Restaurant Review: Bad Roman
Bad Roman immediately became a hot spot for foodies since they opened back in Februrary. Located on the third floor of the Shops at Columbus Circle, their menu offers modern and unique Italian dishes... some might say it’s a stretch to label it as Italian at all! Getting a reservation here has been on the top of many New Yorker’s lists, and luckily on a random Wednesday I checked if there was any availability and boom- I got a 5:45PM slot!
Despite all of the initial positivity surrounding the opening, some foodies have come out saying Bad Roman isn’t worth the hype or the price. I wanted to be the judge of that for myself!
At first, I was a little scared to use my light here after hearing a few food influencers were yelled at for using them so I had intentions of seeing what natural light and my iPhone could do for me.
With that being said, we started with the Roasted Garlic Babka for $8 and sadly I didn’t take a good photo but below is the best I got. I will say I expected it to be a little more green on the inside, but nonetheless it was still really good. However, I think this should automatically come with every table no charge.
Next up, we had to try their famous ‘Roni Cups & Ranch. This is something people tend to poke fun at as an appetizer, but I found them to be a great app to snack on before your meal (if you like pepperoni). They didn’t reinvent the wheel here, they’re literally just pepperoni cups. But it’s a fun idea for an appetizer that you won’t find anywhere else. I would definitely order them again!
Moving on to the main event, our entrees. It was really difficult to choose just 2 things, but we know we were definitely getting the iconic Filleto topped with Cacio E Pepe Raviolo and a pasta. After going through their tagged pictures on Instagram, the Il Divorzio Half + Half really caught our eye.
The Filleto topped with Cacio E Pepe Raviolo was definitely worth the hype in my opinion. I asked for medium and it was cooked to perfection, and the raviolio on top made for a great combination of flavors. By this point, I took the risk to take out my light because this content was too good to pass up!
The Il Divorzio Half + Half was truly a work of art and perfect for sharing with 2-3 people. Half of the pasta was made with pesto while the other half had a very unique Pomodoro sauce. It truly wasn’t a sauce I’ve tried anywhere else before. The center had Straciatella which was great to mix in with both. This dish took first place for the meal!
We barely had room for dessert, but we were not leaving without trying their lemon cheesecake. The second we took a bite, our eyes literally widened. It was for sure the best dessert I’ve had this year so far! They gave us a complimentary Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake which was such a nice surprise.
All in all, I would 100% come back to Bad Roman and recommend everyone give it a try for themselves. The food was so unique, the ambiance was giving Miami vibes, and the staff was super friendly. I highly recommend the Il Divorzio Half + Half, Filleto with Ravioli, and Lemon Cheesecake. Next time, I definitely want to try the Black Truffle Honey Whipped Ricotta, Rock Shrimp Chittara, and Whole Roasted 2lb Lobster & Calabrian Pasta.
