Until last year, Sicilian chef Salvo Lo Castro spent nearly three decades cooking for some of Italy’s most powerful people, opening his first espresso bar, Casasalvo, in New York. The cafe took off the Rome grill, so that the inner corner of the mouth was activated with tobacco toast. By 2025, the chefs (will happily tell you how successful all of the businesses that have been with American hospitality, he has started three more games around Manhattan (he intends to close, another is undergoing renovation). On Sunday, July 20, Lo Castro made his debut in a new Casasalvo: his first full restaurant as chef owner.
The property is prime Soho real estate, right on the corner of Spring Street and Sullivan, and possesses all the tell-tale signs of an Italian Venue in New York: a carmine red Campari umbrella, a green and white striped awning emblazoned with “Casasalvo New York City,” above tables dressed in white linen with modern armchairs and Aperol-branded pillows. Large white marble tiles, an onyx bar with golden backsplash, next to the petite balcony next to the open French doors, potted citrus and olive trees and olive trees balance the atmosphere with a soft vibe.
The space is splashy, but still softened, and is likely to draw inspiration from the upscale venues Lo Castro once cooked. (The chef spent the years growing up at the beachfront luxury hotel, including the Palace of San Dominico and the Palace of Majaro before becoming the personal chef of the Vatican and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. New York Night.
I requested a meal with a mural. Only one table is available, which sends the two hosts into an awkward battle, but we can get through. Later, one apologized back and forth for her co-host and shared that her Italians were better than her English, the fact that I found it more refreshing than going out to eat Italian food, even when I went out in Soho.
The server and the host are interactive, but this slightly chaotic energy is the threads throughout the meal. The menu written in Italian without any description has a typo that turns broccoli raba unexpectedly into profane. Staff checked so often that conversations were interrupted, although the main server Marco was targeted for details and seriousness. Despite the dedicated Aperol Spritz bar on the balcony, the drinks weren’t as soaked as I liked the 3-2-1 ratio (three-part Prosecco, Prosecco, two-part Aperol and one-part sparkling water), but they’d be happy to add some more bubbles. Finally, not all services are consistent with the title of the dish, and I think it is a private chef who runs a full-size restaurant. This makes life even harder, but his improvisation has not hurt the quality or flavor of his southern Italian-Mitrani cuisine.
Lo Castro is charismatic, animated, and almost pops out of the buttons with his clean white chef’s coat. He visits the guest’s table, depending on who is fired, or whether he wants to leave the kitchen and remove the Dover soles. The fish ($80 Entrée for two) is fresh and tender. The skin is crispy and covered with salt. Lo Castro grew up at his grandfather’s Hazelnut Farm and his grandmother at the Rotisserie in the Ionian Sea, and he removed it with grace and precision while chatting in New York and asked about my guests and background. The fish simply drizzled with olive oil and lemon, which is what it needs – the taste and quality are excellent. The menu says it has fresh mint, but Lo Castro whips a mixture of red and green peppers and spreads a small portion on the sides of the dish. It’s bright herb, but without it, I can eat this fish every week.
Other Entreés range from Sicilian giant shrimp and whole Branzino to Veal Parmesan, $100 lamb chops and Ossobuco. Appetizers include some classics like grilled octopus, burritos with prosciutto, Sicilian meatballs, squid and Mediterranean salads that are piled with large chunks of ricotta salata, sweet little tomatoes and fresh sauces with fresh chili and moist olive oil. Casasalvo is rich in oil, earthy and bright-dripping drips on many dishes, served for bread, poured on old-fashioned blue floral boards, oregano cut from plants on the table. Breaded herbs and olives have a good taste, but the exterior texture is a bit crisp and dry.
There are also raw fish such as tuna sashimi, tuna art and red shrimp Paxio. I tried the Mediterranean ceviche and Marco said it was squid, octopus and whitefish. Serve on a large Radicchio leaf and it looks like it is simply purified from the sea and sliced. To prepare it, soak it in sugar and water for 24 hours, then soak it for 24 hours, then soak it in Sorrento lemon juice and salt. It’s very tender with a sweet citrusy flavor that makes the fish shine.
For the pasta course, I chose the ravioli recommended by Marco, which he said had white fish stuffing and a light cream sauce. I wouldn’t call it a cream sauce because the wontons are topped with fried tuna and fresh herbs and tomatoes. It’s delicious and earthy – what I do believe is a lovely addition to the smooth white fish stuffed, which includes cream, sharp Italian cheese and some tomatoes. The inside is not fishy, it tastes sweet, almost like butternut squash. My warning is that the creamy white fish wonton is too rich, but the execution makes it an ideal dish for summer or first night.
While Lo Castro’s unexpected riff on menu items may not make Casasalvo return to the restaurant again and again as a replica dish, it’s an authentic Italian resident with at least one who can afford the $38 Calamari and $170 Porterhouse. Lo Castro’s confidence, creativity and extensive knowledge of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine shines in his twists and turns. It sets a certain rhythm when he immersed himself in the kitchen, greeted guests and shared his journey – only the real Sicilians can cook in their own kitchen. If the Italians do do better, then “Chissenefrega!”
