Papa Haydn

Papa Haydn Restaurant Review:

Papa Haydn’s West Side outpost is more urban than its East Side twin, and suburbanites and tourists who stroll down shopping-heavy 23rd Street are its primetime customers. Savory choices on the frequently changing menu may range from slow-roasted porchetta with broccoli raab and cheddar polenta, to prawn pasta in a creamy fennel herb sauce. You might be wise to choose something lighter, like a fall salad of butternut squash purée, delicata squash, parsnips, red onion, beets, carrots, arugula, pickled cranberry and candied walnuts. Brunch has its own treats, which may include a wild mushroom potato cake. Dessert-wise, one favorite is the Autumn Meringue (layers of meringue and chocolate mousse wrapped in more chocolate). Or go for the cassata (sponge cake soaked in espresso and Kahlúa, layered with ricotta and chocolate, and drizzled with raspberry sauce), the caramelized apple streusel cheesecake, or the three-layer carrot cake with cream cheese ice cream. You may have to wait for a table, but it's worth it. Be sure to check out the happy hour choices.