Pizza at Mezzaluna in Soho, New York City, NY

Mezzaluna is a tiny Italian restaurant located in Soho. Yes, tiny represents 17 seats, some if them at the counter next to the kitchen and then the one next to the window, perfect if you practice people watching!

The decor is interesting: colorful chairs, dark wood for the walls with plenty of pizza cutters hanged.

In fact there is even a pizza cutter on the plates!

The menu is of a reasonable size, featuring a mozzarella "bar" (three different ways if serving mozzarella di buffala, my favorite, for appetizer), salads, pasta and pizza. 

The pizzas are cooked in the wood fire oven visible from the dining room.

As we were going to have an early dinner, we decided to go for a "light" lunch. We started off with a special: gazpacho.

It was good, nothing exceptional, but good and refreshing.

Then, we ordered a Quattro formagi pizza or four cheese pizza.

It was made with mozzarella, fontina, Gorgonzola and tallegio. There was for sure lots of cheese and a perfect selection because creamy and not dry. The pizza was Neapolitan style with a bubbly crust that had a bit of a char. The crust was slightly floppy. Definitely a good crust, but missing a bit of char that could have been created from that beautiful oven.

Don't get me wrong: it was good, but not to the point where, like Luzzo's, it would be on the top of my list, or at least I would absolutely want to go back, knowing that there are many places in NYC that I did not try yet!

For the area, I still prefer Pulino's that has prices not that much higher than Mezzaluna. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin Wines and Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar

Last Monday, I was invited by Casa Vinicola Zonin, Italy's largest privately owned wine producer, to the Italian Culinary Experience at Astor Center. It is an event that brings together food and wine, Italian of course! This month, they featured the Sicily region and their award winning wines from Feudo Principi di Butera Estate and the food was the creation from Chef Vito Posola, Chef and owner of Aroma Kitchen and Winebar, an Italian restaurant located in Noho. 

I was really excited to go because, usually, when I went for wine tasting, the food was either not present or just few crackers and little pieces of cheese! There, it was an opportunity to experience how these two components complement each other!

The setting was interesting: like an auditorium at the university. I could not not imagine what going to class would have been if they have been serving food and wine...

When we arrived, we were greeted by Ingrid, Jelena, Francesco and Paolo from Zonin, as well as Chef Vito Polosa.

Jelena, Paolo, Francesco, Chef Vito

They welcomed us with a glass of prosecco:

Some like to say that Prosecco is the main competitor of Champagne and for sure I would not call it sparkling wine! If you wonder what the differences are between these two: the grapes and the fermentation method. 

The prosecco was served with our first dish: crostino di cozze P.E.I. e lardo or crostino of P.E.I. mussels and lardo.

This was an aperitivo or amuse bouche (one bite, although this was a giant mussel!), pretty common way to start a dinner in Italy (in France, it would be the apéritif), to stimulate the appetite. Pairing the lardo (imported from Italy) and the mussel is not usual in Italian cuisine, but Chef Vito thought it would be a good idea...and he was right! The lardo brought some smokiness as well as texture and the bread some crunch that made this dish a nice way to start what would truly be an Italian culinary experience!

And let me add that it paired perfectly with the fruitiness of the prosecco.

The next dish was the tartare di capesante New Bedford, barbabietola, pompelmo, pane carasau or tartare of New Bedford sea scallops, beets and pane musica.

That dish was aesthetically spectacular with all the colors, especially the bright red from the beets and the green from the avocado.

It was a succession of layers: beets, sea scallops, zucchini and peppers (that added a nice crunch), avocado and the bread that was a perfect tool to push the food into the fork. Chef vito decided to add avocado because he wanted to add some fat to the dish and thought it would be better than pork. It was a successful dish presentation and taste wise with all the elements coming together and having flavors that complemented each other. 

This wonderful dish was served with a white wine: Insolia IGT Sicilia 2012, Feudo Principi di Butera, one of their top sellers.

It is a wine made 100% with Insolia grapes, grown and harvested in the South East of Sicily, from an area 5 miles from the sea. They describe it as:

"Bright and luminous golden straw yellow with light greenish reflections. Full, with scents of exotic fruit and flowering bloom. Rich and harmonious with delicate scents of sweet almonds."

I am not a huge fan of dry white wine, I prefer the sweeter ones like a good riesling or a Sancerre (perfect with foie gras!), but I enjoyed it with the tartare, the acidity of the wine counterbalancing the sweetness of the scallops!

The next dish was the pulpo brasato con finocchietto ed arancia rossa or braised octopus alla piastra, fennel and grapefruit.

As Chef Vito put it, the presentation was challenging because of the octopus. Personally, I thought it was fine! I love octopus so I was really excited! I was curious to see if it would be tough because if it is not cooked properly, it can be tough and chewy. This one was very tender and had a nice char taste (they cook it for 45 minutes in garlic, parsley, basil, and then finish it on the grill). Interestingly, Chef Vito explains that he receives it frozen from Portugal, but, contrary to fish, freezing octopus does not ruin it.

With it was fennel, grapefruit (nice addition of acidity), frisee salad, olives, olive oil and some sea salt. 

They served the Feudo Principi di Butera Chardonnay 2012 with it because octopus has a meatier taste perfect for a Chardonnay as it is creamy and more full bodied.

The way they describe it is: "Dry yet well-balanced, with an elegant touch of toasted almonds offsetting the fruity notes. Good zesty acidity and velvety fruit".

The next dish was one of my favorite of the night: Bucatini Del Verde con sardine, pinoli, uvetta e pangrattato or Bucatini Del Verde (Del Verde is a brand in case you wonder) with sardines, pine nuts, raisins and bread crumbs.

The dish, typical from Sicily, looked beautiful, with a nice swirl made with the pasta that were perfectly cooked al dente. The sardine was under (you can see a tiny bit on the left side of the photo): I loved it! It had a nice grilled taste. But what I loved the most was the pasta: the sauce was made with a branzino broth, bread crumbs (that added a fantastic crunch), oregano, and some sweetness coming from the golden raisins.

And guess what! It was served with a red wine: Feudo Principi di Butera Nero D'Avola 2011.

This wine is apparently selling well in NY and it was my favorite red. So you wonder why the Chef committed such a blasphemy? He thought that pairing a young wine, that hasn't settle, would be perfect with the flavorful sardines. And then started a passionate debate about red or white wine with food, some advocating for white wine with fish, others disagreeing. As Jelena said, there are guidelines, not rules! 

Here is the way this wine is described: "Dry, well-structured and extremely rounded, it offers very complex fruit flavors on the palate. These are reminiscent of cherries preserved in brandy, mingled with a very appealing spiciness that lingers on the finish." I have to say that I love these descriptions: reading them is surely easier than guessing them!

The last dish before dessert was Trancio di pesce spada alla griglia con tapenade di Castelvetrano e caponata or grilled swordfish, Castelvetrano tapenade and Sicilian caponata. 

Again a spectacular presentation, very appetizing! The fish was perfectly cooked, moist, with a nice grill mark and taste. Having it with the tapenade made with Castelvetrano olives (it is a variety from Sicily) was great as it gave the necessary salty element to the dish. The caponata, also Sicialian, reminded me of the French ratatouille in a way, that is not surprising considering that it consist of a vegetable (here eggplant) stew.

They also paired it with Feudo Principi di Butera Nero D'Avola, but an older grape from 2008. Again, the choice of red with fish seem to make sense: swordfish has a meaty taste and is often referred as steak. 

The last dish was dessert! It was Pistacchio di Bronte in tre maniere or Bronte pistachio three ways.

Again a phenomenal and appetizing presentation! It was pistachio gelato, pistachio madeleine and pistachio creme brulee. That was something! The inspiration was from Sicily where there are lots of pistachios. I started with the creme brulee that, despite not being as expected by the Chef was good; the best proof is that, Jodi, who does not like nuts ate it (in fact it was so good that she ate all three!). The madeleine was light and had a very subtle pistachio taste. Last was the gelato: creamy and tasty with tiny pieces of pistachio in it, laying on a very thin layer of brittle and a small (too small) amount of nutella. It was delicious and I truly appreciated that it was not too sweet.

This was served with a Castello Del Poggio Rosato NV:

This is a sweet wine perfect served as a dessert wine, made with moscato bianco and pinot noir grapes. It is described as "Fruity and floral, with delicate rose and exotic fruit scents. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic". This was the exception of the night: coming from Piedmont, it is not from Sicily. It had a beautiful color, was refreshing and had a nice sweetness to it, that perfectly complemented the dessert that was not too sweet (sweet + sweet is not always good).

This was a great evening: the Zonin wine was good and the food fantastic. It was fun, but at the same time very educational thanks to the crew! They had such a knowledge and the surprising pairing of red with fish will definitely make me think twice the next time I order wine with my dish, especially if it is fish!

I also discovered Chef Vito Posola, his incredible knowledge of wine (his restaurant has more than 150 different labels) and his passion for food that transpired during the entire evening. His food was fantastic and, although it was not regular dishes from his restaurant (some key items like the octopus are on the menu but presented differently), it gave a nice insight on how the food at Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar must taste! I will definitely have to check that out!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own! 

Grom ice cream in NYC, New York

On a very hot day, we were walking on Bleecker street and decided to stop by Grom Gelato. It is an interesting company: they started in 2003 in Torino, Italy, with an all natural philosophy: no coloring or artificial flavors, fresh seasonal fruits or organic eggs. They are also collaborating with the Italian Association of Celiac disease who gave them the gluten free label.

So here we are, queuing up, because of course, lots of people got the same idea! I immediately notice the hazelnut flavor: my favorite for gelato! It reminds me when we went to Italy couple of years ago: we had gelato every day and I, most of the time, had hazelnut gelato. I remember that it was a lot of gelato for just 2 Euros. So, anyway, I got the hazelnut gelato as well as the Crema Di Grom, a gelato made of egg cream, "meliga" biscuits and dark chocolate from Colombia.

It was fantastic! Creamy, it was very flavorful, but I have to admit that the hazelnut one was the best, overpowering a bit the crema di grom.

Jodi went for two other flavors: vanilla and coconut.

I loved the vanilla ice cream: it even had the black spots so particular to fresh vanilla beans. Jodi inhaled the coconut. There, it was creamy too and very tasty.

So definitely, with Eataly, Grom is a great gelato place! I will definitely have to go back to try their other flavors!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Abbottega, Authentic Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York - CLOSED

Before reading this post, please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

I was recently invited to try Abbottega, an Italian restaurant that opened this year in the West Village. I like the way the owner, Davide Ranucci narrates the story of this family business that started 100 years ago in Italy:

"

It all began in 1913 when my grandfather Giulio opened his “Osteria” in Montefiascone, a small town with an enchanting view of the lake Bolsena, just 60 miles from Rome...a territory, with a high concentration of mountains and hills.

At “Abbottega” in all these years, we have proudly served our traditional meals to our guests (including Cardinals) who used to come to us by carriages, bicycles, motorcycles, antiques automobiles (with drivers always blowing their horns twice) and today, with modern cars equipped with A/C and navigation systems!"

dining room of Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

Entering the restaurant was like traveling to Italy: they did a great job with the decor made of white bricks that sometimes look weathered, the dark solid wood tables and the counter at the entrance that not only features wine from Italy, cured meat or cheeses, but is also where the Chef will make fresh pasta. Yes, all their pasta is fresh and this is definitely a plus for a restaurant! They should definitely mention it on the menu (wink, wink)! 

pasta making at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

Interestingly, "bottega" is the studio of the master artist in Italian, where apprentices and students learn by participating in the work. It was a good opportunity to taste the creations of the artist, the Chef!

In the back, where we got seated, is a large photo of the owner's Grand-Mother, overlooking the dining room, as if she was still present, making sure the tradition continues. Her photo is also on the menu.

Falanghina wine at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

They served us a tasting, with a glass of Falanghina from the region of Campania in Southern Italy, a white wine sipped cold. While waiting for the food to come, we looked at the small menu that was definitely mouth watering. Roy, the manager of the restaurant explained to us that they are serving simple traditional dishes using organic ingredients and grass fed meat.

We started the dinner with some bread and appetizers:

Bread at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

The bread with a spread made with arugula, potato and some parmesan cheese. Quite good.

Then came the Carpaccio di salmon marinato: salmon carpaccio served with spinach and oranges.

Salmon Carpaccio at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

It was served with some mayonnaise. Good and fresh, the best combination was the salmon and orange together. 

The second appetizer was the Crema di pomodoro e gamberi or chilled tomato soup with shrimp:

Chilled tomato soup with shrimp at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

Now, that is what I am calling shrimp! They were of a nice size, butterflied, perfectly cooked and paired well with the creamy tomato soup. That day was a very hot day and we surely appreciated that the soup was chilled. 

The last appetizer was the Calamaro Spadellato or sauteed calamari with tomatoes and green beans.

sauteed calamari at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

I always have a bit of apprehension when I eat calamari, because sometimes you end up with something rubbery and chewy. It was not the case: very tender and simply prepared with a bit of pepper. 

Then we tried the fresh pasta!!! The first dish was the Ravioli di carciofi or artichoke ravioli.

artichoke ravioli at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

These ravioli were Jodi's favorite! They were served with crispy prosciutto and parmesan. The ravioli was fantastic: very thin with a delicate taste, I could imagine the same dough with so many combinations, from mushrooms, to cheese, squash...Also, I typically do not like artichoke if not in a salad, but it was pretty good served in a ravioli. The only part of the dish I did not like was the crispy prosciutto that rendered too much saltiness.

The second pasta dish was the Lombrichelli Amatriciana:

Lombrichelli pasta with pomodoro sauce at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

When the plate came to the table, we could smell the tomato sauce that was delicious. The pasta, that were cooked al dente. I would have preferred them just a bit more cooked because they were thick, but otherwise, they were good.

Then was the secondi or main course (what, so far it was just the appetizers???). They served us the Tagliata di manzo or grass-fed skirt steak with roasted vegetables.

Grass-fed skirt steak at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

Once you have tried a great steak in a steakhouse, it spoils all your future experiences and makes you more picky about meat. That is why I rarely order meat if I am not at a steakhouse. But when I do, I sometimes have a good surprise. It was the case at Abbottega: the meat was very good! Cooked medium, it was extremely tender and had this delicious taste that meat will have when grilled. Also, the sauce all over it was made with beef stock that was reduced. I appreciated the fact that the sauce was not overpowering allowing the meat to shine. The vegetables were eggplant and zucchini that were a nice complement.

Finally was dessert! At this point, we were wondering how this will end as it was definitely a spectacular culinary experience! They brought us three desserts:

desserts at Abbottega, Italian Restaurant in NYC, New York

From left to the right: yogurt cake with candied oranges and drizzled with creme patissiere (also in the bottom right of the photo), espresso panna cotta and strawberry semi fredo. My favorite was the yogurt cake that interestingly is called "plum cake" in Italy, although there are no plums in it! It reminded me of a yogurt cake I baked at school when I was a kid and brought back some good memories! The semi fredo was also very good and refreshing with a nice texture.

You are probably wondering why I did not talk about the panna cotta? It was not my favorite. I love coffee (some say I bleed coffee), but not in desserts and the panna cotta did not change my mind.

We finished the dinner talking to Roy about the restaurant and his past experience in some well known NYC spots. He surely made this experience pleasurable, providing us some quite interesting information. I have now added Abbottega to my list of favorite Italian restaurants in New York, next to Morandi!

Abbottega

14 Bedford St 

New York, NY 10014

http://www.abbottega.com/manhattan/index.php

Enjoy (I did)!

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Italian Dinner at Casa Nonna in Hell's Kitchen NYC, New York

I recently went to Casa Nonna, literally Grandma's house, located in Hell's Kitchen, for a dinner with Erika and Kenta from Tabélog, a new online space for restaurant lovers that has more than 40 millions users in Japan and is launching a site in the US!  For sure, I would have never found that place if not meeting people, as it is in the middle of a block, on 38th street. Not that many passersby!!!

I was surprised because the restaurant is big with different areas: the bar, two dining rooms of a good size and a counter next to the kitchen. 

Interestingly, there is a small area on the right of the entrance that is a Go Burger! We sat in the dining room in the back; the first impression I had, besides the volume of the room, was that it looked more like a steakhouse than an Italian restaurant, thanks to the dark wood and leather banquettes. 

The tables were heavy and made with the wood from wine boxes. 

The menu was definitely Italian, but not your basic / classic dishes. No spaghetti with meatballs, but rather veal meatballs as an appetizer. No eggplant Parmesan or linguini a la Vongole as I am used to! But I am not going to complain, considering that I am a big fan of that type of cuisine and their menu had interesting dishes! 

We started of with appetizers. Polipo - baby octopus, peanut potatoes, pearl onions drizzled with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette:

I was excited to have baby octopus because I love it! Unfortunately, it was not that great! I think after I had better octopus at Officina Laina or Thalassa,

I was expecting something fantastic...It was a bit chewy and the only thing you could taste was the fact that it was fried!

We also shared the fried calamari:

Interestingly, there were vegetables mixed with it: not a large amount, but enough to be noticed. Also, instead of serving them with marinara sauce, they served it with a delicious lemon-chives aioli. I liked it: crispy, not rubbery and not greasy! Perfect!

The last appetizer was the veal meatballs:

It was two big veal meatballs smothered in a pomodoro sauce with a bit of ricotta, basil and parmesan. I loved the balance of flavors with the acidity of the tomatoes being neutralized by the ricotta. However, the meatballs, although not dry, were a bit bland. Made with pork and/or beef, it might have been a hit!

For the entree, I ordered the gnocchi with Berkshire pork ragu and crispy pig ears:

Gnocchi is definitely a good test for an Italian restaurant because you do not want the gnocchi to be dough-y or potato-y. 

They did a good job at Casa Nonna: they were very, very light and perfect with a pork ragu that was delicious (yoou could taste a bit of wine). What elevated this dish a bit was the crispy pig ears: it added some crunch to the dish: wonderful! Before leaving, I asked the waiter if they make their own pasta and he mentioned that everything is homemade there.

Then was time for desserts! I could try two. The tiramisu:

And the mascarpone cheesecake, served with a blackberry citrus sauce:

Desserts were definitely not the highlight of the meal! So sad, because the presentation was spectacular. The tiramisu was overpowered by the chocolate on top and I could barely taste the espresso cream. The cheesecake might have been better, but had nothing exceptional and did not have enough blackberry sauce.

The food at Casa Nonna was average and forgettable (I still prefer Morandi or, for family style dinners, Tony Di Napoli). Fortunately, the conversation with Erika and Kenta and discovering Tabelog made the experience worth it!

Enjoy (...)! 

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Looking for Pizza on Bleeker: Keste Pizza and Vino, John's Pizzeria and Pizza Roma in NYC, New York

I never really noticed how many pizza places there are on Bleeker, until I went to review John's Pizzeria (an institution here in New York!), Keste Pizza and Vino and Pizza Roma! This post is about our trip to these pizza joints (not the same day...)!

Keste Pizza and Vino:

The great thing with the blog is that now, when people eat in great places, they will send me some information or give me a business card from the place, suggesting me to go. That is how I heard about Keste Pizza & Vino: one of my co-workers, Richard, recommended it. As I went down to my long list of places to try and was in the mood for pizza, I proposed Jodi to go there.

It was a Saturday and the place was not that busy. I liked the decor and the atmosphere that gave a certain authenticity to the place. Their menu was mouth watering and, as we do most of the time, we already checked it before coming and knew exactly what we would order! In fact, each time we go to a pizza place we look for two items: the homemade burrata and the four cheese pizza! And Keste had both of them!!!

So we started off with the homemade burrata.

It was a big portion and was served with half a tomato, a slice of bread and some prosciutto. It was really good, although the mozzarella shell could have been a bit thinner. It also missed a bit of olive oil and the dish could have been elevated with some balsamic vinegar that would have enhanced the delicate taste of the cream.

Then came the four cheese pizza!

It looked very appetizing with its burnt edges. The cheeses were mozzarella, grand cru (I guess pecorino), caciocavallo and parmigiano reggiano. They also put on top some fresh basil leaves and some olive oil.

The crust was delicious with all these blobs at the edges and a bit of a burnt taste here and there. Unfortunately, it lost its crispiness because there was too much olive oil that made it a bit soggy.

But overall, it was a delicious pizza that would satisfy any cheese lover! They were really generous with the amount of cheese too! Fantastic!

It was definitely a great lunch at Keste that is, by the way, the official location for The APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) whose mission is to protect and preserve the Neapolitan pizza tradition and promote the art of pizza making. I will definitely have to go back to try some of the other pizzas they offer on their menu!

John's Pizza:

Walking around Bleeker while waiting for Keste Pizza and Vino to open, I eyed at John's pizza and decided to go there for my next Pizzeria review. This place has been around for quite some time: opened in 1929 by John Sasso, it looks as if it was suspended in time! 

We went early because there is always a line and they sat us at one of these tight booths, overlooking the busy kitchen (the coal oven was not visible from there)! 

Sitting there, you cannot miss the walls, full of carved graffiti:

Their menu is simple: pizza, a few pasta dishes and meatballs: no way you can get overwhelmed by a large choice, but for sure, you would want to order a bit of everything! Yes, this is the type of restaurant that smells authentic and where you wish there was a tasting menu!

We decided to go simple and order a 14 inch pizza (6 slices) with mushrooms:

The pizza was delicious: the crust, a bit burnt on the edges, was perfectly crispy!

The pizza sauce was very good with just enough cheese, but not enough mushrooms (at $3 a topping, they could have put more!).

It was a good pizza, but I remain convinced that San Matteo Pizza on the Upper East Side is the best!!!

Pizza Roma:

The last pizza place we tried on Bleeker (last but not least for sure!) was Pizza Roma, a small joint, steps away from Keste and John's pizzeria! We passed by few times and could not miss the delicious slices of pizza at the window! So here we are! We can either order pizza or some other food, but the choice for us was fairly quick! 

The way it works is that you pick what pizza you want and they will slice it for you, eat it and serve at one of the few tables near the entrance.

We decided to go for the mushroom pizza and the Cipola Y Gorgonzola (onions and gorgonzola) pizza:

as well as the plain pizza and Tricolore (Basil pesto and mozzarella di buffala):

The mushroom pizza was good except that the mushrooms were mushy. The best of all was the onion and gorgonzola one, but unfortunately there was not enough cheese! The plain was good but the pizza sauce tasted like any can you can buy...

The slice with the basil pesto and mozzarella di Buffala looked very appetizing, but the pesto was so overpowering...

So, the slices were not that great and it was expensive: more than $26 for all of this with a coke...Definitely, they cannot measure up to Keste or John's Pizza!

Enjoy (...)!

 


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Pie By The Pound in NYC, New York

Pizza is definitely one of my favorite meals, although I probably say this about everything I eat!!! I love pizza: it is comforting and often cheap. This is the type of food where you would say that less is more: a plain slice can be so good. No need to add tons of toppings on top!

A big difference between the US and France is that, in France, except in boulangeries (bakeries) and sandwicheries (for sandwiches), you cannot find pizza by the slice. So usually, in a pizzeria, people would order their own pie. I prefer by the slice because you can try few. So you can imagine how excited I was to go to Pie by the pound, where they sell slices...by the pound!!!

I tried the location near Union Square. I guess they cater to students as the place has an area with a copier, or people who want to hang out with books (mainly about food, gluten free food) and even games (not that they are only for them). 

They have a large selection of pies and what you do is choose your pie, tell them how much you want of it; they will weight it to determine the price et voila!

We selected the following slices:

The snow white (mozzarella, ricotta, oregano and garlic)

Mushroom (mozzarella, tomato sauce, portobello mushroom and arugula)

Fresh Mozzarella (fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil)

It was really good! The crust was thin and crispy. The tomato sauce was delicious (well, what makes the difference between one pizzeria and another is the tomato sauce for the most part!). My favorite was the mushroom one as it was made with fresh mushrooms that did not seem out of a can! I also appreciated that there was not too much garlic on the white pie!

Pie By The Pound is definitely a place to know for a nice, cheap bite! And if you prefer whole wheat or gluten free, they have something for you!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

A Trip to Dominique Ansel Bakery and Pulino's Bar and Pizza in NYC, New York!

Despite the rain today, we tried to make the most of the week end and decided to go to the City to get some good food! I enjoy walking in the city, even with this type of weather to either photograph the street or nature, especially flowers with rain drops on them.

Our first target was Dominique Ansel Bakery: it is not the first time we went there and, if I could, I would go every day for their Kouign Amman!

It was not even 12pm and the place was packed! I admit that we went there for the cronut, a new creation from Dominique Ansel that is a CROissant-doNUT! Such a good idea: we could not wait to try it! Unfortunately, they were sold out!!! Of course, we could not leave like that and so, we decided to order a Kouign Amman:

This is a must have at Dominique Ansel Bakery! Imagine a croissant packed in butter and covered with a bit of sugar. Trust me: if you try one, you will dream about it and go back there just for it! But, what is great about this bakery is that they take classic French pastries and put a twist to it! Like the Paris New York that I also tried today:

The Paris-New York is inspired by the Paris-Brest, a French pastry, made of choux pastry and a praline flavored cream. In this one, the cream is made with peanut butter! It was very good, not too sweet and not heavy, with a nice balance between the peanut butter and the chocolate.

Then, we decided to walk uptown, under the rain, thinking that a bibimbap in Korea Town would be perfect for this weather. While walking, I started to have my mind thinking about all the places we could go to , maybe closer, such as ramen or Italian, but Jodi really wanted bibimbap, until I mentioned Pulino's Pizza! We were just passing by W Houston and she pushed me on my right to go towards that restaurant! Then, there was no possibility of changing her mind...and mine at the same time...

The last time we were there, we tried their burrata that was fantastic, as well as their four cheese pizza. We decided to order again the burrata, that is homemade:

If you like cheese, especially creamy cheese, this is for you!

It was heaven! The cream was perfect and refreshing! Combined with the crispy bread, the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar, it was an harmony of flavors dancing in my mouth!

We then decided to try the simpler pizza you can find: the margherita.

It is composed of tomato, mozzarella, grana cheese and basil leaves. The crust was divine, a bit burnt from the brick oven, but it was not an issue at all! The pizza sauce tasted fresh and they put a lot of cheese. To conclude: very, very good!

After this second visit at Pulino's, I think that it is a great restaurant. The only negatives today are the table placing (they squeeze their customers so much that it was difficult for the table next to us to get their food without us being on the way) and the waiter was rude!

Enjoy (I did)!



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Lunch at Trattoria Saporito in Hoboken, NJ

One of my colleagues suggested Trattoria Saporito few weeks ago, so Jodi and I decided to try it. I admit that we passed in front of it few times, but never thought about going in. When we entered the restaurant, we could not miss the decor. Let's summarize by this: if Gordon Ramsay was to help them in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, he would for sure change the decor and furniture...

When we went there, we wanted to try their business lunch that offers, for $10.95 (at the time of this post) a prix-fixe where you can choose an appetizer, an entree and a soda. Pretty good deal! On top of that, they offer a wide choice of dishes, not like most of the place where choice is limited.

We started of with the appetizers. Jodi ordered the Caesar salad:

The salad was good, but a bit overdressed.

I ordered the fried calamari (calamari fritti):

It was pretty good: crispy, not rubbery and not greasy. It was served with a nice amount of marinara sauce.

Then, Jodi ordered the bucatini with eggplant and ricotta salata. 

There was a lot of sauce and the sauce was a bit watery in some part, but still good. The bucatini, that are a thicker version of spaghetti, were perfectly cooked.

I ordered my favorite dish: the linguine a la Vongole with white sauce.

I was suprised when the plate arrived as there were quite a lot of clams (a dozen). There again, there was a bit too much sauce, but I have to say that I enjoyed it! Again, the pasta were perfectly cooked. 

We finished the meal with a homemade tiramisu (additional to the prix fixe):

It was delicious, light and delightfully creamy. A great dessert!

Clearly the business lunch at Trattoria Saporito was a good deal. Imagine that with two prix-fixe lunches, a dessert and a tea, the total bill with tip was less than $41. Definitely a place to know!

Enjoy (I did)! 

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Lulu's Bakery in Queens, NYC, New York

David, one of my coworkers, brought some pastries from Lulu's, a bakery located in Queens. It was a box full of fresh mini size pastries. So, as I am fully dedicated to this blog, I had no other choice than trying few of them...

The first one was the Lulu's, a cream puff that is the specialty of the place.

The shell was very fresh and well cooked (when slightly overcooked, it can overpower the entire pastry), and the vanilla bean cream inside was very light.

Then, I got an eclair:

The top was made of some delicious dark chocolate and the inside was a vanilla cream. The shell was similar to the Lulu's. I really liked it, because of the combination of the chocolate glaze and the vanilla cream that complemented well.

The last was definitely for chocolate lovers. I call it the Dark chocolate cream puff!

It was smothered in a dark chocolate and had a very dark and dense chocolate cream inside.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the three pastries from Lulu's bakery that I tried: they tasted fresh, made with quality ingredients and, most importantly, were not too sweet, allowing people to eat several (plenty?) of them. A good address for sure!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Dinner at Courgette in NYC, New York

We went out one evening with my colleagues, to a restaurant called Courgette, located Midtown, next to the Dream Hotel. Courgette: what an interesting name! It means zucchini in French and my compatriots and myself found that it was a funny name for a restaurant and associated it with either vegetarian cuisine or a cuisine offering different variations of this green veggie. We were wrong: not only it was not vegetarian, but there was not even one zucchini on the menu!!!

It is for sure a nice place: the bricks and wood give it a warm and rustic feel. There are four areas to eat:

The bar, wide enough so you can feel comfortable:

and adjacent to the section where they cut meat:

The main dining room with its small communal table and then two different dining rooms, a small one well lighted, where the main attraction is the fish display:

And a dimmer one that can accommodate large groups.

The menu, elaborated by Estonian-born, Michelin-starred Executive Chef Andrey Korobyak is not French, contrary to what the name of the restaurant suggests: the restaurant website qualifies it as New American and for the most part, it is Italian, serving classical Italian dishes such as bruschetta, burrata, pasta...

We started off with sharing appetizers. First were the bruschetta:

Traditional bruschetta with herry tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes, onions and basil:

Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Pesto Bruschetta:

King Crab with Piquillo Pepper Bruschetta:

I thought it was a perfect appetizer to share because there were two good size bruschetta so we could split them for four people each. Like any bruschetta, it was a bit messy to eat...

Then we tried the burrata salad:

It was served with cherry tomatoes confit and a pesto sauce that paired perfectly with the soft and creamy taste of the cheese. I loved it but would have liked some toasted bread with it.

The last appetizer was the scallops:

The two sea scallops were served each on a bed of truffle mash potatoes that had mushrooms I believe it was morel) in it! It was divine: the scallops were perfectly seared and cooked, not rubbery and the mash was scrumptious with the mushrooms adding some bite to it. Definitely recommended!

Then, I ordered a Baby lamb with salsify, eggplant puree and morel mushroom sauce.

The dish was ok for me: the lamb was a bit overcooked and dry and was topped with a chicken mousse that was bland. Also, the morel sauce did not have that much mushroom taste. I liked the eggplant puree though!

I was able to try the ribeye with truffle fries and bearnaise sauce:

First of all, the presentation was beautiful and very appetizing. My friend Malika ordered it medium well, that I would normally consider a culinary blasphemy !!! It was pretty good though although I admit that the meat was not of the quality of a steakhouse (the price was not either anyway)! The meat had enough fat and a nice char on the outside.

The fries were like I love them: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, cooked perfectly all the way through. Dipped in the sauce, it was delicious. 

We skipped dessert as we were all full. It was definitely a great dinner and I recommend Courgette if you want to have a nice fine dining experience.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Neapolitan pizza at Numero 28 in NYC, New York

I did not realize until recently how many pizzerias making Neapolitan pizza there are in NYC! Lots of pizza places yes, but Neapolitan, no. So, we were looking for a pizza place downtown and found Numero 28 whose name comes from its location on the Number 28 of Carmine street. 

Similar to many pizza places we visited, it has a rustic feel that makes you immediately comfortable and confident that you have found the perfect place for your meal.

Sadly, the brick oven was located in the room next to the dinning room; having it visible by the patrons gives an additional dimension to the experience as it is always fascinating to see the pizza going in and then out, bubbling and hot.

They did not have burrata as an appetizer, thus we decided to order two pizzas. In fact, they serve pizza in three sizes: small, medium and large. So the two pizzas we ordered were small size, that corresponded to 4 slices each.

The first one was the Margherita.

Margherita is made with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil.

The pizza was delicious: the tomato sauce was fantastic and they were generous with cheese. The crust was pretty good and crispy with a nice char.

The second pizza was 5 cheese pizza:

The 5 cheeses were Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano, Fontina and Provolone. In this one too, there was a lot of cheese.

Unfortunately, I think it was a bit overcooked: the cheese was not gooey but a bit hard. It was decent though.

The pizza was good at Numero 28, but clearly not as good as the one we had at Lombardi's, Pulino's or San Matteo.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen - NYC, New York

I noticed Nizza few times while walking in Hell's Kitchen and always thought that it would be nice to try it. We ended up there really by chance as we originally wanted to go to another restaurant across the street, that, although we had a reservation, was closed when we arrived! 

It was early and the place was not that crowded. At first, I did not really think about it, but, after looking at the menu and one particular dish that I will describe later, I realized that Nizza means Nice in Italian. Nice is a city South of France, that is close to Italy, that I visited often when I was a kid, to see some Family. But, despite its French translation, Nizza is still an Italian restaurant that serves pizza, pasta...

The place is nice, yellow being the main pattern to the decor, with an amazing bar.

After we ordered, they brought us some delicious focaccia bread with olive oil.

The bread was light, airy and fresh. I could not stop dipping it in the olive oil!

Then, we shared the Gorgonzola crostini:

They were served with dolce latte and a fig jam. It was very good. The bread, that was toasted, had a nice crunch and the Gorgonzola cheese paired very well with the fig jam.

Jodi ordered the Socca:

Socca is a thicker version of a crepe made of chickpea. This is the dish that made me do the link with Nice; although it originated in Genoa, in Italy, you cannot visit Nice and not have Socca! At Nizza, it was served with two over easy eggs, Swiss chard, onions and fontina cheese. I liked it. It is different from the Socca I know, because I use to eat it simply with salt and pepper, but I liked it wen mixed with the eggs (especially the runny yolk) and the cheese.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict:

It was composed of 2 poached eggs, toasted focaccia, Italian ham and parmesan cream sauce. That was fantastic! The eggs were perfectly cooked, with a runny yolk where I delightfully dipped the focaccia bread, adding to the bite some very good ham. 

We skipped dessert as we had to go see a movie, but had a very good brunch at Nizza. In fact, I was very happy that the other restaurant ended up closed....

Enoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

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Neapolitan Pizza at San Matteo Pizzeria in NYC, New York

After watching the TV show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" that took place in Naples, and seeing some mouth watering Neapolitan pizza, we decided to try San Matteo on the Upper East Side. What I did not know, before watching the show and looking on the internet, is that there are certain rules to follow for the pizza to be called Neapolitan. These rules can be found on the website of The True Neapolitan Pizza Association. For instance:

• The dough ball must weigh between 180 and 250 grams.
• ingredients should be flour type "00", sea salt and water with a Ph of 6 to 7 (with a temperature of 20 to 22 degree Celsius). The yeast must be compressed, biologically produced.
• The pizza is created with a single dough ball, with a motion from the center outward, and with the pressure from the fingers from both hands. From the center, the thickness must be about 0.4 cm (+ or - 10%) and the border 1 to 2 cm.

These are just few examples, but there are plenty of rules such as which tomatoes to use. And I do not know why, but knowing this made me look at the pizza differently!

So here we are on the Upper East Side, excited to go to a restaurant that is making such pizza. Walking there, I have to say that we could have missed it, also because we were not expecting such a tiny place!

I liked the place: small with a lot of character, it had some authenticity to it and a rustic feel.

In the back of the room, was the brick oven, another criterion to have a pizza called Neapolitan!

We started off with the burrata:

The plate was very appetizing and had fantastic colors between the green from the salad and the olives, the red from the tomatoes and the black of the balsamic vinegar, that contrasted perfectly with the white of the burrata. If you do not know what burrata is, it is made of mozzarella (outer shell) with cheese inside. Fresh, it is exquisite!

From the discussion we had with the people from the restaurant, we understood that there were shipping their mozzarella directly from Italy!

This burrata was good, but not the best I ever tried for sure. I found that the mozzarella was a bit tougher than it should be. I, anyway, enjoyed it!

Then, we got a pizza! We decided to go with a traditional one: the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil).

I could have definitely eaten that pizza myself. Again, the contrast of colors and the blob of the crust made it extremely appetizing. Just look at the crust on the photo below and tell me you would not want a bite of it!

Yes, that crust was fantastic, as was the pizza! It tasted fresh (they put fresh basil leaves) and they were generous with the mozzarella. It was soft in the center and crispy on the outside. Perfect and yummy!

San Matteo is definitely a little gem on the Upper East Side! The food is good and the service courteous and fast. I definitely want to try other pizzas over there!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria in NYC, New York

I am a big fan of Chef Mario Batali and used to watch him on Iron Chef America. I love his spirit and creativity; he does not seems, at least on TV, to be one of these Chefs who think they are better than everybody else. What he did with Checf Bastianich at Eataly is phenomenal, bringing the best of Italian food in the heart of NYC!

So, this time, we went to Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria. The place is big, with three main rooms. The first one reminds me of Eataly with the high tables where you can have some delicious food:

We sat at the main dining room, that was very classy but had a rustic feel to it. 

Another similarity with Eataly is the way they serve bread, in brown paper, with some delicious olive oil:

Interestingly, they played some Italian opera, that sometimes was a bit too aggressive for my ears, but quite funny considering that I could easily imagine Chef Batali singing it while cooking.

We decided to share some antipasti (from my most to least favorite - clockwise):

• Eggplant Caponatina: eggplants with tomatoes and pine nuts.
• Funghi Misti: sauteed mushrooms.
• Brussel sprouts.

Then, we got the Quattro Formaggi pizza:

The cheeses are: mozzarella, taleggio (one of my favorites!), cacio and ricotta. As you can see on the photo, the way they serve it is different from other pizzerias: usually, the different cheeses are mixed. Here, they stand on their own quarter of pizza! I was at first a bit disappointed as I love when the pizza is overflown by cheese that are mixed together. But, then, I was able to try each of them and it was great! My favorite was of course the taleggio, then the cacio, the ricotta and the mozzarella. The pizza sauce was delicious with a rich tomato taste, and the thin crust of the pizza was splendid.

Last, I ordered a hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream and shortbread (was in fact a biscotti):

I loved it! I was scared at first that the hazelnut would overpower the chocolate, but it was not the case: the rich flavor of the cocoa came through and was really comforting. This is definitely a great hot cocoa!

We had a great lunch at Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria: they have a large choice of antipasti that are a nice option for sharing and I would probably go back to try some of their homemade pasta or a different kind of pizza. Note that they offer a large selection of wine and even give some wine classes over the week end.  On Tuesdays, they sometimes host wine and cheese events!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Brunch at Locanda Verde in Tribeca - NYC, New York

Tribeca is a splendid neighborhood in downtown Manhattan: quiet, it is known for its Film Festival thanks to Robert De Niro, celebrities (Robert De Niro - again- with his restaurants) and its luxurious lofts that I unfortunately only saw on TV shows! 

Jodi and I wanted to go for brunch and I got the idea of Tribeca from my last visit there, to review Thalassa (check the review of Thalassa here). I looked up for restaurant and found Locanda Verde, where Chef Andrew Carmellini serves Italian cuisine. It is a gorgeous place with high ceiling in the tradition of Tribeca, wood everywhere and leather banquettes. There was definitely a warm atmosphere mixed with a feeling that it is the hype place to see and to be seen. In fact, couple of minutes after we came, we saw Katie Holmes and Suri!!!

We decided to share an appetizer and then have each an entree. We started off with the Sheep’s Milk Ricotta:

It was served with some toasted bread (burnt orange as they say, but not sure I tasted the orange flavor), truffle honey and herbs. It was very light, refreshing and delicate. You could definitely taste the truffle and I loved the sweetness of the honey that was accentuated by the cheese, ricotta being not very tasty if eaten alone. It was the perfect appetizer to share. A bit more honey would have been better considering the generous amount of ricotta they give you.

Then, Jodi got the zucchini frittata:

It was served with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. This was just ok for me: the eggs were well cooked and moist, but the zucchini could have been cooked a bit more. I also expected more goat cheese and there was only a tiny portion of it!

I ordered the Soft Scrambled Farm Egg Crostino:

It is in fact scrambled eggs, served on a piece of toasted bread, accompanied by some speck and a salad made with leeks and mushrooms. The scrambled eggs were perfect: not overcooked, they were fluffy and moist. However, the salad was way too salty! A good dish though!

We skipped dessert as we wanted to have it somewhere else...

I enjoyed my dish and the appetizer, but the frittata was just ok. It is a good place though, but a bit pricey, that is not surprising for Tribeca...

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Italian Doughnuts at Bomboloni in NYC, New York

I think there is a misconception in Europe about doughnuts! Yes, There are always associated to the US, thanks to number of movies were you see people (shall I say mainly from the police force?), eating them. They have nothing unique in the sense that many countries have a similar treat, but a different name. You do not believe me? Check this out:

- The sugar twist is called chichi in South of France. I had quite a few when I was a kid...

- Germany has the Berliner.

- Italy has the Bomboloni!

If you are curious to try a Bomboloni, go to...Bomboloni on the Upper West Side! This joint offers these delicious filled doughnuts with plenty of mouth watering flavors: coconut, nutella, creme brulee, tiramisu, apricot, strawberry...

Jodi decided to order the coconut one:

I ordered the Nutella one!

The doughnut itself was nice and airy. The fillings were good, although I would have liked to taste more of the Nutella! I certainly appreciated the fact that this was not too sweet!

It is definitely a nice treat and the creativity they show with their fillings makes me want to try more flavors...

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Italian dinner at Montpeliano in London, England

For our last dinner in London, we ended up at Montpeliano. In fact, we were not planning on going there, but just found this place as we were going to Harrod's to see the Holidays' decorations. 

So here we are in this restaurant that had an old fashioned atmosphere rendered mainly by walls full of black and white photos of celebrities like Frank Sinatra.

The menu offers traditional Italian dishes. So, as it was after we had our treat at Fortnum and Mason, we decided to go light...

Jodi ordered some homemade tagliatelles with a butter and parmesan sauce.

The pasta were fantastic: soft and eggy. The sauce was to die for! Creamy and tasty.

On my side, I ordered my test dish: linguine a la Vongole.

What is funny is that I always ask for parmesan and the waiters always look at me as if I have 3 heads! The pasta were perfectly cooked, al dente. The clams tasted fresh and there was a nice quantity of it. Last was the broth: I always ask the white one, that is made with white wine. It was delicious and tasty, but I have to say that the best I ever had was at Morandi in NYC! But it was definitely good!

We skipped dessert, but I am sure they had some good ones there! It was definitely a good dinner. A bit overpriced though...By the way, they make you pay a cover charge...

Enjoy (I did)!

Fantastic Italian Dinner at Vasco and Piero's Pavilion in London, England

A friend of a friend (interesting) suggested that we go for an Italian dinner at Vasco and Piero's Pavilion in the heart of Soho.

This is a small restaurant that was packed all evening. I like the simple decor and the atmosphere that gave the impression we were in somebody's house!

After they sat us to our table, they graciously offered us some prosecco.

This was a nice gesture from them and a good sign that this whole experience would be fantastic!

We ordered some appetizers first. As soon as we saw that they had some burrata on the menu, we ordered it!!!

It was served with cherry tomatoes. The burrata was amazing! The shell was soft and the heart creamy. I could have eaten this all day! It tasted so fresh!

The second appetizer was a pear carpaccio.

That was fantastic! The pear was juicy and sweet and it complemented very well the sharpness of the parmesan. It was a great dish: simple, tasty with clean flavors.

Jodi ordered some tuna.

It was seared and served with lentils and spinach. This was delicious! The tuna was perfectly cooked and moist. The presentation was very appetizing. A great dish!

On my side, I ordered the homemade tagliatelles with beef ragu. I went for the small size as they proposed small or regular.

This was fantastic too! The tagliatelles were soft and eggy and the beef ragu was to die for! Thick and tasty with bold flavors. I think I could have licked the plate.

Last was dessert. As we were in an Italian restaurant, we went for the tiramisu.

It was a phenomenal way of finishing this fantastic dinner! It was very light and creamy. Not too sweet, it had good hints of coffee. Fabulous!

This is definitely a great place to dine in! I loved it and would certainly go back the next time I am in London!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at Telepan in NYC, New York

Our friend booked a table at Telepan for a Sunday Brunch. This restaurant gets its name from its Chef and Owner Bill Telepan. It has been opened many years ago and seem to remain the place to go for a delicious meal. The space itself is interesting as it is made of 2 conjoint townhouses and one would think that it is setup like a labyrinth. The atmosphere is more stuffy than cool and I can imagine that at dinner it is worse than at lunch...

The restaurant proposes a brunch prix-fixe for $32 that includes a bread basket, an appetizer and an entree. 

From the bread basket, I especially appreciated the focaccia bread that was delicious!

For the appetizers, Jodi ordered the baby romaine salad.

It was served with dry monterey jack dressing and garlic & herb croutons. Nothing extraordinary about it.

On my side, I ordered the Semolina Cream Crepes.

They were served with sauteed butternut squash and brown sugar sauce. The cream was inside the crepe and this was a succulent dish! I wish I had more! The crepes were fantastic: great texture and perfectly made. What was the most incredible is the balance of flavors when the semolina cream and the butternut squash / brown sugar sauce met! This was a fantastic taste I will not forget! This appetizer is definitely a hit!

For the entree, Jodi went for the mushroom and herb omelet.

The omelet was perfect: no brown as Wolfgang Puck would make them (I watched the first episode of Top Chef where he explained how to make a perfect omelet), fluffy and moist. Very good omelet!

On my side, I chose the Kabocha Squash Tortelloni.

Tortelloni are stuffed pasta with a shape similar to tortellini (I did not know when I ordered...). There was not only squash, but also mushrooms and the dish was drizzled with a balsamic reduction (that was very good). I liked the dish although I found that the pasta was a bit hard in some parts and thick. Not sure if tortelloni are supposed to be this way, but it gave a doughy taste to it.

So, brunch was good and I bet they serve a killer dinner, but it is for sure pricey! At least for $32 they could include a drink!

Enjoy (I did)!