Il Pittore Introduces Prosecco Cocktails
Move over Bellini. At Il Pittore, the Chris Painter-helmed Rittenhouse Italian from Stephen Starr, Prosecco is getting some renewed — and well-deserved — attention. A selection of eight Prosecco cocktails have been added to the beverage menu, providing a variety of sipping options that suit almost any dish or time of day.
Using a base of Ca' Furlan Cuvée Beatrice, each of the new drinks sees the addition of 1½ ounces of a flavorful liquor. If you’re a fan of ginger, you’ll love what bubbles do to Domaine de Canton. For a bright, lemony sip, go with the Meletti Limoncello mix, or the cocktail with Combier Crème de Pamplemousse Rose, which is grapefruit-tinged.
Sweeter options include the St. Germain version, which is floral with elderflower, and the Combier Crème de Fruits Rouges, which brings berries to the fore. On the other end of the spectrum is the Aperol, a sharp, almost bitter apertif, which makes the Prosecco take on the soothing role in the mix.
Each drink will run you $13 at the Sansom street restaurant, which features a skylighted dining room on the second floor, but also a chef counter and communal table on the ground level. It’s an equally good destination for a fancy dinner or just a glass and simple appetizer or snack.
Though the recipes for the Proseeco cocktails are simple, the combination is unexpectedly nuanced. The best surprise, though, came when we continued to sip as we moved from a pre-dinner drink through a crudo appetizer to a rich pasta to dessert. The pairing of spirits and wine makes Prosecco cocktails equally suited to drinking on their own, with a light bite like fish, and with a hearty entree or sweet dessert. A cocktail for all courses? We’re fans.
Photos by Danya Henninger