Galli

Galli is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in SoHo. The venue is just this cool modern eatery on Mercer Street. The view in the back is great because it’s ceiling-lit and there’s some green vinery travelling the exposed red brick walls. So don’t forget to ask for a seat in the back, especially if you have a group. Besides, who doesn’t hate booths? The service here is usually decent, not great, but it's decent. When the food is great, I tend to overlook mediocre or even just bad service. Everyone’s got their priorities. Plus, the music playlist is always on point with my mood. Gotta love a restaurant with a great vibe.

I highly recommend all of the pasta dishes and the chicken parmesan. Galli’s got great authentic family-style Italian food; it has even been referred to as “Italian comfort food” because of the similar foods you might have with a traditional Italian family at home. According to most Italians, “nobody makes a better meatball than my grandmother.” The jury’s still out on that one. In any case, when it comes to even just decent Italian food, it’s all in the sauce. And Galli does it right everytime, from their spicy tomato sauce to their chipotle mayo sauce that gets served with appetizers to their meat sauces.

“When it comes to good Italian food, it’s all in the sauce, and Galli does it right everytime.” -Yours Truly

I recommend ordering a few different pasta dishes and sharing, but hey, you do you. I started off my dinner with the Fritto Misto fried calamari, which was nice and crispy. Plus, there was shrimp in the calamari. The chipotle mayo sauce had a subtle spicy kick to it, while the tomato sauce was sort of sweet to balance out your taste buds.

Moving along to the main course, I ordered the Beef Ragu, which was just an orgasm in my mouth. That’s the picture to my left. You’ve got the basic rigatoni pasta covered in beef shoulder that’s been marinated with homemade tomato sauce, which is a hearty combination of espresso, red wine sauce, onions, and garlic, topped with ricotta cheese and some cilantro.

Galli has a great wine list, but I recommend asking your waiter or waitress for a small taste before you pop a bottle. Ask for a recommendation of a red to go with whatever you’re ordering. Typically, any red blend goes well with pasta dishes that have red sauce, but a recommendation of something that you haven’t tried yet might surprise you. A Chianti is an ideal Italian dinner wine. I usually end up ordering beer or wine when I’m here because it’s just what my palette craves with mouth-watering Italian food.

If you’re in the mood for cocktails at the Galli, I recommend the “No Name” or the “Mangifera Indica.” The No Name is a great cocktail for anyone who likes spicy margaritas. It’s a spicy cocktail with jalapeno-infused tequila, pineapple, lime, and campari. And the Mangifera Indica cocktail is just a great cocktail for my gin-lovers. It’s a gin concoction of mango nectar, sage, and lemon juice.