New York Italian Restaurant Olio E Piu Launches All-Day Menu

Some may like pizza for breakfast, and some may not, but a Neapolitan restaurant in Greenwich Village now gives us that option. Last Thursday, Olio e Piu officially launched their 24-hour, 7 day a week menu, adding new dishes ranging from prosciutto and figs to mushroom cavatelli to pizza Nutella.

Olio e Piu offers two different views: a scene of the Greenwich Avenue sidewalk and intersection for al fresco diners, and a glimpse of the kitchen and brick pizza oven in the boisterous, dimmed dining room and bar. Either way, there was a flurry of activity when we dropped in at the restaurant's invitation, with passers-by and buzzing cars on the outside, and jazzy music, loud chatter, and busy kitchen staff on the inside.

Dinner began with a few simple yet effective dishes that left us craving more. Chef Dominick Pepe and his team paired prosciutto di Parma with mission figs, and then drizzled them with tangerine oil and balsamic glaze. They continued with the savory sweet element, with "insalata di pera," a mix of arugula, gorgonzola, poached pears, and candied walnuts. The lightness of these dishes, including the tomatoes topped with burrata, primed us for the heavier courses.

The main dishes were more of a hit or miss. Olio e Piu's Margherita pizza would make for a decent meal, but it left more to be desired, given the wide selection of pizzas available in New York City. Their gnocchi with basil pesto didn't fare well, with its starchy, almost dry interior. Tagliatelle Bolognese, on the other hand, had a silky texture that beckoned us to savor every bite. Their branzino, which comes with vegetables, had a fresh, unaltered flavor under its crispy skin.

The night ended with a zesty lemon ricotta panna cotta topped with cannoli crumbs and a generous serving of tiramisu, but the go-to dessert was pizza Nutella. The warm Nutella and almond mixture is sandwiched between two slightly crunchy "pizza" layers, and if there were another name for this dish, we'd call it crepe's cousin.

Olio e Piu, with their revamped all-day menu, could be a good option for locals in need for a midnight-meal, or in our case, a pizza Nutella.