Eatery - Russo's Mozzarella & Pasta (NY)

363 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (Neighborhood: Park Slope)
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Italian
www.russosmozzarellaandpasta.com

Since I was in Park Slope for a work-related event, I decided to try and find a suitable lunch place for my brothers and me right before I had to do anything. While there were a lot of places around in general, it looked like Russo's was the place to go through my Yelp sleuthing (and who says no to fresh Italian foods anyway?).


Right when we walked in, I knew that it was my kind of place. All of the freshly made pastas, the slabs of cured meats in the top counter, a full olive bar, and so many by-the-pound options made me drool in ecstasy but also sad that I didn't live in the neighborhood so that I could buy from there on a regular basis. A customer came in while we were ogling and immediately was like, "I need two balls of mozz," upon which I saw the glorious cheesy mounds taken out and placed on the counter. Fresh mozzarella, wow. I knew our orders needed mozz in them.


So first, I bought a cannoli for my brothers since they had never had it before. I have to say this was one of the better ones I've had. I've seen many fail because they get too soggy or they just don't taste good. This one actually still had a crispiness to the shell and the filling light but delectable. Nothing beats a good cannoli eh?


My little brother, the growing teenage boy he is, opted for the Italian Hero sandwich (sopressata, mortadella, salami, Provolone cheese, and roasted peppers) which was very stacked with slices upon slices of delectable, savory cured meats. The roasted red peppers gave a sweetness that also acted as the sauce of the sandwich. So, so good. Mine was their #9 panini (portabello mushroom, broccoli rabe, and fresh mozzarella) which was very filling despite being technically a vegetarian sandwich. The rabe took over in terms of volume but it was very good in itself, and the fresh mozzarella made such a difference. Lastly was my older brother's panini #3 (sopressata, capicollo, and fresh mozzarella), a drier sandwich because it was mainly meat but still very good. I loved the fresh ingredients (how many times can I say fresh in this review?) and the quality of them as well. I must come back the next time I'm in NY and that area!

Photography by Minerva Thai.