space, located at 9 Stanton Street, which plans to open once in-restaurant dining is permitted.

Along with the restaurant, a new concept, “Forsythia at Home,” has also been developed – and it’s basically a re-creation of what they are doing at the restaurant: “We want to give people a restaurant-quality meal at home with incredibly simple preparation. We do all of the hard stuff at the restaurant,” noted chef Siwak. “All you need is an oven, a pot of water, and 15 minutes. We provide everyone with really clear instructions to make it as easy as possible. We send a follow-up survey to every diner after they receive a kit – and so far, we have received 100% positive feedback, which has been pretty incredible to see. We're seeing a high volume of repeat customers already as well, which has been really encouraging.”