Amid the bustling and brisk SoHo scene—the cronut mania, the shopping mecca—there are still pockets of an older SoHo, where elderly ladies keep an eye on your car for you, and old businesses keep running. Some of those businesses are now overseen by new generations who seek to remain true to the spirit of the original.
One case in point is a little Italian trattoria called Il Corallo. Regulars pack the place every day, elbow to elbow with Korean and Japanese tourists. It has the comfort of an old friend, with a comforting patina that only comes with years of being populated. Almost every spot on the wall is taken up with plates or other decorative items from Italy, most of them gifts from customers.
The focus at Il Corallo, or “the Coral” in Italian, is the seafood. It’s abundant, of excellent quality, and a good value.
Take a generous plate of seafood pasta for about $17, add a glass (or two) of house wine for $5.95 and you’re set for a contented evening.
The menu is extensive, with 48 pastas, all of them time-tested by the former chef and owner, Saturno Baiocchi, who remained unfazed in the face of the trendy and hip evolution taking place in the neighborhood and kept making delicious Italian home fare. For that, he developed legions of regulars, who love Il Corallo for its homey, welcoming atmosphere, delicious and copious food, and easy-on-the-wallet prices.
New owners Stephanie Markowitz and Jorge Olivares seek to retain the spirit and value of Il Corallo. Markowitz worked as a waitress at Il Corallo while studying at nearby NYU, and again later for a stint, after an unhappy time in the film industry. When Baiocchi looked to retire after 21 years, he remembered her. Now, it’s not unusual for Markowitz to see people she had waited on 15 years ago.
Unpretentious, Good Food
“Good food, simple, not pretentious,” said Olivares. With a wood-burning oven for pizza and almost 50 pasta selections to choose from, there’s a bit of something for everyone.
The pizzas are toothsome, with the all-important crispy thin crust, and come with some mouth-watering combinations, like the Pizza Marina, with fresh mozzarella, calamari, shrimp, and oregano ($9.95).
But seafood pasta dishes are really where Il Corallo shines. The Capellini Corallo ($16.25) is filled with seafood—tender mussels, fresh shrimp, scallop, and crab meat—all in a creamy tomato sauce. The combination of the delicate texture of the capellini, the fresh seafood, and a wonderful, addictive sauce make it hard to exert some portion control. But you'll have to (for the sake of dessert. More about that later).
One dish that Il Corallo is known for is the Black Taglierini ($15.95), a squid ink pasta in a light tomato cream sauce, with shrimp, peas, and sundried tomatoes. Like so many dishes at Il Corallo, it is generous in size, but also utterly comforting and satisfying.
Affordable Wines
The owners are injecting new life with the introduction of a wine list that’s just as oriented toward value as the food is. A glass of house red or white is under $6, but they also focus on offering bottles of wines that are affordable and enjoyable.
“You can come in and have pasta that is literally filled with seafood for under $17, and a bottle of wine that would cost you $60 elsewhere for $35,” said Markowitz.
Olivares, who developed his palate working as a bartender at Franny’s in Brooklyn, loves wine, and he'll happily go through his finds and suggestions.
“There’s so much good wine that’s well-priced out there,” Markowitz. She said the second-cheapest bottle of wine anywhere you go should be great. They find great wines for under $30 a bottle.
Their latest addition is Allegrini’s Pallazo della Torre Veronese, a smooth full-bodied blend of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Sangiovese.
Ending on a Sweet Note
I know, pasta can be filling. But you need to order the tiramisu ($6). After a belt-unbuckling main dish, it seems excessive to even think about dessert. The huge portion of tiramisu looks insurmountable, but it’s incredibly light and wonderful. If you still have doubts, you can share, but don’t miss it. You'll be lumbering home satisfied, dreaming of the next time you will be back.
Recipe for Il Corallo’s Short Rib Ragu
3-4 beef short ribs on the bone
1 medium carrot
1 medium Spanish onion
2 stalks celery
5-6 medium cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 bottle of red wine
10 oz tomato paste (1 1/2 small cans)
3-4 table spoons oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season short ribs liberally with kosher salt and let sit at room temp for 1/2 hour or so. Dice onion, carrot & celery finely, chop garlic fine and keep separate for now. Use a Dutch oven or similarly heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid heat heat oil on the stovetop over a medium to medium high heat. Brown short ribs on all sides, work in batches so as not to crowd the pan, set aside.
Add onion, carrot & celery to the Dutch oven, season with salt & pepper. Sauté over medium heat 4-5 minutes. As they begin to soften and release their liquid, they will pull up all the brown bits on the bottom of Dutch oven from browning the meat, use a wooden spoon to help release everything from the bottom of the oven. Add garlic, sauté another few minutes. Add tomato paste, stir into the aromatics (veggies & garlic) and sauté everything together until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, add 3/4 bottle of red wine & bay leaf. Stir to incorporate, give the sauce a taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Bring up to a simmer and return short ribs to the Dutch oven. The liquid should cover about 2/3 of the meat, if needed add more wine (you can use a little water or any meat/veggie stock you may have on hand). Once the liquid is at a simmer with the meat. Cover and braise in the oven 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat is fork tender, falling off the bone. Let rest/cool, partially uncovered. Remove the meat, discard bones, cartilage and excess fat, pull apart into bite sized pieces and return to sauce. Check for seasoning.
At Il Corallo, we serve this over fresh cavatelli topped with ricotta cheese & basil. You can also serve over soft polenta or risotto. Or go full on grandma style and leave the meat on the bone serve it in two courses with the braising liquid saucing your pasta and serve the meat separately with some boiled potatoes and sautéed greens.
Il Corallo Trattoria
176 Prince St. (between Thompson St. & Sullivan St.)
212-941-7119
