5. Carmellini’s Cookie Box
“We do quite a lot of private parties and events at Locanda Verde, and we always had a cookie plate on the party menu.
“We’re never offered it on the regular menu before, but now we’re going to do it uptown and downtown. We had this idea to do this Italian cookie box with a rotating cast of characters of Italian-inspired cookies.
“I say Italian-inspired, because a lot of times Italian cookies can be made with all almond paste and can be a bit dry. Those are not that.
“Some of them are rooted in history. We have a Sicililan sesame cookie. Sesame is a really cool ingredient especially in Sicily because it was brought over from the Middle East. There’s a pistachio cookie that’s almost a variation on a pignolata cookie. There are two that are actually recipes from my first cookbook, ‘Urban Italian.’ There’s a raspberry pinwheel, and the black cookie, which is a mint chocolate cookie.
“They’ll change over time, and they come in a branded box. It’s just an ideal Italian cookie plate. It’s really good with a glass of Vin Santo, and we offer it with that. Traditionally, especially in Tuscany where my grandfather is from, you’ll see cookies served that way.”
Locanda Verde Hudson Yards is open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., and for weekday lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Ellie Plass is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram and X. Follow Resy, too.
Dining and Cooking