Last week, venerable Italian pasta maker Giovanni Rana opened its first full-service United States restaurant, cranking out a variety of noodle creations in Chelsea Market. Depending on which entrance you use, Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucino is a retail shop/pasta market or a full-service restaurant offering dishes to enjoy in-house or on the road. There's also an open kitchen and pasta-making station where visitors can watch as their ravioli are stuffed to bursting with meats, cheeses and other savory fillings.
If you're in the Market browsing for cooking supplies, Rana sells their fresh-made pastas to take home, including some unusual flavors like lentil spaghetti and curry pappardelle. There's also a small shop—A Casa Mia—where you can procure gourmet Italian staples like cheeses, olive oils, chocolate and more. If you want some ready-made grub on the go, choose from nine different pasta options, from a classic Gnocchetti alla Bolognese to a Beet Tagliatelle with Winter Vegetables. There's also a small selection of soups and salads, like the intriguing Chilled Pasta Carbonara.
Enter from Ninth Avenue for the restaurant section, which is designed not unlike a large, Italian country kitchen. Copper pans and kitchen accessories on steel racks dangle over marble-topped tables decorated with fresh flowers and rustic table settings. The menu leans heavily on Rana's vast selection of fresh pastas in combinations like Ravioli al Brasato, Chesnuts, and Savoy Cabbage ($19) and a Chestnut Tagliatelle tossed with Guinea Fowl Ragu ($18). A selective menu of Secondi, meat and fish dishes, are on offer as well, including a Bistecca dalla Costata alla Fiorentina ($76), a 32 ounce Creekstone Dry-Aged Prime Beef that serves two.
75 Ninth Avenue // 212-370-0975
