Eating at La Houppa
My friend Carolyn and I found this quaint restaurant in the lower Upper East Side area of Manhattan while looking for somewhere off the beaten path to have a late lunch/early dinner while on a business trip in December of 2003.Strolling down Madison Avenue, we turned a corner and came upon a sign for La Houppa, situated in the basement level of a brownstone. It looked inviting, so we decided to risk it.
Upon entering, we were greeted and immediately seated in the center of the narrow but deep restaurant, as we had arrived during a quiet time of day. The seating arrangement was mainly made up of horseshoe-shaped booths with a sprinkling of tables. Our booth was situated almost directly across from the brick wood-burning stove used for pizza. We expected to become overheated, but were pleasantly surprised as the temperature stayed at a comfortable level. There was a long bar at the head of the restaurant that was currently empty, but I had a feeling that it would be filled by early evening.
For appetizers we both started out with the prosciutto, mozzarella, and melon platter. It was delicious. The prosciutto was tender, and normally, I add salt to my melon to enhance the flavor, but the combination of meat and melon was perfect.
For the main courses, Carolyn decided on the orecchiette with sausage, broccoli rabe, provolone, and tomato sauce. I chose the pumpkin-filled ravioli. I had never heard of such a dish but was feeling adventurous and was thrilled when it arrived covered in a light tomato sauce. The filling did not taste as strong as I thought it might. I was thinking of Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie, but this was much different, warm and slightly nutty, with a pleasant aftertaste. I was highly impressed.
Unfortunately, we did not have room for dessert and neither of us drink, but if they are as good as the meal we had, I would highly recommend the full course at La Houppa.
Tags: new york city, Travel
samlawali