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For a decade, Bar Primi has been a reliable go-to for New Yorkers craving a good pasta all'Amatriciana or a four-clove tangle of linguine. And, now, the Bowery staple from NoHo Hospitality—the folks behind fellow downtown favorites Locanda Verde, The Dutch and Lafayette—is getting an uptown sibling, with a new location in Penn District.
Debuting today, the latest Bar Primi at 349 West 33rd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues takes over that midtown stretch around Penn Station that real estate developers are trying to fancy up by calling it "Penn District."
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The presence of Primi will graciously class up the area, with its "primi piatti-focused menu," Italian-inspired cocktails and a lush outdoor dining area hidden away from the bustle of the neighborhood.
Regulars at the Bowery location will see many old favorites on the menu, including dishes that were on the original opening menu almost a decade ago: meatballs in sugo, pappardelle with ragu Bolognese, Vesuvio scampi with spicy rock shrimp and sea bass alla Griglia with olive muffuletta, among others. On the dolce end of things, of course that famed tiramisu will make the move to midtown, along with other sweet offerings like lemon cream zeppoli and pistachio gelato with fennel caramello.
From a Calacatta Viola marble bar, the beverage team will be pouring a cocktail menu that toasts to all things Italian: think a Piazza Julep with Cynar, bourbon, grapefruit, lime, raspberry syrup and mint, served in a sunflower ceramic, or a Sicilian Daiquiri with rum, lime, pistachio orgeat, pistachio oil and a pistachio sugar rim.
And, as seems to be a trend these days, there will even be Italian Jello-O shots on offer: a Negroni jello shot by Solid Wiggles, to be exact. Complementing the cocktails, there will be a wine program highlighting indigenous Italian grape varieties and a beer list featuring local selections on tap, like Greenpoint IPA.
The midtown Bar Primi will first open for dinner (hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 5pm to 11pm, and Fridays and Saturdays until midnight), with brunch and lunch to come.