I had read about La Pecora Bianca, a new hot and happening restaurant in NYC on 26th Street and Broadway.

When we arrived at 8pm on a Wednesday night it was packed.

The interior is attractive…glistening white with a wide open kitchen. Inspired by Italian farmhouses and modern country kitchens, the design features antique terra cotta and oak floors and a hand-painted custom wall tile behind the bar and open kitchen walls.

Mark Barak is the owner of La Pecora Bianca and the co-owner of Claudette, a Provençal restaurant in New York’s Greenwich Village. I recently reviewed the wonderful Claudette.

Executive chef Simone Bonelli is a talented chef with beautiful blue eyes. He grew up in Modena, Italy and worked his way up at Osteria Francescana, considered one of the best restaurants in the world.

You just want to hug him which is exactly what I did when we met.

I wasn’t being a cougar…you see we share a profound admiration for my favorite restauranteur in the world, Francesco Nuccitelli, who owns the remarkable Sociale restaurant in Brooklyn Heights.

When I dine at another Italian restaurant I feel as if I am cheating on Francesco…I did solicit Francesco’s approval first and he even contacted Simone and announced my impending arrival.

Simone and Francesco were the dynamic duo that put Perbacco on the culinary map. When they left, Perbacco crumbled. Now both are very successful in their own individual establishments.

We were awaiting the arrival of another couple who were tardy for the party so we hung at the bar and imbibed delicious Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore ($13).

Initially, the bartenders were inattentive, but the decor was interesting so we entertained ourselves and waited for them to acknowledge us.

Our dining partners arrived and we were seated at a round table by the kitchen. The noise level was high but the action energizing.

LA Pecora Bianca is true to the traditions of Italian cooking, sourcing food from local purveyors. The pastas are all made in house with local, organic flours.

We started with some small plates and a lovely bottle from the all-Italian wine list, a red Super Tuscan blend ($75).

The Funghi consisting of roasted whole Golden Enoki mushroom, salsa verde, raisins, bread crumbs was very unusual and earthy in flavor ($15).

The crostino on country toast, ‘nduja, house-made stracciatella and scallion was crunchy and delicious ($12).

Loved the Cavolfiori of roasted cauliflower, mascarpone, pickled raisins and almonds ($14).

We ordered 3 different pastas.

Spaghetti-Pomodoro & basil sumo made with whole wheat pasta ($15). The tomatoes were sweet and plump. The pasta perfectly al dente.

Strozzapreti-Strozzapreti with bottarga and fennel seed & pistachio pesto. Unusual and delicious ($22).

Rosette-Rolled stuffed pasta, prosciutto cotto, mushroom, fontina, bechamel ($17). This was creamy and delectable. Our table mates adored this dish.

Our companions ordered the Bistecca, New York Strip Steak, truffles, leeks, potato puree ($36). I thought the meat was tender, the potatoes delicious and crispy. The vote was split.

The Toscano Kale salad was fabulous. I ate most of the dish on my own. The salad consisted of  Tuscan kale, butternut squash, sheep’s milk ricotta, toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan bread crumbs, charred lemon citronette ($14).

I definitely favored the salad and vegetable dishes.

The Cipolle, salt baked vidalia onions, balsamic, parmigiano, sage was original ($8).

Simone sent over a delectable Fichi, charred figs, sheep’s milk ricotta, hazelnuts, lemon zest. It was outrageous and the photo shows that everyone dug in before I could snap a photo ($14).

Our friends needed to dodge and we missed out on the dessert tray that Simone was sending over…thank you for the offer.

We shall return for the desserts and espresso from the gorgeous espresso machine at the bar.

We departed, satiated, ending a delightful Manhattan evening. We strolled over to the westside to jump the 1 train home, stopping to take in the glorious Empire State Building.

La Pecora Bianca 1133 Broadway NYC, Open Monday-Friday 7am-11pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-11pm. Reservations on OpenTable.com.