Restaurant Review: Dell'Anima

After hearing many rave reviews, Ari and I decided to go to Dell'Anima in the West Village to celebrate the two year anniversario. I had been here once before to try their apertivo, a lovely Italian tradition in which the price of a drink also buys you free appetizers at the bar. I didn't take advantage of it nearly enough when I was living in Bologna, but luckily New York has a few places with the same tradtion. Dell'Anima offers apertivo from five to seven Friday through Sunday, and at the time I went, they had a lovely salad with a light, acidic vinaigrette and a frittata. Surprisingly, the salad stuck in my mind more than the frittata, which I remember being rather ordinary and room-temperature. The drinks however, were excellent, especially if you are a fan of Aperol, the orange-rhubarb flavored Italian spirit, as I am.
In any case, we had heard fabulous things about the pasta and I had been wanting to try their dinner offerings for a while. Of course, at eight fifteen on a Monday night, the place was packed. Such is New York. We didn't have to wait long for our table, but unfortunately it was sandwiched in the very back corner between the wall and another table. It was actually easier to hear the guys next to us talking than my own voice. Next time, I think I will sit at the pasta bar and be able to see the dining room. However, our server was very affable and I decided to start off with a white lambrusco. I was very fond of lambrusco, the lightly sparkling red wine, while in Bologna, but in the States it is much harder to come by the good stuff. The white however, was like a slightly sweeter prosecco, not quite as dry and just slightly effervescent.
We began with the five types of bruschetta and the quail noci e bacche. The bruschetta came wih a basket of toasted bread and ricotta, lily confit, cannellini bean purée with lemon and aleppo, rapini pesto, and octopus panissa with lemon. Each topping came in little bowls so that you could mix and match or put on as much as you liked. My personal favorites were the octopus and the cannellini beans. The finely-chopped octopus was perfectly seasoned, and had little bits of lemon and spices mixed in. The cannellini purée was slightly smoky and spicy, and was really delicious with the lily confit on top. I thought that the confit was just a bit oily, but had a nice mellow flavor, and neither the onions or the garlic were too overpowering. The rictotta was very creamy, albeit a bit bland, but it complimented the other toppings well. The rapini pesto was a bit bitter for my taste, but I did like it together with the ricotta. We then had the quail with frisée, dried cranberries, and pistachios, which was quite good although I might have liked something a bit lighter after all that bread. I hadn't really tried quail beforehand, and this had a nice, interesting flavor which was set off well by the sweetness of the cranberries and teh acidity of the sherry vinaigrette.
We both then decided that the seafood pastas sounded too good to pass up, even though much of what I have read about Dell'Anima praised their fearlessness of offal. I ordered spaghetti with scallops, sea urchin, chives, and parmigiano reggiano. Ari chose the garganelli neri with rock shrimp, sepia, scallops, tomato and octopus reduction. Mine was divine, if only slighltly fishy. The sauce was lovely, buttery and light and it set off the creamy scallops very well. Ari's was also very good; the seafood wasn't overcooked and the octopus reduction was delicious with the tomato sauce, although I thought that the pasta itself was just slightly tough. We also ordered a side of polenta, which was divine. Creamy, cheesy, and not overseasoned, it probably would have been a better accompaniment to the venison loin, but was delicious nonetheless.
For dessert we ordered the almond cake with caramel sauce and sea-salt ice cream, which I think was my favorite part of the meal. Of course, I have an incurable sweet tooth, but the almond cake was really nice and not overly cloying. The sea salt ice cream was a perfect accompaniment to the sweetness of the caramel, and had a reall interesting flavor on its own as well.
In conclusion, I would reccommend avoiding the crowded tables altogether and going for the pasta bar where you can watch all of the action. Next time, I would like to try the more carnivorous offerings, including a venison tartar which sounds wonderful. On the whole I was quite satisfied with the food, service, and wine selection. It is certainly not a place to go if you are trying to have a real conversation, but hopefully in the summer they will have some tables outside. Overall, Dell'Anima is a great place to enjoy some people watching, a glass of wine, and some serious pasta.

Daniel

After a very long hiatus (I know, I really have not been as good at keeping up this blog as I should have been. My apologies to all readers), Ari and I went to a magical place that I knew I had to write about. Restaurant Daniel is one of four restaurants in New York City that boasts three Michelin Stars -- certainly no easy feat. We had the inspired idea to go there last Wednesday to celebrate my birthday, and I think that it may have been the most incredible meal I have ever had.
The dining room itself is lovely, adorned with paintings on the walls and designed so that each diner can see all of the others. It reminded me more of a ballroom than a restaurant. The staff was so considerate, polite, and wonderful it felt like being in a dream. For dinner, you have three options to choose from: three courses, six courses, or eight courses. We chose the three course with wine pairings, and I was still so full by the end I couldn't finish the desserts (which is saying something).
Our first course was an artichoke velouté, perfectly complemented with roasted chanterelle mushrooms. This was followed by a single scallop with broccoli tempura and fava bean purée. I then had the duck terrine with pistachios and apple gelée, which was so creamy and delicious I immediately wanted more. Ari had a trio of Spanish mackerel, which was served warm with carrot purée, sashimi-style with caviar, and white-wine poached. My favorite was the sashimi, which was incredibly fresh and light. We then got our main courses, mine a perfect and flaky Black Sea Bass with Syrah sauce and leek-potato , and Ari had a leg of rabbit with bacon, truffles, and foie gras (if you can believe it). The bass may have been the best fish I have ever had, and the rabbit was very lovely as well, roasted until it fell off the bone.
The desserts that followed were just as impressive. I ordered a warm chocolate coulant (similar to a chocolate lava cake) with warm caramel and milk sorbet. Ari got a carmelized hazelnut sablé with dulce de leche and horchata ice cream, which was my favorite. Because it was my birthday, they also sent a gingerbread cae with poached pears, perfect for November. These were followed by warm madeleines (perfect) and tiny chocolate truffles.
The wine pairings were also wonderful and a good idea for a couple of novices. Restaurant Daniel's wine list looks more likea novel and boasts several bottles upwards of $1000, so this option allowed us each to try several wines without having to wade through the endless names of vineyards. My favorite was a 2008 Resiling from J.J. Prüm which accompanied the duck terrine. Ari also had a very nice dessert wine from Hungary's Château Pajzos called Tokaji Aszú.
For a girl from the midwest who eats rather more simply most of the time, Restaurant Daniel was like something out of a dream. I would highly reccommend it to anyone who is looking for a way to celebrate a very special occasion, and though it is certainly not cheap, I think that it was well worth the money for such an incredible evening. I feel so lucky to have been able to have experienced such an amazing restaurant, and I can only hope that there will be more Michelin stars in my future. Though I may have to wait another 23 years.

Pies 'n' Thighs

I am finally back in the world of wireless, after a long, long summer of only dial-up internet connection. I am sorry if anyone checked this blog for new posts, only to find the same old recipes. However, I am hoping to update it much more frequently, now that I have moved to NYC for the forseeable future.
A few nights ago, Ari and I ventured to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, home to the largest population of hipsters in the metro area, and thus, where many Wesleyan graduates live as well. (I actually wouldn't mind living there myself). We had both heard about this place called Pies 'n' Thighs, famous for their pies and of course, fried chicken. The menu is simple, with a few main dishes, including pulled pork, catfish, burgers, and of course, the ubiquitous fried chicken. When we arrived, around 8:30 on Wednesday night, it looked like there was going to be a long wait, as the place was packed and there were around 15 people waiting outside. However, a few minutes and a little smooth talking from Ari's friend Osama, we were soon seated in a covered outdoor space at the bar. Personally, I would always prefer to eat outside rather than inside, so this was a great option for me.
Ari and I both ordered the fried chicken box, which came with a biscuit and a side. Osama, who had been there before, ordered the chicken biscuit, which just consisted of a biscuit with barbecue chicken inside. For sides, I got the special summer salad, with corn, pickled green beans, and red peppers. Ari decided on the grits, and we all split some collard greens. The chicken itself was perfection, crispy and perfectly seasoned without being greasy. The biscuits were also excellent, light and buttery and firm. I would have liked some honey to go along with them, but they were great plain nonetheless. My salad was also good, it was nice to have something fresh to go along with the heaviness of the chicken and biscuits. However, the grits were wonderful, and I don't even like grits. They were topped with a little cheese and hot sauce, and they tasted creamy and salty and wonderful.
Even though we were all quite full, we decided we couldn't leave without trying some pie. We decided on the lemon blackberry, which was actually more like a tart. The lemon curd filling was tart and strong, and complemented the sweet blackberries and buttery crust wonderfully. It was an excellent end to a great meal, and I will certainly be returning. On second thought, that potential move to Williamsburg could be dangerous.

Restaurant Review: Aldea

I can sum up this post in one sentence: at the end of the meal, I said to Ari, "I wish we had just gotten here so I could eat it all again". The food was unbelievable, it was definitely the best I have had in New York (although I haven't actually been to that many restaurants here). Located on 19th and 5th, at the edge of Chelsea, Aldea opened up about nine months ago and seems to be doing very well. Chef George Mendes is the son of Portuguese immigrants and has some pretty hefty credentials backing him up (Bouley, Lespinasse, Le Zoo, among others), and clearly knows what he is doing. The interior is modern and narrow, letting the food take full precedence. Next time I am definitely going to request to be seated downstairs next to the open kitchen, but the ambiance upstairs was still lovely. An eclectic mix of music played over the sound system, including the Shins. The entire staff was lovely and very informative.
But most importantly, the food. We had a hard time deciding on an appetizer, but ended up choosing the crispy pork belly with szechuan pepper, thin slices of apple, and a maple reduction ($9). The first bite was heaven. Think of the best bacon you have ever eaten, but then in addition to the crispiness, it also melts in your mouth with just a hint of sweetness and pepper. This set the tone for the whole meal, and we were both a little worried that the entrees wouldn't live up to the same deliciousness. Luckily, we were wrong and both were excellent. I had the scallops with farro risotto, cucumber, and blood orange ($28), and Ari had the Arroz de Pato ($24), a paella-like dish with duck and sausage. My scallops were perfectly seared, and the cucumber farro set them off nicely. A little yogurt provided a tangy contrast to the sweetness of the blood orange on top. Ari's Arroz de Pato was excellent as well, the sausage spicy and aged, the duck perfectly cooked and topped with duck cracklings for crispiness. Our waitress said that they snack on it all night long. We each had a glass of Aragonês & Syrah, Chaminé, Alentejo, from Portugal ($10), which was excellent. I haven't had a lot of Portuguese wine, and as expected, it was a perfect accompaniment.We finished the meal with a carmelized brioche, served with blood orange gel and creme fraiche pink-peppercorn ice cream ($10) and the sonhos ($10), or "little dreams". Which they were. The brioche tasted like extremely light French toast, its sweetness offset by the spice of the peppercorns and the sourness of the blood orange and creme fraiche. The sonhos were like the best donuts I have ever eaten, covered in sugar and served with three different sauces: chocolate, orange-mandarin compote, and apple cider caramel. However, somehow it all managed to not be overpoweringly sweet. Our waitress gave us each a glass of muscat from Greece to go with the desserts, which was really lovely and light without being cloying.
This is definitely a place for a special occasion (at least on my budget), but it was well worth every cent. They do have a three course lunch special for $20.09, which I will absolutely be returning for...and maybe someday when I have a real job I can try the fois gras terrine.

A look of complete satisfaction after the first bite of arroz de pato -- what more do I need?

Restaurant Review: Pylos

If asked to go out to a restaurant, I would probably choose French or Italian. However, I am always up for new things, and on Saturday night I got to go to a great Greek place on the Lower East Side called Pylos. Ari and his friend Will have been there a couple times and said great things, so we all went there with his parents to celebrate various birthdays and visits. The first thing you see when you walk in is that the ceiling is covered in clay pots, which look rather like they are about to crash onto your table.
Will's dad John is very knowledgeable about wine, so he took over talking to the waiter and asked for a medium dry red, something similar to a burgundy. He presented us with a Megapanos Nevea Peloponese from 2005, which was lovely -- dry and a little fruity, with just a hint of honey and an almost grassy taste. We then entrusted the waiter to order a variety of hot and cold appetizers for the table. However, as a preliminary appetizer, we got pita bread with hummus. The pita bread was excellent, hot and a little crispy but not dry. The hummus, however was a bit bland and didn't have a lot of flavor. Luckily, the cold appetizers came shortly. We began with a trio of dipping sauces -- moussaka, tzatziki, and some sort of fish sauce. The moussaka was my favorite, garlicky and perfectly seasoned. We also had a delicious Greek salad consisting of fresh tomatoes, capers, red onions, olives, feta cheese, and cucumber. The other salad I found a little odd, which was made of romaine lettuce and small pieces of feta tossed in a very acidic vinaigrette.
We then moved on to the hot appetizers, which were overall incredible. The first was grilled octopus, which I had never had and was not expecting to like. It was firm, a little fishy, and not at all chewy, and the grilled barbecue flavor set it off wonderfully. We also got calamari, which I love, and was excellent. It was prefefctly fried and crispy, and great with just a little lemon juice over the top. Next was fried eggplant, sliced extremely thin and crispy. Then came a mixture of three Greek cheeses, melted and mixed with a little tomato sauce. That was followed by squares of puff pastry filled with beef, tomatos, and a mild cheese.
After all of that, I was beginning to feel a little full, but the entrées were still to come. I ordered a pistachio-crusted wild sea bass, topped with a little feta cheese and served over a bed of kale and tomatoes. It was an excellent choice, well seasoned and crispy on the outside. The kale perfectly complemented the fish, which was flaky and mild. Ari had the braised short ribs, which I tried a little of and have to say, even though I am not a big red meat eater, it was delicious. The meat practically fell off the bone, and it was served with a potato and porcini mushroom mash, which gets me every time. Actually, I am pretty much guaranteed to like anything with porcini mushrooms, especially when butter is added.
Even though we were all extremely full at this point, dessert was a necessity. Ari and I split an almond honey cake with flakes of chocolate and espresso mixed in, accompanied by a Greek yogurt ice cream. At this point I was so full of food and wine that I could only manage a few bites (a rarity, I promise, as I always have room for dessert). Will and John also tried 100 year old dessert wine, which was incredibly rich and almost syrupy. I tried a sip and while it was very sweet, it also had hints of spice and an almost maple flavor. I don't know if I could handle a whole glass of it, but just a sip was lovely. A perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Photo from greecefoods.com
For more information, go to pylosrestaurant.com/

Restaurant Review: Adrienne's Pizza

Wall Street is not a place you would expect to find great restaurants. Of course, there are a lot of good lunch places, but many of them close around seven, sort of contradicting the idea that everything is open in New York until late. However, just down from the Stock Exchange is a little cobblestoned street that looks as if you could be in Europe. Stone Street boasts several restaurants of all different cuisines, most of which have tables outside. Being Scandanavian, I was immediately excited about the Norwegian /Swedish restaurant (it is impossible to find good Swedish meatballs outside of Minnesota), but I'll have to save that for another time.
Instead, Ari and I decided to try Adrienne's Pizza across the street. A friend of his had been there and said that it was excellent. We didn't have to wait for a table, even on a Saturday night, and the interior is modern and dimly lit, with candles at each table. It is not overly romantic though, with techno music blasting from the speakers (which actually reminded me of Italy and their fondness for techno). The menu is short (always a good sign for me), with about eight different kinds of pizza, some antipasti and salads, and a few pastas. The wine list was pretty extensive, but a little on the expensive side with the cheapest bottle of wine starting at $30. I still wanted a glass of wine, however, so I ordered one of Sangiovese for $9. It was pretty good, dry and a nice accompaniment to the meal. If I go back, however, I will probably see if they have a corkage fee and bring my own.
To eat, we decided on an antipasto of four different cheeses and a pizza with prosciutto, potatoes, and scallions ($15). The antipasto was perfect -- we ordered the smaller size ($8), which was perfect and came with a piece of bruschetta, topped with a mixture of tomatos, basil, and onions, as well as some olives. The cheese was a perfect accompaniment to my glass of wine. Then, the pizza came. This was definitely one of the best pizzas I have had since returning from Italy. The prosciutto was salty and crispy, the potatoes balanced it perfectly, and the scallions were a great addition. The crust might have been the best part, not at all soggy and perfectly seasoned. My only complaint would be that both Ari and I needed to add pepper.
The service was also only so-so. We received everything very quickly, but almost too quickly. It felt more like we were rushed through the whole meal, rather than being able to savor it. However, I want to go back and try more of their pizzas, so I guess I can just put up with the service. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but for more information you can go to:
adriennespizzabar.com

Restaurant Review: Café Noir

I was back in New York again this weekend, which is always a lovely change of pace from small-town Connecticut. Ari and I went out with a few of his friends to one of their favorite places, Café Noir in Soho. Neither of us had ever been there, but it ended up being a wonderful choice. Being a Friday night in New York City, it was of course very crowded and we had to wait for a bit for a table. The interior was pretty dark, with kind of a Moroccan/French café feel.
We decided to let Ashley and Jimmy take over since they had been there before, and started off
with a few appetizers. The tuna tartare was fantastic, mixed with tomatoes, and topped with fried tortilla strips. The hummus was pretty good, topped with feta cheese and served with grilled slices of pita bread. The spicy lamb meatballs were also excellent, with just the right amount of spice and served with tzatziki sauce and cucumbers. Last, we had the calamari à la parilla, which I had never tried before. It was delicious -- lemony and fresh and buttery, grilled instead of fried. After all of that and a pitcher of their well-known sangria (also delicious), Ari and I split the Valencia paella, which was fantastic. I haven't had paella too often, but this is definitely the best paella I have ever had. The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned, with just a little spice. It was mixed with mussels, shrimp, chicken, and chorizo sausage. Everyone else got different burgers, which they said were very good as well. The french fries were pretty good, larger-cut but slightly on the soggy side.
Of course, when I thought I couldn't eat any more, we got dessert. The five of us shared the crème brûlée and the chocolate cake. I have never had crème brûlée that can rival my mom's, especially at restaurants where you risk the top being soggy, but I have to admit this was pretty delicious. The chocolate cake was fantastic -- soft and melted in the middle with the perfect amount of chocolate. This was accompanied by a macchiato for me, the perfect end to a wonderful meal. I will definitely be going back.

Café Noir is located on 32 Grand Street in Manhatten. It is a little on the expensive side, at least for us college students, but their menus and more information is available on their website at cafenoirny.com
Photo from yelp.com.

Max

Last weekend I was lucky enough to go to New York, and among the outstanding food I had (as always), was dinner at Max. Ari had heard about the place from his friend, and we decided to see what all the talk was about. It ended up being one of my favorite meals so far this year. The restaurant itself is pretty small, and the kitchen is right in the middle, so immediately you are bombarded with delicious smells. We waited for a little while to be seated, but considering it was the Lower East Side on a Saturday night, I didn't think it was too bad.
They had some excellent specials that night, so we opted to split the figs, prosciutto, and pecorino to start off with. This was served very simply, with no sauce and only black pepper as a garnish, but the figs were juicy and succulent, the prosciutto was lean and sliced perfectly, and the pecorino was deliciously salty. Figs are hard to get in Minnesota, and usually slightly outside the budget of the college student, so I eat them whenever I can. For an entrée, I had the special of house-made goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli, finished with a cherry tomato and cream sauce. The sauce was seasoned perfectly and made the most of the late-season tomatoes, while being light enough to not overwhelm the taste of the pasta. Ari got the lamb ragù with hand-made spaghetti from the regular menu, which was also fantastic. The ragù reminded me of the one we learned how to make in Bologna, its subltle flavors combining and yet not overwhelming each other. By the end, we were both completely full, so we decided to save dessert for another time and got a black and white cookie instead (perfect).

To drink, Ari decided on the old favorite of Bologna, where we both studied, Lambrusco. If you haven't had this before, it is a sparkling red wine that is usually served chilled, and has a slightly sweeter ant tangier taste than many other reds. We used to buy it for about 3 euros, but it is harder to find here and usually runs around $11 a bottle. It is great with pretty much all Italian food, but of course especially with the specialties of the region.
I decided to try the Nero di Troia, I wine I had never had before, but which sounded similar to Nero d'Avola, one of my favorite grapes from Sicily. This was from Puglia, in the south of Italy, a region not neccessarily known for its wine. However, I was pleasantly surprised, and found it smooth and a wonderful accompaniment to the ravioli. The vintage I had was from 2005, and while I don't know that this is a very common wine in the U.S., it is definitely possible to find bottles under $15. I'll be keeping my eye out.

All in all, it was a fantastic dinner and I will absolutely be returning. For more information about Max, you can go to their website: max-ny.com.