Valentine's Day dinners can be a lot of pressure, I'm sure. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the holiday asides from it's an excuse to eat some chocolate, which I'm also not the biggest fan of. I was pleasantly surprised by the price fix menu at La Follia, unfortunately for me it was comprised of slight "V-day" variations of their normal menu, and I can't return until perhaps next year for what was quite possibly the best truffle polenta of my life.
The restaurant is split into two parts, so it makes the ambiance a little calmer, and quieter. I don't enjoy having to yell in order to articulate a point in my conversation. The wait staff was attentive, and the runners quickly brought the food out. Maybe again, because it was a pre-set menu with limited dining options, but let's chalk it up to the wonderful runners out there. There are steps leading into the kitchen, which I think can only spell catastrophe for the staff, but everything managed to go fine, with food placed on the bar and then brought over either by a runner or waitstaff.
The restaurant itself is warm, without being overdone. They have small plates of meats and cheeses, and the menu includes some health conscious items as well as a lighter take on some Italian classics. So grab your significant other, or a friend, and walk over, enjoy the evening together and get a new spin on an old food.
WHAT TO BITE? The polenta, $8 and whatever you do, try the truffle fries.. your dining companion will be jealous, $5.
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Paul & Jimmy's, 123 E 18th (btwn Park & Irving)
My Grandparents are very particular about where they eat. When you have been on this planet as long as they have, I can't blame a person for saying "this what I want, this is where I'm going, no I will not try something new". Paul and Jimmy's also happens to be around the corner from my Aunt's apartment where she's been for the last 30 years. It's traditional Italian, except for Penna alla Vodka, which I love, but is about as Italian as pepperoni. I also found out recently that my favorite dish, tortellini della nonna was taken off the menu and replaced with a similar, yet different enough dish. So, I'm a little sad, but I guess I'll resolve myself to having the vodka sauce, please.
Unfortunately, Paul and Jimmy's has been underneath a scaffold for the last few years due to construction in the brownstone above them, which asides from breaking some laws, is a shame since their outdoor seating is so lovely. The inside of the restaurant has a gigantic mural on the back wall, which reminds me of the touristy restaurants in Italy. Maybe that's what this place is, but I like it. The wait staff is always so kind and they don't rush you. Again, that could be attributed to dining here usually around 5pm, but regardless I've always felt like my meal is something to be enjoyed, not rushed through. There are some large tables in the back, so it's nice to go with a big group. Note, it's not family style.
WHAT TO BITE? Since my favorite dish was cut and replaced with the Tortellini della Panna, I'm going to go to another classic: Pollo all Scarpariello, $20.
Unfortunately, Paul and Jimmy's has been underneath a scaffold for the last few years due to construction in the brownstone above them, which asides from breaking some laws, is a shame since their outdoor seating is so lovely. The inside of the restaurant has a gigantic mural on the back wall, which reminds me of the touristy restaurants in Italy. Maybe that's what this place is, but I like it. The wait staff is always so kind and they don't rush you. Again, that could be attributed to dining here usually around 5pm, but regardless I've always felt like my meal is something to be enjoyed, not rushed through. There are some large tables in the back, so it's nice to go with a big group. Note, it's not family style.
WHAT TO BITE? Since my favorite dish was cut and replaced with the Tortellini della Panna, I'm going to go to another classic: Pollo all Scarpariello, $20.
Caffe Buon Gusto, 236 E. 77th (btwn 2nd & 3rd)
After studying abroad, one of my traveling companies and I would get lonesome for the relaxing evenings we had overlooking Rome and eating mountains of pasta. Such moods would often lead us to Caffe Buon Gusto, where you can compliment any pasta with any sauce (much like the famed Pastarita Pizzerito "chain" in Italy). The food is fantastic, the atmosphere at both locations is relaxing, and the service is always wonderful... especially when your dining companion attempts to set you on fire.
Often times I'll complain that restaurants in New York try to cram in too many tables. Then I remember that life is a business, and they need to serve more customers. Caffe Buon Gusto is a small restaurant, where the table generally consists of a bread basket, candle, oil and vinegar, your plates and glasses and not an inch of visible tablecloth. Now, the delicious bread basket has a fatal flaw. No, not that it magically gets refilled, but because they line it (or at least that day they did) with a paper napkin. Well folks, I'm pretty sure you can see where this story is going. Candle + paper napkin + small table + fearful friend = blow it out in the direction away from fearful friend and closer to me. Needless to say, we all had a great laugh after and were returned a bread basket (napkin free) and continued our evening.
While I have only ordered a non-pasta entree once, I hear that when you have it delivered (as many of my fellow classmates in law school did) they provide you with your entree, a side of pasta, a small salad and bread for the same price. Pretty fantastic, I think. What I go for however, is the pasta. It's pasta here, not macaroni. The other day I caught myself saying I never had good carbonara in the United States. I think I might have tricked myself into remembering this falsehood because carbonara is so deliciously bad for you. But when in Rome (or the Upper East Side), one can indulge in a fresh pasta complimented by a lavishly rich sauce, or any of their other numerous sauces (my flaming dining companion loves their pesto). You can also add on some protein to the pasta dish, I go for the sausage. If a seemingly endless bowl of pasta isn't your thing, try one of their delicious eggplant dishes (they do the trifecta: parmigiana, rollatina or bolognese). And you'll most certainly want to leave room for dessert. Great for a date, or an intimate dinner, but I wouldn't go here with a terribly large party unless you plan on renting out the place.
PS - This location only takes Amex so, Visa and Mastercard holders, stop bye the ATM first.
WHAT TO BITE? Carbonara over your choice of fresh pasta, $11.95
Often times I'll complain that restaurants in New York try to cram in too many tables. Then I remember that life is a business, and they need to serve more customers. Caffe Buon Gusto is a small restaurant, where the table generally consists of a bread basket, candle, oil and vinegar, your plates and glasses and not an inch of visible tablecloth. Now, the delicious bread basket has a fatal flaw. No, not that it magically gets refilled, but because they line it (or at least that day they did) with a paper napkin. Well folks, I'm pretty sure you can see where this story is going. Candle + paper napkin + small table + fearful friend = blow it out in the direction away from fearful friend and closer to me. Needless to say, we all had a great laugh after and were returned a bread basket (napkin free) and continued our evening.
While I have only ordered a non-pasta entree once, I hear that when you have it delivered (as many of my fellow classmates in law school did) they provide you with your entree, a side of pasta, a small salad and bread for the same price. Pretty fantastic, I think. What I go for however, is the pasta. It's pasta here, not macaroni. The other day I caught myself saying I never had good carbonara in the United States. I think I might have tricked myself into remembering this falsehood because carbonara is so deliciously bad for you. But when in Rome (or the Upper East Side), one can indulge in a fresh pasta complimented by a lavishly rich sauce, or any of their other numerous sauces (my flaming dining companion loves their pesto). You can also add on some protein to the pasta dish, I go for the sausage. If a seemingly endless bowl of pasta isn't your thing, try one of their delicious eggplant dishes (they do the trifecta: parmigiana, rollatina or bolognese). And you'll most certainly want to leave room for dessert. Great for a date, or an intimate dinner, but I wouldn't go here with a terribly large party unless you plan on renting out the place.
PS - This location only takes Amex so, Visa and Mastercard holders, stop bye the ATM first.
WHAT TO BITE? Carbonara over your choice of fresh pasta, $11.95
Milano Market, 1582 3rd Ave (@ 89th)
Milano Market might be the number one reason I would move back to the upper east side. Before there was Buon Italian in Chelsea Market, and way before there was Batali's infamous Eataly, there was Milano Market. When I craved Italian food, especially before meeting friends and sunning in the park, we'd stop here and get some food. They have everything from cured olives, to delicious meats, fresh cheeses, wonderful bread and tons of prepared food that was most certainly prepared with time and detail.
Not only can you walk in here and get just about any Italian delicacy, but they have the basics too. Like San Benedetto orange 'soda' which is the total opposite of sunkist but way better than organgina. There isn't anywhere to eat, but that's ok, all the more room to stuff the store with a massive selection of mulino bianco cookies. Yum.
WHAT TO BITE? Go for the pre-made dishes, they vary in price, but one of my favorites is the fusilli ricotta salata, $4.49/lb.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Pete's Tavern, 129 E. 18th St. (@ Irving Pl.)
I've been coming to Pete's Tavern since I can remember. My Aunt lives across the street so, when we were kids, our dining options were limited to the area near her apartment, or the area near FAO Schwartz. Pete's is where you go for a no-fuss meal, be it a pot of mussels, a burger, or my personal favorite, brunch.
I know there are a few (crazy) people out there that have a huge disdain for brunch. I am not one of them. Growing up, and still to this day, Christmas is centered around brunch. You got to have the sugary cereal, cinnamon buns and my favorite, bacon. I'm an eggs kind of girl, so a cobb salad marries those breakfast flavors and beefs it up a little bit. There is the bacon, egg and cheese, all on my plate, in a slightly different medium, but delicious all the same.
I was challenged once that Pete's Tavern didn't have a Cobb Salad. I was told I was crazy, that I was mixing up my restaurant and dismissed as not being a reliable source for food information. Well, as you can imagine, that got my goat. I immediately pulled up menupages on my iPhone and showed in big bold letters under the Brunch Menu "Pete's Cobb Salad". Pete's is unassuming. They serve consistent good food made by methods I can only imagine have been used since the place opened in 1864.
WHAT TO BITE? Pete's Cobb Salad (brunch only!), $7.95 or a charcoal grilled burger, $9.95.
I know there are a few (crazy) people out there that have a huge disdain for brunch. I am not one of them. Growing up, and still to this day, Christmas is centered around brunch. You got to have the sugary cereal, cinnamon buns and my favorite, bacon. I'm an eggs kind of girl, so a cobb salad marries those breakfast flavors and beefs it up a little bit. There is the bacon, egg and cheese, all on my plate, in a slightly different medium, but delicious all the same.
I was challenged once that Pete's Tavern didn't have a Cobb Salad. I was told I was crazy, that I was mixing up my restaurant and dismissed as not being a reliable source for food information. Well, as you can imagine, that got my goat. I immediately pulled up menupages on my iPhone and showed in big bold letters under the Brunch Menu "Pete's Cobb Salad". Pete's is unassuming. They serve consistent good food made by methods I can only imagine have been used since the place opened in 1864.
WHAT TO BITE? Pete's Cobb Salad (brunch only!), $7.95 or a charcoal grilled burger, $9.95.
Paprika, 110 St. Marks Place (btwn 1st and A)
Gnocchi might be one of my favorite dishes in the world, but hardly one of my favorites in this country. So often they are too dense, too starchy or flavorless. Paprika surprised me. A Northern-Italian inspired menu that brought simple mountain food to the East Village. Typically I eat Southern-Italian food because those flavors are more recognizable and thus more prevalent in American cooking, but up North, they know what they are doing. Especially when it comes to the gnocchi.
Paprika is a small restaurant, so I wouldn't bring the whole office here, but it is on a quiet tree lined street away from the annoying NYU kids getting piercings in god knows what places. The restaurant has an Italian charm to it, like you just came in from hiking in cinque terre and you're starving for dinner. What Paprika serves you is a dish that has layer upon layer of flavor. It's simplistic and complex at the same time, comforting and inviting. If a bowl of pasta could wrap itself around you instead of vice versa, this is the place I'd come.
WHAT TO BITE? Homemade Gnocchi with Prosciutto, Sage and Tomato Sauce, $12.50.
Paprika is a small restaurant, so I wouldn't bring the whole office here, but it is on a quiet tree lined street away from the annoying NYU kids getting piercings in god knows what places. The restaurant has an Italian charm to it, like you just came in from hiking in cinque terre and you're starving for dinner. What Paprika serves you is a dish that has layer upon layer of flavor. It's simplistic and complex at the same time, comforting and inviting. If a bowl of pasta could wrap itself around you instead of vice versa, this is the place I'd come.
WHAT TO BITE? Homemade Gnocchi with Prosciutto, Sage and Tomato Sauce, $12.50.
Peasant, 194 Elizabeth Street (btwn Prince St. & Spring St.)
I went to Peasant Friday night for dinner, a nice little Italian place down the block from Public in Nolita. It's Christmas, and as soon as you walked in, the place reminded you of the holidays. They have two large brick ovens in the back, open kitchen, and a tasteful Christmas tree in the corner.
Reviewed as having bad service, I want to amend that by saying the service isn't bad, but the front of the house was. While I understand a reservation doesn't guarantee you that you will be seated immediately, it does give way to a little common courtesy when the diners have been waiting for 20 minutes. The front of the house didn't acknowledge us standing near the bar, nor did they come over to say "oh I'm terribly sorry, you're table will be ready in a just a few minutes". This left a bad taste in my mouth, because as most of my friends know, I don't like waiting. I can't get terribly mad at the restaurant, in part it is not their fault. I unfortunately have many friends who are consistently late to dinner, causing our reservation to have upwards of 30 minutes added to the table's allotted time, resulting in the next seating being late. So I understand, but that doesn't absolve you from some pleasantries in the meantime. As for the actual dining service, it was impeccable. Our food came out quickly, our waiter and busboy was attentive in filling our glasses with water and keeping our table neat.
Now onto the food. I have to say the aroma of freshly cooked bread and slight smokiness of the restaurant made me salivate as soon as the bread and fresh ricotta cheese was placed in front of me. Not to dive on one's food but, that's pretty much what we did. The rest of the meal with a nice mix of Northern Italian classics done simply, and the fire hearth certainly added a flavor to the food you can't get with a gas range. I was thrilled to see a white pizza (it bothers me that they call it Pizza Bianca, because that's just bread with olive oil and seasoning on it, despite the literal translation in English) with mortadella on it. Who doesn't love a fatty piece of meal with pine nuts? I was so stuffed with bread and cheese and crackling pig skin that we didn't even try dessert, but I did see more bread puddings shot out of the kitchen than appetizers so, they must be doing something right.
The restaurant itself is dimly lit and the space is rather large so it's nice for a date because you can actually hear the person across from the table. Also, I must say, that the size of the table itself was fantastic. So many times I find myself crammed onto a tiny table that barely fits a dinner plate and a water glass. When I first sat down I though "wow, I'm really far away from my dining companion" but, shortly thereafter I realized how fantastic it would be to have a bread plate, water glass and my entree on the table at the same time. Kudos to you, Peasant.
WHAT TO BITE? Cotechino (fresh pork sausage and warm lentils), $16
Reviewed as having bad service, I want to amend that by saying the service isn't bad, but the front of the house was. While I understand a reservation doesn't guarantee you that you will be seated immediately, it does give way to a little common courtesy when the diners have been waiting for 20 minutes. The front of the house didn't acknowledge us standing near the bar, nor did they come over to say "oh I'm terribly sorry, you're table will be ready in a just a few minutes". This left a bad taste in my mouth, because as most of my friends know, I don't like waiting. I can't get terribly mad at the restaurant, in part it is not their fault. I unfortunately have many friends who are consistently late to dinner, causing our reservation to have upwards of 30 minutes added to the table's allotted time, resulting in the next seating being late. So I understand, but that doesn't absolve you from some pleasantries in the meantime. As for the actual dining service, it was impeccable. Our food came out quickly, our waiter and busboy was attentive in filling our glasses with water and keeping our table neat.
Now onto the food. I have to say the aroma of freshly cooked bread and slight smokiness of the restaurant made me salivate as soon as the bread and fresh ricotta cheese was placed in front of me. Not to dive on one's food but, that's pretty much what we did. The rest of the meal with a nice mix of Northern Italian classics done simply, and the fire hearth certainly added a flavor to the food you can't get with a gas range. I was thrilled to see a white pizza (it bothers me that they call it Pizza Bianca, because that's just bread with olive oil and seasoning on it, despite the literal translation in English) with mortadella on it. Who doesn't love a fatty piece of meal with pine nuts? I was so stuffed with bread and cheese and crackling pig skin that we didn't even try dessert, but I did see more bread puddings shot out of the kitchen than appetizers so, they must be doing something right.
The restaurant itself is dimly lit and the space is rather large so it's nice for a date because you can actually hear the person across from the table. Also, I must say, that the size of the table itself was fantastic. So many times I find myself crammed onto a tiny table that barely fits a dinner plate and a water glass. When I first sat down I though "wow, I'm really far away from my dining companion" but, shortly thereafter I realized how fantastic it would be to have a bread plate, water glass and my entree on the table at the same time. Kudos to you, Peasant.
WHAT TO BITE? Cotechino (fresh pork sausage and warm lentils), $16
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