A Voce

There's lots of contemporary, upscale Italian restaurants in NYC but something about A Voce always brings me back. During my last visit, the pork I had was so savory and vegetables were cooked in a way that made them melt slowly and flavorfully in my mouth. The service is also always excellent. I look forward to dining here again soon.

A friend of mine once lived in the Time Warner building so I know many of the stores/restaurants there are overpriced. Fortunately for my family and I, A Voce Columbus Circle wasn't overpriced or overhyped. Ambience: Classy with high energy and attentive service. While most diners are wearing button-down shirts, slacks, and an occassional jacket (men) or dresses and heels (for women) the staff were friendly enough not to make me feel uncomfortable in my dark blue jeans. With a view of Central Park south and Columbus Circle this would be an equally appropriate place for a date or a business meal. Service: attentive and not pretentious. Food: Great (but not the best) Italian food. I would go back again. Here are the dishes I tried: -Pork belly with pistachios and figs: not your average pork belly. Tasty and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. -Funghi al forno: Royal mushrooms with truffles and hazelnuts. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms but these were delicious. -Linguini verdi: spinach and parsley pasta with crab. I just wanted to try this and it ended up stealing the show. Light and refreshing. -Maiale: pork chop. I generally like all porkchops but this one was huge. Essentially a double serving of pork chop (with two bones) cooked evenly throughout. -Chicken: Juicy and well cooked, but honestly do you really want to come here for chicken? -Hanger steak: beautifully plated, thinly sliced steak pieces with truffles and artichoke. The presentation was good but the steak was unimpressive. -Sea bass: I do not recommend the sea bass. -Dessert: I only had space for the Bomboloni which was delicious. Soft pastries/doughnuts that taste great dipped in what I want to call chocolatey goodness.