The holiday seasons is officially here – and there is a serious seasonal vibe going on at Eataly NYC Flatiron, where Serra Alpina is now open on the rooftop as a winter-inspired boite. Named for the rare Stella Alpina flower from the Swiss Alps found across northern Italy, Serra Alpina is a winter wonderland right in NYC’s Flatiron ‘hood.
Just in time for the holidays, Serra Alpina is serving up a selection of vin brulè, or spiced mulled wines, like the one-of-a-kind Stella Alpina made with the white wine Moscato d’Asti DOCG and steeped with orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, start anise, and allspice berries. There is also an impressive offering of over 50 Italian Amari, digestifs made with herbs, barks, seeds, spices, flowers and botanicals, as well as a list of Amaro-based cocktails and drink infused with mountain herbs.
“The inspiration for the cocktail menu comes from the core of the Serra Alpina concept, which is a countryside Italian restaurant,” explains Joshua Lepre, Bar Manager. “We specifically set a focus on winter (seasonality) and the Alpines (location). We have always highlighted our classic cocktails, which are our North Stars, and then built upon them to match season and location (atmosphere).”
Alongside Chef Tom Bohan, and taking the seasonal food menu into account, the beverage menu was created. “We want the cocktails, wine, liquor and beer to pair properly,” Lepre adds. “For Serra Alpina, Amaro is the basis of the cocktail menu and the warm and hearty wines of Northern Italy are the focus.”
And the Amaro cetainly isn’t to be missed.
“We specialize in Amaro, the bitter herb based liquor from Italy, and have stocked a library of 50+ options of only Italian Amaro,” says Lepre. “The list includes five vintage Amari are from the 50’s – 70’s. The majority of cocktails we are making incorporate Amaro and we also specialize in honey based simple syrups, as opposed to sugar bases syrups. This adds complexity to our cocktails. Finally, we garnish all drinks with fresh herbs from our Farm – the vertical garden located inside the restaurant.”
Don’t miss out on the food, including a selection of unique Italian cheese – yes, they have a Raclette – and variety of seasonal produce. “We suggest pairing the Città della Notte with the Braised Pork Shoulder with mustard seed and apricot jam; the Arancia Rossa with a plate of Bufarollo (a hard cheese made with bufala milk) and Burrata and roasted beets; and the Old Fashioned Affumicato with the Porterhouse for Two,” says Beverage Director Randall Restiano. “It is made on the grill with salt, pepper, rosemary and then serve with seasonal vegetables.”
Bonus: white and black truffles can be added to any dish (at an extra cost, natch).
Serra Alpina details
212-937-8910; Eataly.com;
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