For this Roulette we hit a downtown favorite: Branca Midtown. We note at the outset that the Branca in Bushnell’s Basin appears to have a different owner/operator and definitely has completely different food. Branca Midtown is one of the SCH Hospitality restaurants along with other well-known Roc spots like The Revelry and Velvet Belly. For this one we had a whopping 9 veteran Rouletters.
Jump to Overall Rating
We kicked off the meal with our Parisian Paradox of the night, the RICOTTA olive oil, crostini. Some Rouletters loved this dish singing the praises of this ample serving of flavorful ricotta that was perfectly salted, served with a high-quality olive oil, and finished with chives to add some brightness and crunch. One even named it as a top dish of the night. Others found it a bit oily and otherwise average. All Rouletters agreed on two things: 1) the tiny spoon was just plain silly. The correct implement would be a small spreading knife. 2) there is not enough crostini. The portion of ricotta has gotten smaller over the past year, but it is still a good size, so this is not a note to cut the serving again. However, the crostini serving should definitely be doubled – we ordered extra at the outset. ⭐️ 4.1 ⭐️
We followed this up with the HOUSE PORT WINE CHEESE seasonal vegetables, focaccia. If we had a Parisian Paradox runner up, it would be this dish. Some Rouletters absolutely loved it noting creaminess, sharpness, and the bite that made it a bit tangy – but not so much that it overwhelmed the other flavors…was it a touch of horseradish? We loved that it came with veggies, crackers, and focaccia providing plenty of opportunities for fun taste and texture experiences. Other Rouletters found this to be okay but just not their thing. All would have liked extra focaccia. Overall, Rouletters agree that even lacking the usual ball shape, almond coating, and elastic-pants-seasonal decor paired with mild intoxication, this was so, so good. ⭐️ 4.2 ⭐️
As your croupier reviewed the notes, it was clear that there was one thing outside of the restaurant’s control that impacted the scores for both the ricotta and the port wine cheese: they were just so good together. Had we ordered one of these and not the other, as most people would, one of these might have been a top dish of the night. Accordingly, Rouletters would love to see these two together in one dish since they pair perfectly. One Rouletter offers the proposed new dish the name “Portcotta” for Branca Midtown’s review.
We followed this up with the CALAMARI cherry pepper, arugula, roasted red pepper aioli. The calamari was nicely fried and Rouletters enjoyed the red pepper aioli. That being said, there was nothing really here to set this apart from any of the many calamari offerings in the Roc. ⭐️ 3.7 ⭐️
The CHARRED BROCCOLINI quinoa, farro, chickpeas, spiced almonds, ricotta salata, garlic scape vinaigrette was the top-rated dish of the night. We had very few expectations for this salad based on the description, but wow! This dish was so inviting and curious. The crisp, well-balanced mixture of greens and protein was a fresh kiss. Importantly, it was also perfectly dressed with that incredible garlic scape vinaigrette. The depth of textures and flavors was masterful – four Rouletters had this salad down as a top dish of the night. The only thing that could have improved is more of those tasty little roasted chickpeas, so it should be no surprise that we have a Golden Shrimp Toast Award winner! ⭐️ 4.7 ⭐️
Next up was the PAN RED STRIPE square cut, mozzarella, pomodoro, parmesan + hand cut pepperoni – note that your croupier asked them to add hot honey since every higher end pepperoni pizza is improved when served as a bee sting. This was absolutely delicious: greasy and sweet with the hot honey, and a great crisp on the crust. We also loved the thick cut flavorful pepperoni and crunchy cheese along the edges. Three Rouletters named this a top dish of the night. The pan pizzas are huge, so you can feed multiple folks with one. ⭐️ 4.3 ⭐️
The second highest rated dish of the night edging out the red stripe was the PAN MUSHROOM square cut, mozzarella, mushroom, ricotta, arugula, true vinaigrette. This was sooooo mushroomy: earthy and savory deliciousness with the perfect foccacia base. It feels healthier with the arugala which adds a nice freshness along with the umami of the mushrooms. If you love mushrooms, this is the pizza for you. ⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Next we moved into pasta dishes with the GNOCCHI ricotta gnocchi, bolognese, toasted breadcrumb, parmigiana Reggiano. Rouletters enjoyed these perfect little pasta pillows that are technically gnudi since they’re ricotta gnocchi. They had a lovely texture. However, the vodka sauce was very average and a bit thin to support this thick pasta. ⭐️ 3.9 ⭐️
Our final pasta dish of the night was the SAFFRON PAPPARDELLE rock shrimp, sweet pepper, artichoke heart, basil crema, toasted breadcrumbs. The basil crema was nicely balanced by the slight acidity of the artichoke hearts and the rock shrimp were tasty little morsels. We appreciated the texture brought by the toasted breadcrumbs and the perfectly al dente pappardelle. Our only note is that the flavor of the saffron got lost here – we aren’t sure if there wasn’t enough saffron or if some other flavors overshadowed it. Otherwise, we are a big fan and two Rouletters named this as one of the top dishes of the night. We would recommend this to anyone, including our Italian family members. ⭐️ 4.2 ⭐️
Moving on to sides, the second lowest rated dish of the night was the MEATBALLS beef, veal, pork, pancetta, pomodoro, parmigiano Reggiano. Out of the gate these meatballs were tasted by very few Rouletters because most don’t eat veal – and honestly it wasn’t necessary. It seems weird to add such a polarizing meat to the meatballs when you already have so many other tasty proteins in there. The sauce was nice but the meatballs were just average – and the pancetta flavor was completely lost on us. ⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️
The BRUSSELS SPROUTS brown butter & balsamic vinaigrette, hazelnuts were treated perfectly for a buttery, flaky, crispy outside and soft center. The seasoning was on-point and the touch of heat plus the crunch of the hazelnuts resulted in a well-balanced flavor and texture profile. The brown butter and balsamic, however, got a bit lost. ⭐️ 4.3 ⭐️
The menu allows you to add a protein to any of the dishes, so we were like, “Yeah, let’s ADD CHICKEN CUTLET!” Boy, were we disappointed. It was unseasoned, uninspiring, bland, and pointless. The only thing they got right here was the fry for the breading – yet they somehow managed to overcook the ultra-thin chicken cutlet in the process. Overall, we think this dish speaks to what divides some very good restaurants from phenomenal ones. There was much discourse on the foul state of this fowl. We can’t imagine this would have come out of the kitchen if it were a cutlet entree. However, we ordered it as an add-on. A lowly side. A top-notch restaurant would be sure to give love and attention to each individual element of a meal. This avian abomination resulted in a Bibimbust Designation making Branca Midtown the first Rouletted spot to earn both the notorious Bibimbust Designation and the sought after Shrimp Toast Award in the same meal. ⭐️ 1.3 ⭐️
Kicking the drinks off, the Black Martini was a top choice. The French 75s at Branca Midtown are quite good, so several Rouletters enjoyed those. They have Peroni on draft, so that’s a winner. A couple of Rouletters shared a bottle of wine and the server allowed them to try a couple options before settling on a bottle: excellent touch. The Dirty Martini took a hit because while bleu cheese was listed as an ingredient on the menu, Rouletters didn’t taste it in the drink. A couple of Rouletters went with mocktails and found them to be average. ⭐️ 4.1 ⭐️
The service was great! Our server was polite, professional, and made sure we had drinks when we needed them. We were a large crowd and she handled it very admirably. Importantly, the coursing was done very well – and she checked to see if her coursing plan made sense for us – love that. Plus, the water replenishment person was on point and so fast we never got to thank them or even look for them. ⭐️ 4.6 ⭐️
Overall, Rouletters loved the ambiance, service, and the food. This is a great place to have downtown and one of the places in Roc where you can get a consistently solid dining experience. It’s also a terrific place for drinks prior to hitting one of the many downtown events throughout the year. The parking is great because they offer free underground parking in the Midtown Parking Lot and free valet on Elm Street on weekends eliminating one of the most difficult parts of patronizing downtown restaurants. ⭐️ 4.4 ⭐️
