Josh and I recently became an uncle and an aunt! My brother and sister-in-law just had the most adorable baby boy named Alexander. We’ve been to visit them twice in Raleigh, once over Labor Day weekend and another weekend in October for Alexander’s baptism, and also took the opportunity to sample some Carolina barbecue. While there wasn’t much to do near Raleigh, aside from visiting the campus of Duke University, we did get in some quality nephew-holding time as well as some good eats.
Archive for November, 2009
Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Raleigh, NC
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 by virginiaSacco Pizza
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 by virginiaJosh and I are still on our quest to find the best go-to pizza place for delivery. We eat pizza a lot, as you can probably tell, but we still haven’t found a place that we can both agree on. While walking home from a bar on 9th Ave. one evening, we passed Sacco Pizza, a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint where a lot of people were lined up for a late night snack. The pizza that was being dished out look and smelled pretty good so we picked up a menu and made a mental note to order from there the next time.
When our next hankering for pizza rolled around a few days later, we placed an order for an extra large cheese pie and something called gaucho pie. We had no idea what gaucho pie was but it turned out to be kind of like a beef empanada with a pizza dough crust. Or it could be a calzone stuffed with ground beef but no cheese or sauce.
It was an interesting concept but we weren’t huge fans of the beef filling, as it was kind of greasy and didn’t have much meaty flavor. It was also overly salty, and I wish they gave us some tomato sauce to dip with. I was glad to have tried it but would probably not order it again.
The pizza was pretty good, though the crust was on the thinner side. Again, this is where Josh and I disagree. He likes super thin crispy crusts and I like crusts with a bit of a chew on the inside.
Sacco’s crust was thin but it still had some chew. It was nicely browned and had a good flavor to it.
It also had a good sauce to cheese ratio, and we both thought it was a very well done pie.
Overall I think we would probably order from Sacco again. We didn’t try out their heroes, which is one of our tests of a go-to pizza place, so next time we’ll have to make sure we test those as well. We’ll pass on the gaucho pie though.
Sacco Pizza
819 9th Ave. at 54th St.
New York, NY
Duane Park
Thursday, November 19th, 2009 by virginiaJosh’s parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year. In honor of their big day, we had a big family dinner at Duane Park, a restaurant in Tribeca. The restaurant received an impressive 25 rating for food in the latest Zagat guide, and it’s pretty reasonably priced to boot. The restaurant is pretty tiny but the décor is elegant and romantic. They set up a long table for us in the back corner and didn’t give us any problems when some people in the party were running late, which was a refreshing change from other restaurants that refuse to seat you if not everyone has arrived.
While we were waiting, I started off with a drink from the cocktail menu called the Cliff Hanger. It had lime vodka, lime-mint sorbet, and fresh lemon juice. The drink was really delicious and very dangerous, as all I tasted was the subtly sweet and refreshing sorbet and lemon juice. A few sips later though I could already feel the affects of the lime vodka. It was a lovely cocktail overall and I would definitely order it again.
After everyone arrived and we placed our orders, they brought out metal containers filled with chewy baguettes and small bowls of white bean and olive oil spread.
The baguettes had decent flavor but I wish they had crispier crusts, as they were so chewy in texture that it kind of made them hard to eat. The bean dip was a nice touch but could have used a tad more seasoning.
For my appetizer, I selected the slow cooked duck confit with sherry-mustard marinated green beans and jersey tomato jam. The portion was huge, and could have easily been an entrée. It was a whole duck leg and thigh that was falling-off-the-bone tender. The duck was perfectly seasoned and went well with the sweetness of the tomato jam.
Josh chose the crab and scallop cake with avocado-poblano aioli. We swapped plates halfway through so that we could each try the other’s appetizer. The crab and scallop cake was chock full of seafood and had very little breadcrumb filler. It was seared on the outside so it had a nice crust and the seafood was cooked perfectly throughout.
Josh’s mom had the best appetizer of the night, which was skillet roasted shrimp with cheese grits and garlic sauce. The restaurant has a Cajun/Creole twist and this dish showcased that the best. The shrimp were perfectly cooked so that they were plump and firm and contrasted nicely with the creamy cheese grits. The garlic sauce bound the whole dish together, and we used the baguettes to scrape up every last bit of sauce and grits from her plate.
For my main course I went the safe route with grilled New York strip steak. It was served with herb-fried crushed potatoes, haricot verts and paprika aioli. The steak was cooked rare, as ordered, and perfectly fine but nothing special. I liked the smokiness of the paprika aioli but the potatoes were kind of a disappointment, as they were kind of soggy and tough and topped with just a small sprinkling of fried herbs. At least the green beans were tasty and still a bit crunchy.
Josh opted for the seared double cut pork chop with sweet potato mash, pear chutney, broccoli rabe and pork jus. The pork chop was perfectly cooked and juicy. The sweet potato mash was not overly sweet, and the broccoli rabe was delicious and not overly bitter.
For dessert, I had the bittersweet chocolate pave with mocha ice cream and chocolate sauce. The pave was kind of like a flat, undercooked brownie. The texture was similar to molten chocolate cake without the liquid center. It was decadent and chocolately, but between the pave and the mocha ice cream and the chocolate sauce, it was a bit too much chocolate for me. I wish there was something else to cut through the richness of the chocolate.
Josh had a warm pear crisp with honey ice cream. The pear crisp was delicious and comforting, and the honey ice cream had an interesting flavor. It reminded me of apple pie a la mode with a gourmet twist. I’m not really a fan of honey but I thought it paired well with the pear dessert.
Overall I really enjoyed our meal at Duane Park. The food is well prepared with interesting flavor combinations. Portions are generous and dishes aren’t overly fussy. The service was attentive but not overbearing. It would be a great place to go on a romantic date. The restaurant isn’t cheap but it’s not expensive for the quality of food that you get. I would definitely come back here to celebrate another special occasion.
Duane Park
157 Duane St. between West Broadway and Hudson St.
New York, NY
Corn on the Cob, Fun with Leftovers
Thursday, November 19th, 2009 by virginiaWe were feeling particularly lazy this evening so we decided to have a simple meal of steamed corn on the cob. This was the corn we picked up at the greenmarket a few days earlier, and it was quite possibly the best corn I’ve ever eaten.
Since the corn was super fresh, we didn’t want to take away from the flavor of the corn. We simply boiled a little water in the bottom of our pasta pot and placed the shucked corn into the pasta basket insert, then let it cook for about 10-15 minutes until the kernels were tender but still crisp.
A little pat of butter, a sprinkling of kosher salt; that was all this corn needed. I don’t usually like corn, but even I couldn’t resist the super sweet kernels just bursting with corn flavor.
We also had some bland sesame noodles left over from our Lucky Sunday takeout that I revamped. I hate wasting food so whenever we order something that doesn’t have much flavor, I’ll try to figure out a way to “fix” it rather than throw it away.
In keeping with an Asian theme, I tossed the noodles into a pan with a dash of soy sauce and a spoonful of garlic chili sauce. I let that warm through, and then I tossed some chopped up kimchi on top. I took the pan off the stove and mixed everything together, so that the heat from the noodles warmed up the kimchi but didn’t make it limp or soggy. Between the kimchi and the garlic chili sauce, the noodles packed a lot of heat and it definitely did not wimp out on flavor. I thought it was a great improvement to the bland noodles, and I was happy to not waste any leftovers!
From this:
To this:
Potato Leek Soup
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 by virginiaOn Wednesdays and Saturdays on the NE corner of 57th St. and 9th Ave., there’s a little greenmarket that features fresh produce and delicious-looking baked goods. After brunch one Saturday we decided to take a quick look at what vegetables they had and walked away with a huge bunch of gorgeous leeks and some freshly picked corn on the cob.
What to do with a big pile of leeks? Make potato leek soup, of course. The recipe for this just doesn’t get any easier. Basically I just use one small/medium potato per leek. If I only have large potatoes on hand, I’ll use two potatoes for every three leeks. But honestly, it really doesn’t matter. If you like a stronger leek flavor, use more leeks. If you prefer a heavier potato flavor, use more potato. Either way it’s really hard to mess up this soup.
Cut off the roots and the dark green parts of the leeks, then cut it in half lengthwise. Chop the leek into about half inch pieces (doesn’t have to be perfect or even), and rinse thoroughly. I make sure all the pieces are separated as dirt can get trapped between the leaves. I usually do this in the basket of my salad spinner, then spin it dry afterward. Also peel the potatoes and chop into about 1 inch chunks.
Put two tablespoons of butter or olive oil, or one tablespoon of each, it doesn’t matter, in a soup pot (I always use my dutch oven) and heat on medium high. When it gets hot and starts to shimmer, add in the leeks and sauté for several minutes until the leeks are soft. Then add the potatoes and pour in one quart of chicken stock. I use low sodium because I prefer to season the soup myself. If you think there isn’t enough stock to cover everything, just add some water. Cook everything in the pot, covered, until the potatoes are soft and starting to fall apart, about 30 minutes.
I use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Make sure the blender is completely submerged before turning it on, otherwise you can really hurt yourself with the splatter. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and puree it in batches, but please be sure to read up on the proper technique of blending hot liquids as you can really burn yourself if you don’t do it correctly.
After the soup is completely blended (I prefer my soup smooth, though you can leave it a bit chunky if that’s how you prefer it), you can add some heavy cream for some richness. A half a cup is fine, or you can use none if you want to keep it light. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, simply ladle the soup into a bowl and top with a garnish of parsley or chives. I had some leftover watercress that was about to turn so I just chucked a handful on top. Delicious! The watercress was crispy and a little bitter, which complemented the smooth richness of the soup perfectly.
This soup really couldn’t be simpler to make and is a quick and filling meal on its own, or it can be dolled up to make an elegant starter to any dinner party.
Lasagna Restaurant
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by virginiaI was super excited when I received an email from my old college buddy Phil saying that he would be in the city for a few weeks visiting his sister. Phil lives in Massachusetts and Josh and I haven’t seen him since our wedding. It always seems like whenever he happens to be in the city, Josh and I are traveling or spending the weekend with our parents in NJ. Finally we were able to nail down a day where we could all get together, grab dinner, and catch up.
Phil said that he was craving Italian food so I suggested going to a restaurant in my neighborhood called Lasagna, which looked like it had an interesting menu. Obviously the main feature is lasagna of all kinds but they also have lots of other options available if that’s not what you’re not in the mood for.
I wasn’t super hungry so I didn’t get an appetizer. Instead I concentrated on the bread basket, which was filled with warm and crunchy pieces of garlic bread. We polished off the first basket right away, and the quickly brought us more. This bread is seriously delicious and addictive in a junk food kind of way.
Phil had a bowl of minestrone soup to start while Josh had a caesar salad. Both seemed pretty standard but perfectly respectable. I stole a few bites of Josh’s salad and the dressing was thick and creamy, though they were a bit heavy-handed with it.
Since it was our first visit to the restaurant, I of course had to get my standard Italian restaurant test order of chicken parmesan. The chicken wasn’t pounded too thin, which I liked, and the red sauce had a nice flavor to it. The cheese was bubbly and browned properly, and it was piping hot. The chicken was served over penne pasta that was still al dente, which was a huge plus.
Before I ordered the chicken parm, I made sure that Josh was getting a lasagna because we couldn’t go to a restaurant named Lasagna and not get their signature dish. Josh chose the lasagna with sausage and he received a huge wedge of it that had been placed in a gratin dish and covered in cheese, then broiled. Even though the dish was bubbling hot, the lasagna noodles were still surprisingly al dente. The sausage, however, was just ok. I don’t actually like sausage but the pieces in the lasagna weren’t very flavorful or spicy. Still, it was a pretty good lasagna overall.
Phil selected the Penne Jambalaya pasta, which had shrimp, chicken, ham, and mushrooms in it. It was served in a pink sauce that was described as being spicy but it didn’t have too much of a kick. The pasta was well cooked though, and it was a tasty dish overall. It just didn’t really remind me of jambalaya, which is usually pretty smoky in flavor. The pink sauce was closer to a vodka sauce.
Overall I thought the food at Lasagna Restaurant was pretty good. Our meal got off to a great start with the delicious garlic bread, which I couldn’t stop eating. All of our pastas came out al dente, which sounds like such a simple thing but sadly too many restaurants turn out disgustingly mushy pasta. I liked their red sauce a lot, as it was nicely seasoned and tangy. The portions aren’t absurdly huge but I took home enough leftovers for lunch the next two days. Prices are pretty reasonable and it seems like it will be a reliable neighborhood spot.
Lasagna Restaurant (multiple locations)
785 9th Ave. between 52nd and 53rd St.
New York, NY
El Ñato
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by virginiaThe guide who picked us up from the airport gave us a few recommendations for dinner in the city. Her first was Lo Nuestro, the seafood restaurant we went to our first night in Guayaquil. Her second recommendation was El Ñato, a traditional barbeque restaurant that was conveniently located across the street from our hotel. That was perfect, as I had been craving barbequed meat after eating so much seafood on the ship.
After we returned from our long walk down the Malecon and the hike up Santa Ana hill, we made our way across the street to the restaurant. The first thing I noticed was that we were the only tourists in the joint, which was great sign. There were lots of families having dinner and huge groups of friends chatting over pitchers of sangria. We probably looked a bit out of place but that didn’t matter, I was happy to eat somewhere that seemed authentically Ecuadorian.
The restaurant had a large menu but we had a hard time navigating through it, even though Josh’s spanish is really good and mine is somewhat passable. Getting grilled meat was obviously the way to go, but the choices were vague. There were several “mixed grill” options but they didn’t specify exactly what was included. We tried asking the waiter but he couldn’t really explain the differences. We ended getting the one that said “mixed grill with beef and chicken,” as that seemed like the safest bet. They didn’t have much in the way of side dishes so we got a plate of French fries. No salchipapas on the menu, sadly.
We ordered a pitcher of sangria with fruit, and it had chunks of watermelon in it that I thought was a nice touch. I also liked that there was no ice in the sangria pitcher; they gave you ice in your glass so that the sangria didn’t get watered down. It was very tasty and refreshing.
They brought us a basket of garlic bread to start. It was warm and toasty and covered in fresh herbs and garlic.
They also gave us a few sauces to go with our meat, which turned out to be a sort of garlicky pesto sauce and a spicy red salsa.
The meat was served on top of a small lit grill, which kept it sizzling hot but also overcooked some of the meat on the bottom. Our mixed grill ended up having steak, chicken, pork, sausage, blood sausage, intestines, and kidney. It was a ton of food, way more than we could finish.
The chicken was pounded thin and a bit overcooked but still pretty tender. The steak was flavorful but tough. The pork chop was the best of the bunch, thick, tender, and well seasoned, with delicious crispy bits of fat on the ends.
The regular sausage was fine, but I’m not the hugest fan to begin with. The blood sausage wasn’t as gross as you would think. It had a rich iron taste to it but it wasn’t like it was oozing blood or anything.
The intestines were a bit funkier in the flavor, and a bit tough in texture. They were topped with chopped garlic and herbs but those didn’t hide the weird flavor of the meat.
The kidneys however, were surprisingly delicious. We had a hard time figuring out exactly what they were at first. They were clearly pieces of organ meat, but we didn’t know which one. There were lobes, so we thought maybe it was brains, but the texture was too firm. Then we thought sweetbreads, but the pieces were too large and the texture still didn’t match. It didn’t look like a heart either. It was Josh who decided they were kidneys, and I was surprised because after the funky-tasting intestines, these pieces were sweet, flavorful and not weird tasting at all. The waiter confirmed that they were in fact kidneys, and I was totally blown away. Josh only sampled a tiny bite but I ate an entire piece and it was my second favorite cut of meat after the pork chop. Yum!
Our lone side dish, the French fries, were fresh, hot, and crispy, just the way I like them. Even with all the meat, we managed to polish off the whole plate.
Overall I thought the meal we had at El Ñato was great. The presentation was not elaborate or fussy, and the restaurant is quite casual. The food is similar in that it is hearty but straightforward. The grilled meats are simply prepared and seasoned with just salt, pepper, and garlic. The waiters were attentive and efficient. Portions are ample and prices are cheap. It’s definitely a great place for large groups and a good way to sample traditional Ecuadorian barbeque.
El Ñato
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Galapagos Wrap Up and Return to Guayaquil
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by virginiaWe left the Galapagos early on a Saturday morning and flew back to Guayaquil so we were able to spend the whole day in the city before our flight back to New York the next afternoon. Overall we had such an amazing time in the Galapagos, and I highly recommend taking a tour with Lindblad Expeditions. The entire staff was friendly and helpful, and they really take care of you the whole way through.
They had arranged for someone from the hotel to pick us up from the airport when we first arrived in Guayaquil, someone was at the check-in desk to greet us, and they took care of arranging our flights to the Galapagos and back, even picking up our boarding passes for us so we never had to wait in line to check in. Our luggage magically made its way to the ship and back, and even though our AeroGal seats were coach, we always had access to the VIP waiting lounge.
I’ve already raved about the naturalists on board that led all of our hikes and snorkeling adventures, but the crew members on the National Geographic Endeavour were also tremendous. The ship is small enough that we got to know a lot of the staff, like the crew that drove the zodiac boats back and forth from the landing sites. One person on our tour left his camera battery in his room on the ship and one of the crew members immediately retrieved it and brought it to him on the island. It’s little things like that act of kindness that made the trip such a great experience. Every time we entered the dining room someone greeted us by name – try to imagine that happening on one of those giant cruise ships like the one we took to Alaska.
Several people on our tour had taken other trips with Lindblad Expeditions and loved every single one. I wish we had taken our trip to Alaska with them, and even though I had the greatest time our honeymoon in Egypt, I can’t help but wonder if I might have enjoyed it even more had we gone with Lindblad instead. I sincerely hope that this trip to the Galapagos will not have been our first and last voyage with Lindblad Expeditions.
Back in Guayaquil, we headed to the Malecon again after dropping our stuff off at the hotel. We started on one end, where the artisan market is located.
There we picked up a few souvenirs and gifts then continued along the Malecon looking for a place to eat lunch. During our first visit to the city we had noticed a lot of middle eastern restaurants and food stalls. Josh asked one of our cab drivers about that and he said that middle eastern food was very popular in Guayaquil, so we decided to get lunch from a food stall that offered shawarma and falafel.
The falafel was shaped in a long log rather than individual balls, which was unusual but kind of smart as it made the sandwich easier to eat. However, it didn’t taste anything like falafel to me. There was very little seasoning, and it actually tasted really starchy, like fried green plantains rather than fried chickpeas.
The shawarma also didn’t taste like typical middle eastern food to me. The seasonings were very different, and the chicken had a strong lime flavor to it, which I found unusual. Neither of the sandwiches were bad, they just weren’t what I was expecting. We did top them off with squeeze bottles of garlic sauce and hot sauce, which helped boost up the flavor a bit.
I of course also wanted salchipapas with our lunch. We made the mistake of ordering them from the stand next to the shawarma stand, which was a pizza stand rather than one serving traditional Ecuadorian food.
The French fries were soggy and oily, and the hot dogs were just gross. I don’t think they were spoiled, they just had a bad taste to them. We kind of picked around the fries and left the hot dogs untouched on our plate. Bleh.
After lunch (which cost like $8 even with two beers), we stopped for some 75 cent ice cream cones from McDonalds. The cone itself was weird, kind of mix between a cake cone and a sugar cone, but the vanilla soft serve tastes the same at McDonalds everywhere. It was refreshing in the hot heat of the afternoon.
We walked all the way down the Malecon to the other end and then hiked up Santa Ana Hill to the lighthouse on top. It was quite a climb – 444 steps altogether, but it was worth it. We were able to see the beautiful Las Penas neighborhood with colorful houses, and the view from the top was spectacular, giving us a 360 degree panorama of the entire city.
Pio Pio
Monday, November 16th, 2009 by virginiaAs I mentioned earlier in my post about our trip to the Galapagos, Peru is still at the top of our “must visit before kids” list. Seeing Macchu Picchu will have to wait until next year at least, but in the meantime, we were happy to be able to try some Peruvian cuisine when Josh’s parents suggested we go to Pio Pio for Sunday night dinner.
We headed to the Upper West Side branch of the restaurant, and it was a good thing we called for a reservation because the place was packed, and there were nine of us altogether. The music they were playing was loud and upbeat, which made the atmosphere seem very festive. Our table wasn’t quite ready yet when we arrived so we squeezed ourselves by the small bar area and ordered a pitcher of sangria to start. The sangria is pretty decent, not awesome, but also a bit dangerous because it’s sweet and goes down like juice.
I don’t think I’ve eaten Peruvian cuisine before, but I knew we had to get some ceviche since that’s a notoriously Peruvian dish. We chose the Cebiche Mixto, which was chunks of fish, shrimp, octopus, calamari, and scallops marinated in lime juice and mixed with red onion, cilantro, and hot peppers. It was a very refreshing dish, as the seafood was tangy with a nice little kick from the hot pepper. The scallops were my favorite part – fresh, tender, and tasty.
We ordered two Matador combos, which came with avocado salads to start. The avocado was properly ripe and fresh but I thought the salad was a bit boring overall. The ceviche was a much better starter.
The Matador combos also included chicken pio, which is a whole marinated chicken in a Peruvian sauce. One order of the chicken is pretty large and can feed about four people. It was tender and juicy on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. The meat was well seasoned and I enjoyed it a lot.
The combos also came with rice and beans, tostones, and salchipapas. The rice and beans were just eh. The beans didn’t have enough seasoning and they just tasted bland.
The tostones were superb. Big pieces of plantain were pressed flat and fried to a nice crisp. They came with a container of garlic sauce on the side to dip with, and you know how much I love garlic sauce with tostones.
I didn’t know what salchipapas were but when they arrived, I was so excited because I’ve seen pictures of them on other blogs. Salchipapas are basically French fries topped with slices of hot dogs. I love French fries, and I love hot dogs. Put them together – wow! My new favorite side dish! The hot dogs were cooked after they had been sliced so they were a little crispy on the edges and just worked so well with the thick cut French fries. Even without ketchup, I ate almost an entire plate of this by myself.
In addition to the Matador combos, we got a large order of the Jalea, which is a fried seafood platter. The large order really is large but the seafood is really heavily breaded. I identified pieces of calamari and fish, but after a while everything just sort of got clumped together and it was hard to tell exactly what you were eating. There was a little bit of onion and tomato salsa sprinkled on top of the platter, but otherwise, the seafood was under seasoned and lacked pizzazz. It definitely needed some sort of dipping sauce, or extra lime to squirt on top. I was pretty disappointed with this dish and wouldn’t order it again.
Another disappointment was the Arroz Chaufa, which was Peruvian style Chinese fried rice. We opted for the beef, and it was mixed with eggs, onions, and soy sauce. However, this dish also lacked seasoning and just tasted heavy and oily. I can make better fried rice at home.
The Camarones Cuzco were sautéed garlic shrimp on top of yellow rice. This was also an unmemorable dish. The shrimp were fine, if a bit lacking in flavor, and the rice was nothing special.
I did like our side order of maduros though. The sweet plantains were thick cut and fried so that they had a nice texture but weren’t too greasy or starchy.
We were pretty stuffed after all that food so we decided to split one dessert, a slice of tres leches cake. Some people also ordered coffee or espresso, which really confused the waitstaff for some reason. Josh wanted an espresso, and they kept bringing a regular coffee. Someone else wanted decaf, and they also kept bringing a regular coffee. It was really kind of laughable, they just kept bringing out the same cups of coffee over and over, until we got fed up and just took whatever they were offering. Josh thinks he wound up with a cup of decaf coffee, or else it was the worst regular coffee he has ever drank. It definitely was not worth the aggravation.
The tres leches cake was ok. I’ve only had it once before so I don’t really have a basis of comparison. The cake itself is a bit dry, but the milk that they soak it in makes it wet. So it tastes kind of like a sweet gritty wet cake to me. I think I’ll pass on it next time.
Overall I thought the food at Pio Pio hit some pretty high highs and some pretty low lows. Service, however, was not so great. In addition to the coffee issues, we had placed two orders of the Matador Combo but they only brought out one order, so some of us had to wait an extra half hour to get a piece of chicken. It also threw of the timing of the meal a bit. I ended up eating more of the Jalea than I wanted to, only because I was hungry while waiting for the rest of the chicken and the sides to arrive. And by the time they arrived, I was pretty full yet unsatisfied. I kind of felt like the only time they really paid attention to us was to constantly refill our sangria glasses so that we would have to keep ordering more pitchers.
Negatives aside, I really did enjoy the chicken, and the ceviche. I’d go back there just for these items. The side dishes were also really good, except for the rice and beans. The combos are pretty decent deals if you’re splitting with a lot of people. Otherwise, I might just order a pio chicken a la carte and then cherry pick my favorite sides, like the salchipapas and the tostones. Just make sure that if you do go with a big group to make a reservation. It was late on a Sunday night and the restaurant was still hopping when we left.
Pio Pio (multiple locations)
702 Amsterdam Ave. at 94th St.
New York, NY
Del Posto
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 by virginiaI’ve been wondering when the news that the Enoteca at Del Posto had closed would finally break. Mario Batali made the announcement last Thursday that it’s part of his strategy to get back Del Posto’s second Michelin star, as well as a four-star review from the New York Times. We actually found out about the closing a few weeks ago, as we already had a reservation made for the Enoteca on October 28 that someone from the restaurant called to cancel due to the closing. Instead, they offered us the regular Del Posto menu at the standard Enoteca prix fixe price of $52. Considering the regular price of the Del Posto menu is $95, we weren’t too disappointed or upset by the switch.
When our friends Claire and Sean told us they would be visiting NYC in October, we had decided that we would have to organize a nice dinner while they were here. Lots of emails back and forth ensued, and finally we settled on the Enoteca, which was offering a special $35 prix fixe menu on weekdays.
Josh and I had gone to the Enoteca a few years ago when Del Posto first opened and we thought it was one of the greatest restaurant values in the city. The prix fixe back then was around $40 and the food was superb. Even though we were seated in the nook next to the bar, we still felt like we were a part of the regular restaurant, and the service was exemplary. I had been eager to go back but for some reason we never did, and so I was really looking forward to this dinner. Even though I was sad that the Enoteca would no longer be an option, I was looking forward to trying items from the regular Del Posto menu.
The group of us that went to Del Posto ended up being the Alinea dinner crew plus one, and it was really great to share another elaborate meal with people who are interested in food and like to try different things. We were seated at a large round table near the center of the main dining area, which gave us a nice view of the whole restaurant. I like the décor there, which isn’t too modern or too fussy. I also like that the second level of the restaurant is open, making the space lofty and airy.
The meal started off with three different amuse bouches. The first, a lettuce soup topped with parmesan foam served in a white shot glass, was kind of weird and actually not really that appetizing. It tasted like wilted boiled lettuce, and had a sludgey texture. Also, once you got past the foam, which was just ok, it was a murky brown/green color that was kind of off-putting. The other two amuses fared better but nothing was really outstanding. The second, a pea puree and parmesan fritter, was sweet and salty but otherwise unmemorable. The third, a kind of gougere with salami, was salty and light and the best of the bunch.
The bread basket arrived next, and I was in carb heaven. The bread basket is actually what I remembered most about our previous dinner at the Enoteca. It was loaded with crusty baguettes, dense olive bread, light and crispy breadsticks, fluffy focaccia bread, and other assorted rolls. My favorite was the baguette but I happily tried all the other offerings in the basket as well.
Plus the bread came with both butter and lard for spreading. Lard! I know it sounds gross, but really, it tastes fabulous. It has a gamey flavor to it that you just don’t get from butter.
Moving on to our first course, I selected the vongole marinate with fried artichokes and minte farro dressing, which was one of the dishes the waiter recommended. Big mistake! The dish wasn’t bad, but it was confusing. I don’t know if there were actually clams in the dish and I didn’t see any, although I thought I tasted some but I wasn’t sure. If you can’t be sure, you know you’re in trouble. Mostly I just tasted the nuttiness from the farro, and I could see tiny bits of fried artichokes, but it wasn’t really a cohesive dish. It was my least favorite of all the appetizers we had at the table and I wouldn’t recommend it.
The winner of the group I think was the carne cruda with truffle and parmesan. I thought it would be like beef carpaccio, but it was more like steak tartare. And it was quite possibly the best steak tartare I’ve ever had. We could smell the truffle essence coming off the plate, and the flavors just all worked so well together. The beef was fresh and sweet, the parmesan added a nice saltiness, and the truffle and porcinis were so earthy. I couldn’t stop stealing bites from Josh’s plate.
Other appetizers on the table included the special of the day, a foie gras mousse with figs, which Claire ordered, and a lobster salad fra diavola. Both were also much better than the vongole, especially the foie gras mousse.
For the pasta course, we selected two pastas from the list that would be shared by everyone at the table. The first was a pumpkin ravioli with almond milk and black truffle. The pumpkin filling was nice – not too sweet or dessert-like, but there wasn’t enough sauce to dress the raviolis. We could smell the truffle in the sauce but it didn’t pack too much flavor, and the lack of sauce overall made the dish very dry and boring. There were pieces of chopped almonds on top for a texture contrast I think, but they clashed with the rest of the dish. It was disappointing because the combination had so much potential but it really didn’t work out in the end.
The second pasta was spaghetti with Dungeness crab, sliced jalapeno and minced scallion. This is a dish that I’ve heard so much about ever since Del Posto opened and I’ve been dying to try it. I must say that it exceeded even my high expectations. The spaghetti packs so much crab flavor that they must cook it in a crab stock. The noodles are thick and al dente, just the way I like it, and the jalapeno and scallions add a nice freshness to the dish. I think there is also lime juice or some other citrus in the sauce, as it has a zippy tang to it. The chunks of crab on top were sweet and tasty, and I enjoyed every bite of this pasta.
For my main course, I selected the roasted lamb rack with a puttanesca sauce and sautéed basil. The lamb chops were ginormous! Seriously, I’ve never seen a rack of lamb that large before. But also really tasty and beautifully cooked to medium rare as requested. The puttanesca sauce though was a bit overpowering in olive flavor; I prefer to taste lamb on its own. The sautéed basil was interesting, as I’ve never seen basil cooked and served in the same way as spinach, and while it’s good if you like basil, there is just too much of it and it gets overwhelming. So I treated that more as a garnish rather than a side. Nevertheless, just eating the mutant-sized lamb was satisfying enough.
Josh had the cacciucco, which was kind of like a bouillabaisse. It was assorted shellfish (clams, mussels, lobster) and scallop carpaccio served in a garlic bread soup. The scallop carpaccio was the highlight, with large tender pieces that practically melted in my mouth. The broth was also tasty and flavorful, not overpoweringly fishy, and the seafood was cooked beautifully. I dipped lots of bread into the leftover broth when he was done.
For dessert, Josh decided to be super adventurous and ordered the sfera di caprino, celery and fig agrodolce, and celery sorbetto. It was the most savory of the desserts and involved spheres of goat cheese covered in crunchy bits. I admit, I was skeptical when he ordered it, and it turned out to be the best dessert of the evening. It was such an unusual combination of flavors but the goat cheese wasn’t too tangy or gamey, and the celery was so light and refreshing that it really did taste like dessert. It just goes to show that being daring can pay off in great dividends.
I selected the chocolate ricotta tortino with pistachios and extra virgin olive oil gelato. I picked this dish because of the olive oil gelato, which I tried at another Batali restaurant, Otto, and absolutely loved. The gelato is rich and creamy and really does taste like olive oil sprinkled with sea salt on top. It’s another thing that sounds weird but tastes so delicious. The chocolate cake was just ok, a bit dry and boring, but it tasted much better when eaten with the olive oil gelato. It was a dessert that worked well as a whole, but didn’t work as well if eaten separately.
We also had a tartufo al caffe with dark chocolate, coffee, and candied lemon for the table, as they brought an extra dessert by mistake and graciously allowed us to keep it. However, it was pretty disappointing and boring – basically just coffee ice cream in a dark chocolate shell. Nothing about this dessert stood out, which is surprising since it was one that the waiter had recommended.
Other desserts on the table included the torta al rosmarino with cherry Macedonia, pecans, and yogurt gelato, which was an unremarkable chestnut cake, and a dessert called four chocolates and four rums ($10 supplement), which is exactly how it sounds. Basically they pour tastings of different rum that are paired with chocolates of varying intensity. Not being a rum fan, I didn’t try any of the combinations, but Mike and Claire seemed to have fun with it.
We also ordered a round of coffee drinks to finish up our meal. They brought out little petit fours for us to try, which included pieces of shortbread with flecks of black pepper in it, red currant jelly, apricot bars, and chocolate brownies. My favorite was the apricot bars, which had an intense fruit flavor. The shortbread was also pretty good because it wasn’t too sweet and I was sugared out at this point.
Overall I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by this meal at Del Posto. The thing is, nothing was bad. But aside from the carne crudo and the crab spaghetti, nothing really blew my mind. Everything else was just good or adequate. I know that Del Posto is looking to earn more stars and I just don’t think this food would cut it. I just wasn’t excited or surprised by anything, aside from Josh’s goat cheese and celery dessert. I love it when I first taste something and it makes me catch my breath and open my eyes wide in amazement. Every single course at Alinea and Le Bernardin did that for me. Most of the dishes here did not.
Service was also satisfactory but not spectacular. I liked that they knew immediately from our reservation that we would be offered the Del Posto menu at the Enoteca price without us having to bring it up awkwardly when it came time to pay. And they let us wait at the bar until everyone arrived, then carried our drinks over for us, even though they also would have let us sit at the table to begin with if that was what we preferred. But even though he was knowledgeable about the menu, most of the waiter’s suggestions were disappointments, which was surprising to me. I know everyone has different tastes, but all of us at the table pretty much agreed on which dishes we liked best, and those weren’t it. In fact, they were some of the biggest disappointments, taste-wise.
And while the staff swept the table when serving our courses, they also served the entrees while one person at the table was in the bathroom, a huge gaffe in my opinion. They covered his dish with a silver dome but the rest of us were left to uneasily decide whether we should start without him or let our own food get cold. The sommelier also didn’t really impress us. While she did offer a few suggestions and elaborately seasoned our glasses before serving our wine selections, she had a hard time answering basic questions about why the wines were served in differently shaped glasses. I know those all may sound like petty complaints, but after reading various accounts about what other restaurants have done to earn the elusive third Michelin star, the difference is really in the details.
So what’s my final verdict? The meal we had was a bargain at $52, but it would have been a disappointment if we had paid $95. I know price shouldn’t really play into how good a meal was, but it does. When you’re shelling out that kind of money for a meal, everything should be perfect, or at least close to perfect. But the food wasn’t astounding nor was it on the same level as other restaurants with similar price points. I think Batali and crew will need to make a lot more changes aside from eliminating the Enoteca. I’m also not sure how getting rid of the Enoteca fixes anything, as it was a really great way for people to try the food (although from a less extravagant menu) and get the Del Posto experience even if they couldn’t afford the standard Del Posto prices. It gave the restaurant more exposure, but I guess being more exclusive and inaccessible is the direction in which they are heading. Sad. But I do respect Del Posto owners Mario, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Bastianich (who has been my favorite chef since I was little) so I wish them the best of luck on their quest for more stars. If I hear that they do make other improvements to the restaurant, I’ll happily go back and give it another shot.
Del Posto
85 10th Ave. between 15th and 16th St.
New York, NY