COASTAL ITALIAN BRUNCH AT SANTINA

Nestled across the High Line's Gansevoort entrance is Major Food Group's latest baby, Santina. My knowledge in restaurateurs is pretty much limited to Joe Bastianich (thanks, Master Chef!), but my aunt was quick to fill the gaps. MFG is composed of NYC's culinary cool kids Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick - the same folks behind the acclaimed Carbone and Parm, among others. Opening their doors only this year, Santina serves up a mean dose of Coastal Italian goodness that spills from the plate to the general atmosphere. The vibe was so sunny that it's impossible to be in a bad mood - not that they give you reasons to, either. From the food to the service, everything was quite impressive.

We got there almost 2pm on a Sunday and we were lucky to be seated right away. Since it was our first time, we sought guidance from our server who was more than happy to give recommendations. This was something I greatly appreciated as waiters who are dumbfounded by questions about their menu is a huge pet peeve of mine. His cocktail recommendation, View From Positano, was such a hit! It's the best cocktail I've ever had and that says a lot coz I normally don't like gin, and this was a gin, black pepper, and strawberries concoction. But really, check my Insta, I could start a fan club for this pink mix. As for the food, we started with the Cecina, a chickpea pancake, with Avocado Trapanese. Winner combo! The refreshing avocado and cherry tomatoes complemented the chickpea's earthiness. (Please be warned that "refreshing" is a word I may overuse in this post - it certainly was the case when I was eating and expressing my delight.) I had the Tortellini Sorrentina - ricotta stuffed pasta with marinara sauce - yum! It was perfectly seasoned and the marinara was, you guessed it, refreshing. My aunt, on the other hand, opted for the Whole Grilled Porgy (not to be confused with pork, haha) which was light, refreshing, and really good. Much like everything else we had.

I left Santina much like how I imagine I would enter Positano - with a spring in my step and looking forward to more.

Santina is located at 820 Washington St, New York, NY 10014, United States