The Saint Austere

The Saint Austere is one of New York’s hidden gems in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. We took a trip to the restaurant to try some of the newest additions to their menu.

The restaurant is great for date night or grabbing a bite to eat with friends. It has a casual chic vibe and regardless of the occasion, between the menu, the atmosphere and the hip hop and R&B tunes you are sure to impress whoever to decide dine with.

Their menu changes about four times a year with a few dishes that have been on the menu since the restaurant’s opening in 2011. “The inspiration for the menu comes from everywhere, what’s in season, a memory of something I may have eaten and loved, but what we always try to do is serve honest and genuine food inspired by the philosophies of the Italian cuisine,” says Chef Michael Pirolo, head chef at The Saint Austere.

If you can’t decide from their great options, they offer a 5-course chef’s tasting menu. This menu showcases their signature dishes and some of their seasonal offerings as well.

The first and my favorite dish of the day, Stracciatella di Crostini, was just amazing, simply put. It was stracciatella di burrata (think buttery cheese) served on a slice of toasted bread, sliced apple and topped with arugula. Stracciatella is the inside of fresh mozzarella. It was buttery, it was creamy, it was fantastic! The addition of the apple took the dish to another level and gave it a light fruity flair.

Up next, we tried the Broccoli Rabe. I’m not a big fan of broccoli rabe because of it’s incredibly bitter taste, so I was a bit nervous to try their version. It has been one of their signature dishes that has been on the menu since they opened their doors. Much to my surprise, the Caesar salad inspired Broccoli Rabe wasn’t too bitter and was actually tasty. The panko breadcrumbs added a nice texture to an already perfectly cooked dish. The slight kick and soft-boiled egg made the dish all that more exciting.

The next signature dish that we tried was the Creamy Polenta with spicy sausage ragu. The ragu was robust with flavor and polenta was mouthwateringly creamy. I completely understand why this is one of their signature dishes because I would come back for just this dish alone.

The Saint Austere pasta is made fresh daily with imported flour from Italy. As a part of their tasting menu our next course was pasta. I tried the Taglioni al Funghi and the Cavatelli with pork sugo. While the two pastas were different, the cavatelli stole the show. The pastas were served al dente but the sauce and pork sugo in the cavatelli was honestly sinful while the taglioni with albalone mushrooms was light, creamy and wholesome.

We were served meatballs with shaved parmesan with the pasta. They were a mix of pork, beef and veal and were just like your ordinary meatballs with tomato sauce.

The Tagliata, our next course, was a hanger steak dish with a truffle mushroom sauce, shaved parmesan on a bed of abalone mushroom. The steak was very tender and cooked to perfection while the truffle wasn’t too overbearing.

The tiramisu was the last dish on the chef’s tasting menu. It was your traditional tiramisu but with caramel mousse, topped with shaved espresso ice and Maldon sea salt. It was the perfect amount of salty and sweet while the espresso was a pleasant twist to the Italian classic. I wanted to lick the jar. It was just that good.

I give The Saint Austere 4 out of 5 pastas dishes. If you’re ever looking for a cozy, intimate Italian restaurant, you should certainly take a trip to The Saint Austere in Williamsburg. I suggest you make a reservation because the restaurant is quaint and it appears that they fill up seats quickly.

If you can’t make it out to their Brooklyn restaurant, the Pirolo family own another Italian restaurant in Miami, Florida called Macchialina. Check it out if you’re ever in town and let us know your thoughts!