IS SAN CARLO THE BUZZIEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN SOHO?

Tucked along a quiet unassuming street in Soho, New York City is an equally unassuming, cozy neighborhood fast casual Italian restaurant that rarely has an empty table on any single night of the week. San Carlo Osteria Piemonte at 90 Thompson Street has quickly become a Soho classic-go-to in this part of town which is home to some of the most discerning palates on the planet.  This is affluent and foodie-chic Soho. after all, and its warm, rustic family-style setting has made this five year old boite–. celebrating the traditions of the Northern Italian Piemonte region of Italy, a must for not only the locals but visitors alike. ”It’s been quite the surprise how many visiting tourists from Italy that have come through these doors,” the General Manager, Mirko

Mennuni exclaimed one recent night as the boisterous room filled with belly laughs and equally full stomachs warmed a frigid winter night in January.   The San Carlo mantra ”remains rooted in authentic and refined dishes that express the Piemonte heritage of Italy”, the restaurateir furthered.  And the gorgeous and sexy chef import who mans the kitchen–Davide Iacoboni has clearly taken that assignment to the next level.

Italian cuisine, the connoisseur knows, is highly regional.  Italian food is well known for its culinary demarcations. Southern Italian signatures are as distinct as those from the North and the Piemonte region which is long regarded as Italy’s culinary mecca.  The region after all, is the home to the finest wines, cheeses and truffles and meat.  And the sexy San Carlo Chef Davide honors the regions tradition with tent-pole dishes featuring wild boar, rabbit and of course, veal.  Sublime classics such as the Brasato di Manzo of Angus beef cheek braised and served with decadent truffled mashed potatoes or the Ragu Parpadelle or the house signature Tonno di Coniglio aka the pulled rabbit pasta dish.  Even his way with a classic serving of Branzino or the absolutely sublime and pillowy serving of Gnocchi. 

Or the flawless presentation of a Minestrone soup served with a decanter of piping hot broth poured table side over petit-pearls of a divine vegetable medley speaks volumes to the notion that there is a quiet, elevated mind at work in this kitchen. Spellbindingly composed and presented dishes are the obvious first observation here. Suffice to now say–that the Italian sausage parpadelle and cabbage concoction is the must order–the Chef’s Kiss– and just one of many.

It is 10:15 pm on a Saturday night and the small bustling cozy room hops to the delightful tempo of the James Brown classic tune

”I Feel Good” piping from the Spotify playlist. The belly laughs from full stomachs ricochet across the exposed clay brick walls and the mood is sublimely exuberant at the San Carlo on Thompson Street. The handsome chef with his groomed head of blonde hair and the prominent ‘Roman nose’ appears from the back in his starched pressed whites and with a broad smile on his face as he surveys yet another night of satisfied customers. He’s equally a sight for sorre eyes as much as the food he serves up.

There is no warm lambs tongue on the menu of the San Carlo, but the sight of the sexiest Chef now wielding his craft in Soho, makes one want to lick him up for dessert. Well, at least allow this vulgar culinarian speaking for himself. There is excellent wine list and equally excellent service with the likes of wait staff with larger-than-life personalities in Ruben Sanchez and another called Domenico Sella. They alone are worth the visit and reason why many are convinced San Carlo will live a long reign in foodie Soho just as the other icon, Raouls, up the street and around the corner. The Barolo and Barbaresco wines are the house best-sellers, go sit at the bar for happy hour on a Friday before the crowds and sample the petit servng of charcuterie and close the business deal over their classic yet tantalizing Vitello Tonnato of thinly sliced veal served cold and topped with the creamiest tuna sauce and capers. Sfizi is the happy hour modus operandi–darlinka!

Carl Rolle, the Turin-based proprietor of the San Carlo Ostrria-Piemonte in Soho will be the first to tell you that his restaurant’s reason-to-be  ”is blending authentic recipes and high quality Italian imported products with locally sourced seasonal vegetables. San Carlo offers the best of Piemonte, Italy, a region with a rich history of producing exceptional fine wines, artisanal meats and cheeses and some of Italy

s best known specialties including our white truffles from the city of Alba, Fassona beef and ”Bagna Gauda’ sauce.  We are inspired by the heart of Northern Italy, Turin, for the heart of Soho.”

The flavors at San Carlo are spot on and so is the sexy chef-de-cuisine Davide Iacoboni and so this discerning mind wanted to probe more of this confident chef and his obvious mastery.  

 GEORGE WAYNE- What would Chef Davide say are the two ”sexiest” dishes on the menu at San Carlo Osteria Piemonte?

 CHEF DAVIDE – The Agnolotti, our house pasta, is made with great care and precision. Once on the table, they look beautiful, and when you eat them, the flavor explodes in your mouth, sending your taste buds into ecstasy.

GW- The sexiest dishes for GW must be those that make use of truffles.  San Carlo highlights and its expertise are in Piemontese food from the North of Italy. The region is best known for its wines, cheese, and especially the truffles.

So, what are the best truffle-highlighted dishes to order here?

CHEF DAVIDE– We have a specific section of the menu dedicated exclusively to Alba white truffles, with a wide selection of dishes ranging from appetizers to first courses and main courses, topped with a cascade of fresh Alba white truffles, a Piedmontese delicacy and a unique product rich in history and the aromas of the region.

GW —Tell us about your resume. Your training and work through the ranks to become a top chef at one of the best under-the-radar Italian restaurants in Soho.

CHEF DAVIDE– I started cooking when I was a child in my grandmother’s kitchen. From there, I attended cooking school and immediately started working in restaurants in my region (Abruzzo). I then worked at luxury 5-star hotels on Lake Maggiore and in Trentino and Alto Adige. From there, I decided to broaden my culinary horizons, gaining experience in France and Spain before returning to Italy. But my career needed to take another step forward, so I decided to come to New York because, in the culinary world, it is the city with the highest concentration of food culture. 

GW- What are the Chef’s signature must-order recommendations on the menu?

CHEF DAVIDE– Definitely all the pasta dishes, because it’s all fresh, handmade pasta, using the finest ingredients and respecting the seasonality of the local area. But also all the main courses, which are traditional dishes handed down to us by our grandmothers, but revisited in a contemporary way by adding my own ideas and flavors.

GW- What region of Italy are you from with that gorgeous, sexy Roman-looking nose of yours? 

CHEF DAVIDE– I’m from Abruzzo. A fantastic region in central Italy, rich in history and traditions. A very colorful landscape that offers both sea and mountains. A region that produces great chefs every year, who are successful all over the world.

GW- And when you were sixteen years old, what did you want to grow up to be? 

A football star for Inter Milan?  What was your kid’s dream?  Who was your hero?

CHEF DAVIDE– When I was a child, like all boys my age, I wanted to become a famous soccer player. I started playing soccer at the age of 6 and continued throughout my teenage years. I was very good at it, and my dream was to play for Juventus, my favorite team, which I still support today and never miss a game! 

GW- I hope you are single and ready to mingle, Chef Davide, because GW has just anointed you- The Sexiest Chef in Soho!

CHEF DAVIDE– Yes, I’m strictly single. {Laughs}

GW– Some other top Chefs I know complain to GW that tariffs have been impeding their sourcing of the best pasta products from Italy.  How about you?

CHEF DAVIDE — I think these customs duties are having some impact, but we are trying not to touch or change our sales prices. We are very careful to use the highest quality products without affecting food costs. 

GW- And do you still import the beef for the ragu from Fassano?

CHEF DAVIDE– Yes, we have our own trusted supplier who provides us with these exceptional products. 

GW- What is going to be a trendy ingredient this Spring of 2026? And why?

CHEF DAVIDE– This spring, we will surely find exceptional products that nature gives us, lots of vegetables rich in flavor and aroma, and wonderful colors. Every chef can’t wait for this time of year to arrive so they can prepare new dishes that capture the essence of spring. 

GW– There is no Bagna Gauda (another signature dish from the Piemontese} featured on the menu of San Carlo.

CHEF DAVIDE– We have Bagna Cauda on our menu. I use it in my interpretation of Caesar Salad, which Icall Caesarr Torino-New York, because in this dish I want to highlight the link between these two wonderful cities through ingredients we find on both sides. Caesar Salad is an iconic dish in New York restaurants and I wanted to enrich it with bagna cauda, a typical Piedmontese sauce made with garlic and anchovies that encapsulates all the flavors of tradition. 

GW– And no Grissini breadsticks on the menu either.  Every restaurant in Piemonte

offers Grissini!

CHEF DAVIDE– Yes, my future goal is definitely to start our own production of artisanal Grissini 

GW- The New York Strip steak here is excellent!  Is it grass-fed beef?

CHEF DAVIDE– Yes, of course.  We use this local farm that supplies us with this exceptional meat. We always seek out these small producers who guarantee us unique, locally sourced products, in line with sustainability, which is a key principle of my cuisine.

GW– Now will you marry me, please?

CHEF DAVIDE- Of course. {Laughs Uproariously}