A crisp pop of flavor meets the tongue as creamy cheeses meld with savory sauces and cleverly layered textures round out every mouthful. We are at San Matteo, a homespun Italian eatery with two locations on the Upper Eastside in NYC and an understandably loyal clientele. The truly authentic Italian pallet leaves nothing to be desired while the menu is clever and portions are generous.

We began with a seasonal starter; Zucchini Flower with Dry Ricotta and Parmigiana paired with the house pinot grigio. This may have been one of the singularly most surprising and memorable dishes we tried during our NYC Restaurant Week features. The stuffed ricotta interior was light and flavorful and the flower was crisp but not chewy, I won't attempt to describe it further because I recommend you stop by and try this dish yourself, this is a rare find!

Next, we savored the fresh Melon with Buffalo Mozzarella Prosciutto di Parma and Figs, again we were utterly delighted by the crisp mix of flavor and texture. I enjoyed the use of figs as they are in season and I've been eyeballing dishes that feature them. This was a simple yet perfect pairing in the vein of Mediterranean charcuterie.

We selected for the main course the pasta special, Paccheri Cacio e Pepe with Truffle Cream, and the Pizza Roll with Cherry Tomato, Arugula, Prosciutto, and Buffalo Mozzarella pairing these with the house rose'. The pasta was a delectable al dente with a creamy sauce subtle in flavor and perfect in texture.

The pizza roll was a first for me, a clever spin on the presentation of the traditional pizza pie. The crust alone was comment-worthy.

Overall this roll-style approach seems a successful way to mix all the flavors presented into one bite although you'll have to leave your pretty forkwork behind for this one and simply dig in burrito style.

We rounded out our evening by sharing a dessert, Delizia al Limone from Amalfi Coast. Light and sweet with just a hint of tartness it was the perfect finale to an exceptional dining experience.