Pan-seared housemade lasagna.
Photograph by Catherine Grace
When you step into Noche, the Italian-Argentinian restaurant on the corner of Madison Avenue and Seventh Street in Covington, you’re met with a vibe that lives up to its name. “Noche” means “night” in Spanish, and the space radiates warmth, with deep green and gold tones, soft lighting, and a full bar that’s both sophisticated and intimate. It has a nightcap feeling, even in the middle of the day. It’s a setting that embodies what Chef Alfio Gulisano—the driving force behind Hyde Park’s Alfio’s Buon Cibo—set out to achieve: An elegant but approachable restaurant where pasta, cocktails, and conversation blend with ease.
Its opening last summer marks Gulisano’s evolution as a chef and restaurateur. Where Alfio’s is expansive, with a broad menu and family-style sensibility, Noche is curated, with a collection of concise dishes that celebrate heritage with elevated comfort. The concept was born from a desire to simplify and focus on pasta with layered flavors. Yes, it’s Italian at its core, but traces of Gulisano’s Argentinian roots weave their way throughout every aspect of its menu, from hearty appetizers to carefully crafted cocktails.
Chef/Owner Alfio Gulisano
Photograph by Catherine Grace
Gulisano was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a country whose food identity is tied to Italy’s in inextricable ways. Beginning in the late 19th century, waves of Italians immigrated to Argentina and helped shaped the South American country’s cuisine. This mingling of cultures guides many of the dishes Gulisano creates at Noche, embracing the simplicity of Italian techniques while adding the comfort and soul of Argentinian cooking.
Noche’s menu opens with shareable appetizers that lean toward Argentinian fare. The bourbon wagyu brisket burrata is decadent yet disciplined. The hand-pulled mozzarella is filled with slow-braised wagyu brisket and arrives warm, ready to spread across charred crostini, and topped off with a drizzle of hot honey. But the standout dish is the short rib sliders. The meat is braised for five hours after a quick grill that locks in flavor, then packed within soft buns with provolone and garlic aioli, making sandwiches both familiar and refined.
While Gulisano plays up creativity with the appetizers, pasta dishes stay closer to classic Italian roots. The prime tenderloin gnocchi is tossed in a hand-cut ragù and finished with fresh Parmesan cheese. The pillowy texture of the gnocchi clings to the sauce, making the straightforward familiarity of the dish feel cozy. Next to this, the cacio e pepe might seem simple, but it offers bold, almost theatrical, flavors. The dish is flamed in a Parmesan wheel and finished with white truffle oil for a flavor that’s rich without being too heavy.
The original Rich’s Gruen Watches sign graces Noche’s exterior.
Photograph by Catherine Grace
The pulled brisket BBQ ravioli is tossed in a creamy cheddar alfredo sauce and topped with a slightly crunchy truffle slaw, adding texture and depth. When it comes to the braised short rib penne— which layers the rib with mushrooms and a truffle spinach sauce— Gulisano shows how such a rich dish can remain light on its feet. It’s no surprise that he calls it one of the restaurant’s defining dishes, the one the staff most often recommend to first-time visitors.
And then there’s the pan-seared lasagna, perhaps Noche’s most unique creation. Instead of baking in a casserole, the lasagna is cut into a single serving, seared on both sides to develop a golden crust, then finished in the oven. The technique gives the dish a crisp edge and smoky aroma while cutting the usual 30-minute bake time down to just 10. The layers of ricotta and smoked Bolognese offer the familiar comfort of regular lasagna, which speaks to the creativity of a chef who respects tradition but won’t be confined by it.
Desserts at Noche walk the same line between tradition and playfulness. The peanut butter and mascarpone cheesecake is lush, with the mascarpone adding tang to the rich peanut butter. A fig semifreddo whipped cream completes the indulgent dish. The bourbon blueberry chocolate chip bread pudding is just as decadent, and is everything you could want in a cozy dessert. A strawberry-rum glaze gives it a brightness that keeps its sweetness in check.
Peanut butter and mascarpone cheesecake and bread pudding.
Photograph by Catherine Grace
Noche’s cocktail menu, curated by co-owner Michelle O’Brien, mirrors the kitchen’s philosophy. Some drinks rotate with the seasons, often drawing from the same flavors and ingredients as the dishes, such as bourbon, honey, and citrus. They’re designed to complement the dishes rather than compete. Its summer signature Midnight in Jalisco is a spicy, modern take on the Old Fashioned—using reposado tequila, honeydew jalapeño shrub, lime, and Tajin—that works well with many of the pasta dishes.
While there are many Italian American restaurants in the city, Noche sets itself apart with confidence and simplicity in every aspect. It’s the kind of place where you linger after you clear your plate, ordering another round of cocktails and conversing well into the evening. It’s the artistry of a chef who knows exactly who he is and what his food represents on full display. Gulisano’s cooking has always been rooted in heart and tradition, but at Noche the flavors of Argentina and Italy, once parallels in his life, now meet on the same plate.
Chef/owner Alfio Gulisano (far left) and his crew—Nate Crawford, chef; Sky Cooper, chef; Scott Sargent, mixologist; and Darren Mickens, sous chef.
Photograph by Catherine Grace
Dining and Cooking