c/o La Pecora Bianca
The wait is almost over for La Pecora Bianca’s second Upper West Side restaurant, which is set to open on Monday, October 19.
The Italian restaurant is taking over the former Rosa Mexicano space at 62nd Street and Columbus Avenue, near Lincoln Center. Owner Mark Barak confirmed the opening date to I Love the Upper West Side.
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We first reported the plans in June 2024, when Barak presented them to Community Board 7’s Business & Consumer Issues Committee. Rosa Mexicano had operated in the space for close to 25 years. At the time, Barak said he expected to get possession in early 2025 and open toward the later part of that year. Committee members unanimously supported his plans.The new restaurant will be called La Pecora Bianca Lincoln Square. In a June post on Instagram, the restaurant said it’ll span two floors with a laid-back Amalfi Coast feel, and described it as its “largest and most ambitious” location yet.
The Lincoln Square menu hasn’t been published (there are some very minor menu differences between locations), but La Pecora Bianca’s whole concept is built around pasta. According to La Pecora Bianca, every pasta is made in-house daily, including its signature rigatoni vodka, gramigna, and tagliatelle bolognese. Gluten-free house-made pasta is available on request, and diners can add burrata to any pasta. The rest of the menu leans on what the restaurant calls modern takes on classic Italian fare, like whipped ricotta with truffle honey, beef and pork meatballs, and tiramisu for two. On the drinks side, the restaurant draws inspiration from Italian aperitivo hour, with lots of spritzes and negronis plus its own La Pecora Rosa organic rosé.
The new spot joins the neighborhood’s first La Pecora Bianca at 359 Columbus Avenue (77th Street), which opened in 2022. The restaurant currently lists seven Manhattan locations on its website, including the Upper East Side, SoHo, NoMad, and the Theater District.
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