DeuxMoiMadeMeDoIt…Rubirosa

#DeuxMoiMadeMeDoIt…a restaurant guide for millenials

Rubirosa

Modernized Italian Restaurant on Mulberry Street featuring Family Recipes

Located on Mulberry Street between Spring and Prince, Rubirosa is easily accessible by subway in Nolita.  The closest subway station is the Spring Street Station (4 & 6 train), with the 2nd Avenue Subway Station (F train), Broadway-Lafayette Street Station (B,D,F), and Canal Street Station (N,Q,R,W) a few blocks away in variable directions.  If coming by PATH train, the Church Street Station is about a 25 minute walk and both the World Trade Center Station and Christopher Street Stations are just under 30 minutes by foot.  If  you are like us and will want to try one of everything, you will not mind the walk…it will just mean you can eat more! 

To start, the primi menu at Rubirosa features antipasto piatti (first course platters), zuppa (soup), insalata (salad), antipasti (first course meals), and fritti (fried).  The antipasto piatti offers a chef’s selection of meats and cheese with sides of olives, giardiniera, and grilled bread.  The zuppa options are Italian Wedding and Pasta e Fagioli.  The insalata options are a Rubirosa house, arugula, caesar, and caprese.  The antipasti menu features traditional Italian classics like eggplant parmigiano, manicotti, braciole, roasted octopus, baked clams, meatballs, stuffed artichokes, broccoli rabe, and garlic knots.  Mini rice balls, mozzarella sticks, and crispy calamari are the options available under fritti.  Don’t fill up here, there is plenty more on the menu…

The pasta menu at Rubirosa is made with all homemade pastas that are all made with egg (except for the cavatelli).  The pasta is served individual (1 serving) or family style (2-4 servings).  The pasta options are spaghetti alla chittara (tomato, basil, parmigiano with the option to add meatballs for an additiona cost), Rubirosa ragu (lumache, sausage ragu, pecorino), ricotta ravioli (tomato, parmigiano OR buter), cavatelli (broccoli rabe, sausage, garlic, olive oil), cacio e pepe (black pepper, spaghetti, pecorino), vongole (clams, white wine, lemon), black and white tagliatelle (squid ink pasta, shrimp, cockles, calamari, tomato sauce), carbonara (speck, egg yolk, scallions), lumache alla vodka (parmigiano and parsley), mushroom campanelle (wild mushrooms, sofrito, garlic cream), and lasagna for two (mozzarella, tomato, sausage, meatball). 

The pizza menu at Rubirosa offers 2 sizes of pizzas and the option to substitute for vegan cheese.  The pies come in 2 sizes, small (14”) or large (18”) and you have the option to add extra cheese and additional toppings.  The pizza options include the classic (tomato and mozzarella),  fresca (fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil), vodka (vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella), Rubirosa supreme (tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, mini meatballs, roasted garlic), sausage and broccoli rabe (roasted garlic, mozzarella, pecorino), bianca (riccota, mozzarella, garlic, oregano), arugula (cherry tomatoes, onion, shaved parm, balsamic), the TIE DYE ™ Pizza (vodka, tomato, pesto, fresh mozzarella), and the honey pie (mozzarella, fontina, soppressata, spiced honey).  

You can also order off the panini menu (which offers your choice of an eggplant parmigiano roll, a chicken parmigiano roll, or a meatball parmigiano roll) or the secondi menu (which offers chicken milanese, eggplant parmigiano, and chicken parmigiano) before finishing up with dolci (dessert) and caffe (coffee).  That is not all! There is a separate gluten-free menu that outlines which dishes come gluten free as well as options to use gluten free pasta or gluten free pizza dough.  

If you do not have room for sweets, we suggest you make another reservation to come just for dessert.  There are too many good choices you do not want to pass up.  Rubirosa serves all of the classic Italian pastries and desserts like NY style cheesecake, tiramisu, zeppoles, bread pudding, cannolis, flourless chocolate cake with vanilla gelato, assorted cookies (rainbow, florentine, pignoli), or the dessert sampler which comes in two sizes to serve your whole table or party (includes assorted cookies plus zeppolis and cannolis).  Espressos, double espressos, macchiatos, americanos, cappuccinos, and lattes are a must order with your dessert, or if tea is your thing you have the choice of mint, green, chamomile, earl grey, and english breakfast.  

In case you need help ordering…here is some insight.  Per the menu description, the classic pizza is made from a 60+ year old New York style family recipe…suggesting that the pizza, the sauces, the desserts, and the recipes have been handed down and perfected for generations.    Per reviews, the TIE DYE ™ pizza is a fan favorite and a must try.  Other highly rated items were the vodka sauce, calamari, half and half, cacio e pepe, rice balls, cavatelli, fresca pizza, and house wines. 

Speaking of wines, the menu states that “our family collaborated with world renowned wine makers in Sicilia to craft our signature organic wines”.  In addition to the house wine by the glass or bottle, there are plenty of other wine options available to accompany your meal.  If wine isn’t your thing, there are draft beers, bottled beers, canned beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages also available.  

This post became a little more than we had expected…because there is just so much we wanted you to know about Rubirosa.  With over 3,700 reviews on Google and a 4.6 star review, it is clear that we aren’t the only ones that have positive things to say about it.  Thanks to the Google review from Michael Davis who advises that reservation availability opens on Resy 1 week in advance at midnight…which means set your alarms to make sure you can get that reservation! Once you are there, you will forget about hopeful celebrity sightings and instead be focused on your pizza, pasta, pastries, and most importantly, the company you are with!

#Deuxmoimademedoit – Rubirosa first got our attention in November 2022 when a Q&A session on @deuxmoi’s instagram sought out the best Manhattan pizzerias for celebrity sightings.  After reviewing the menu, we realized that it is more than just a spot for celebrity sightings…it is a food experience to enjoy with your own friends and family.  

For more information @deuxmoimademedoit on Instagram. 

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