I HAPPI

Hello Foodies,

Why is this fork happy? This fork just ate a wonderfully delicious meal at I SODI in the West Village. The "I" here is pronounced like a long EE and the translation is The Sodi family. You feel like you have been invited to the best family dinner ever. This fork wants to be adopted by the Sodi family. You'll want to bring your friends and family too. It's also the type of neighborhood restaurant that everyone wants to have in their neighborhood.

You'll meet Rita Sodi, the owner who is from Florence, Italy, and she has a simple recipe for her menu - it's comprised of her mother's best recipes (there's 100) and the menu changes often - featuring different dishes and seasonal produce. Several customer favorites now remain on the menu all the time like the lasagne al sugo di carne. To die for!

The forks were joined by TDF alum, Joan Scoby and Jackie Chasey, and our group gobbled down appetizers of fried heirloom tomotoes and fried artichokes - both sliced thin and crispy. The bread was out of this world too. Then we shared the lasagna mentioned above and the pollo fritto, the garganelle alla pomarola, tagliata con rucola (sliced steak and rugula) and a side of piselli (green peas). The steak melted in your mouth. Portions are good sharing sizes too or good for one hungry person. Everything is so good that you wish you weren't sharing.

The staff were friendly and well-versed on the food and wine-list.

We were totally full but that didn't stop us from having dessert - a fig tart and several types of affogato with homemade gelato.

Here's the vitals:

105 Christopher St.
West Village
212-414-5774

Enjoy,

the forks