Spending Valentine’s Day in Greenwich Village, by Brian Abate

For Valentine’s Day, my girlfriend Michelle and I went to San Marino, an Italian restaurant at 64 Charlton St. It was my first time going and her second time. There is a spot outside with flowers which would be very nice for the spring and summer but it was far too cold for the outdoor seating on Valentine’s Day.

“We offer you an inviting yet professional atmosphere for business lunches or family dinners where traditional Northern Italian cuisine is expertly prepared for your pleasure,” said San Marino on its website.

The seating inside was also very nice. There was a large collection of wine bottles and our table had a table lamp and flowers. Even the menu said Valentine’s Day and had hearts on it.

Our waiter quickly brought us water and then brought bread and butter over to our table right afterward. The bread was still hot and tasted delicious. Options for appetizers included burrata, chef salad, Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, fried calamari, and baked clams. We decided to share the fried calamari.

Options for the main course included rib-eye steak, fillet mignon, rack of lamb, black linguini lobster shrimp, Chilean sea bass, chicken parmigiana, lobster ravioli, pappardelle with mushrooms, cacio e peppe, and fettuccini bolognese. Michelle got the cacio e peppe and I got the chicken parmigiana.

The dessert options included tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake, and pistachio gelato but we did not end up getting dessert.

The fried calamari was excellent as was the sauce that came with it and the portion was very big. The portions for the main courses were also very generous and the chicken parmigiana took up an entire large plate and came with spaghetti on the side. Michelle called the cacio e peppe “Yummy.”

The extra parmesan cheese on top of the spaghetti was a nice touch and the meal was very filling. The marinara sauce was very tasty. I ended up taking home a good portion of the chicken parmigiana so it ended up being enough for two delicious meals.

San Marino was a nice calm spot with excellent service and very good food. We enjoyed our Valentine’s Day meal and we plan on going back. The restaurant is open from noon to 10:30 pm on Tuesday-Friday, from 4-10:30 pm on Saturday and Monday, and closed on Sunday. It doesn’t hurt to call and make reservations since they get busy at dinner time and that can be done at (212) 206-3766.