Restaurant Review: Bianca

The husband and I went for one of those perfect New York meals. The kind that you can only get in this city. It isn't just about the food - it is that feeling that you are in an amazing place, and everyone else in the room feels it too. The energy isn't really quantifiable or tangible - it's just there. It has something to do with the lighting, the people you pass on the way in, the weather, the noise, but again I couldn't really describe what makes it great.

So I will stick with describing the food. The said meal took place at Bianca, an Italian restaurant specializing in delicacies from Emiglia-Romagna. (Blogger doesn't work well with macs so no link function - here is a link to menupages - http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=2&restaurantid=6230&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=35).


5 Bleecker St, New York, 10012

We had to wait for about 20 minutes for a table - time easily passed at the bar next door, Von. The host (owner?) George was pretty amazing. You don't usually see someone that attentive at these little places. We don't like waiting for tables as a rule, but George could probably have made us wait for more then an hour and we still would have been smiling when we were seated.

We started the meal with gnocco fritto, fried puffs of dough served with a cheese that appeared to be a type of mascarpone. The husband indulged me by ordering these - he isn't often up for fried foods - but they were pretty fantastic. The dough was light and the cheese was just tangy enough.

We also split a salad of shredded artichokes dressed in a lemon vinaigrette and topped with slivers of Parmigianno Reggiano. Any guilt from the previous appetizer was wiped clean with the fresh, clean, flavors of this salad. I've never had artichokes quite like this, they were crispy - even crunchy - and I loved the way the dish didn't taste quite finished unless eaten with the sharp parm.

On to entrees, I had the lasagna with a bechamel and meat sauce. Rich doesn't quite describe this dish. I am pretty sure the pasta was fresh, it was those super thin sheets that mush into one another when you cut it with a fork. No slippery lasagna sheets that spread apart when you try to eat it. The sauce was tomatoey and meaty and cheesy all at once. I ate the second half of it yesterday for lunch and it was almost as good as the first time around.

The husband had pasta with broccoli rabe, sausage, and olive oil. No bitterness in the broccoli rabe. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was light but packed with flavor. This was one of their specials that night.

Finally, for dessert we shared the tiramisu. I usually order a tiramisu at every new Italian restaurant I try - it is sort of a litmus test for me. There are so many Italian restaurants that are great, I feel like I need something by which to rate them. Well, Bianca gets high marks here. It was sort of a deconstructed tiramisu. There was a big layer of whipped topping, then a layer of what seemed to be espresso powder and chocolate chunks, and on the bottom - the coffee soaked ladyfingers. Not watery at all and the proportions of each ingredient were just right.

Add a bottle of red wine to the mix, a warm night, and that indescribable New York thing and it reminds me why I live here.

Burger Joint

Quick post about Burger Joint. at Le Parker Meridien.

I plan on doing a longer post about my favorite burgers in Manhattan, but in the meantime take a look at one that is very high on the list. I love it for how big it is, for the bun (not to big, very soft) for all the fixings you can get with it, for it's juiciness, that it is cheap, and for the fact that it is served in a brown paper bag. The no atmosphere space is great also.



This burger was enjoyed a few weeks ago when I stopped there for a bite with a friend before a matinee at the Ziegfeld. (Great movie theater btw)

As a note: we got there just before 12pm and walked right up to the front. Ten minutes later, the line was out the door. As much as I love this burger, it really isn't worth waiting forever to get it.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

The husband and I are both suckers for old New York. Which is why, I think, we refuse to give up on Grand Central Oyster Bar. We have a tradition, that once a year we will go to GCOB for oysters, soup, and a couple of beers. This order is usually pretty safe - other menu items are pretty inconsistent. But the oysters and soup are typically very good and when you add in the atmosphere (we only eat at the bar) - it is usually great.



So that is what we did a few weeks ago. And sadly, it may be the last time. Everything was very mediocre. The soup wasn't bad, just nothing special and a little gloopy. The beer we ended up with was pretty good but that was after being told that they were out of the first two we asked for. They were also out of crab cakes, so we ended up with fried shrimp with a remoulade - they were fine. Here's what the oysters looked like. Some were uneatably huge. I guess we could have asked for small ones - we just asked for whatever was freshest.



I haven't given up completely - but it isn't a yearly event that I am looking forward to as much as I once did.

Shanghai Cuisine

Last weekend the husband and I had a lunch date at Shanghai Cuisine.



It was a cold day and really the only thing that would help were soup dumplings. I had been to New Green Bo a week or two earlier and was disappointed, so I was wary.

Was my relationship with soup dumplings over? Doesn't anyone say goodbye anymore?


Alas, there was no need to worry, the relationship is strong.

In my mind, soup dumplings are truly a genius creation. Up there with the paper clip, and the wheel. If you haven't had them, dumpling filled with pork and soup served with vinegar and ginger.

Go to SC now - eat soup dumplings.

The pea shoots were also good.

As was the chicken and taro root casserole.

Beppe Review and Camera Struggles

I tried to post the pictures from my new camera this morning and was able to download them but then couldn't get them onto blogger. Grrrr.

My frustration is mellowed with the delicious muffin, (corn or polenta I think) I am eating right now courtesy of Beppe Restaurant on 22nd between Park and Madison.

I was treated to a lovely dinner there last night. It had been on my list of places to try as Tuscan food is high up there on favorites.

The reviews I've read suggest that people either love or hate this restaurant. My opinion falls just a hair slight of "love" and lands in the "I REALLY, REALLY like" category.

For starters, we split the CRESPELLE, a chestnut crepe filled with stewed duck and black trumpet mushrooms. This has to be one of my favorite appetizers of all time. There were hints of truffle, and "stewed duck" was an understatement - it tasted like it had been slow cooked for ages and then just a little more for good measure, and the mushrooms had the perfect amount of bite.

For the next course we split the NORCINO, butcher’s spaghetti with crumbled pork, garlic, Chianti, rosemary, and tomato. Again, this didn't disappoint. It was basically a ragu, and the spaghetti was thinner and more delicate then I expected, a pleasant surprise. Though a bit on the salty side, I would definitely order this again.

On to the entrees, I had the PESCATRICE, Pancetta wrapped monkfish medallions with beets and mixed local potatoes. I didn't love this. The beets were good, but it is hard to screw up beets. The fish was just bland. Not much too it for me. Luckily I was pretty stuffed from the first two dishes.

My dining companion had the GAMBERONI, spicy large shrimp with blood orange, fennel, and puntarelle salad. This was very good. The shrimp was nicely grilled and definitely spicy. I think she had the perfect meal with this one.

Oh, I almost forgot, we split the special fries which I had read about. I could recommend this restaurant for the fries alone. Not only were they perfectly crispy, but they were loaded with flash fried herbs. They begged for a delicious burger topped with Roquefort cheese...but that's another meal.

No room for dessert, but the espresso was very good.

Of course, the Beppe experience is topped off this morning with the muffin I referenced above. A great touch when a restaurant sends you home with a treat.

So, if not for the monkfish and the slight saltiness of the pasta, I would have said that I loved this restaurant - but hey, it is Valentine's Day so maybe I will forgive these shortcomings and drop the L bomb on Beppe.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Anyone have special plans?

Superbowl Party

As promised, a post about the Superbowl Party we threw on Sunday. I love cooking for the Super Bowl because there is nothing fancy about it. I also tend to make things that I don't make any other time of the year.

Like Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip.



Recipe:
Poach 2lbs of chicken breast and shred. Place on the bottom of a large lasagna pan or casserole dish. Pour an entire bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce (it is important that it is Frank's). Mix well.

On stove, mix 2 8oz boxes of cream cheese with a bottle of ranch or blue cheese dressing (I used blue cheese ranch)over medium heat until smooth and bubbly.

Pour this on top of chicken. Top with about 1 cup of chopped celery. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 375 and then top with Cheddar or monterey jack (or both) and bake covered for another 20 minutes.

Use celery or carrot sticks for dipping. The joy of chicken wings without the wings!
Is there another time of year when this would be appropriate?

I also made Spicy Nuts.

This is one that I actually make often.



So easy. Buy raw nuts (any combo is fine). Toast the nuts on a pan at 350 degrees until slightly browned. Meanwhile melt 2 tbsp of butter, add about 2tbsp rosemary, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp brown sugar (I really eyeball these and you can pretty much up the quantities or reduce as you like). Pour nuts into a bowl and mix with butter mixture.

Also on the menu was 7 Layer Dip (I only did 6) - refried beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheese, jalapeno slices.

Potato chips and onion dip and cheese and crackers of course.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke dip from Food Network.

White Chili Surprise also from Food Network. This is a new favorite recipe by the way. I think it was because of the lime and tequila marinated chicken. I will probably add this to the repertoire for during the year as well. If you don't add the cheese at the end, it is pretty low fat and still tasted great. I also used canned beans which were fine. And I chopped the chicken into pieces and mixed it with the marinade and then sauteed it before adding to the chili. The recipe calls for grilling the chicken whole - I don't have a grill, also I think the chopped chicken absorbed more of the marinade.

Cocktail Meatballs. Made the meatballs first and cooked them in the oven to brown. Meanwhile had brown sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire cooking on high in the crock pot. Added the meatballs and cooked for about two hours. Have been enjoying these for lunch the past few days.

There were Roasted Artichokes that a friend brought over (loving them for lunch this week also). Tomato and mozzarella salad - the only semi healthy thing on the menu. And it was all topped off Cinnamon Brownies with caramel and pecan topping (a little undercooked in the middle).

Here is a picture of the appetizer table.



I might have gone overboard considering what is still left in the fridge. Here is the fridge after the party. Ummm, I hope I don't actually finish all those beers...



Here is me, putting my feet up after the party, drinking the left over champagne from the champagne and bourbon cocktails that the husband expertly made.



Here is what happens the next night when you forget to run the dishwasher. That's right, you eat brownies with chop sticks.



Good food. Good friends. Good enough game. Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

All the makings of a successful Super Bowl Party.

Restaurant Reviews: Assenzio and Mamlouk

Big foodie weekend for me. Two lovely dinners out (both on 4th Street) and a Super Bowl party at the apartment. I'll post about the SB tonight - I finally have pictures to post.

For today, a recap of two dinners.

Friday night: Date night with the husband at Assenzio on 4th Street between A and B - a Sardinian restaurant that gets very good marks for great food at pretty inexpensive prices.

We had a shaky experience to start. We arrived at about 9:15 and were told the wait was going to be 10 minutes. Surprised because the place was packed, we sidled up to the bar. Fifteen minutes later we decided to get a drink and were told the wait would be another 15 minutes. A little frustrated because I would rather just be told the actual time then be strung along. Then the bartender asked if we wanted to eat at the bar since it would be another 30 minutes at least. OK, so now it is nearly 10pm and we still haven't been seated.

The husband decided to talk to the manager who asked us not to leave, promised he would seat us soon, apologized profusely and bought us each a glass of prosecco. Good first step to get us back on track.

We were seated shortly thereafter. The manager was also our waiter and was ridiculously attentive - he apologized about 10 times, the 11th might have been too much.

On to the food. We started with fried calamari and zucchini - very good, not different then expected. We also had a tuna carpaccio salad with arugula, cannelloni beans, and oranges. This was fantastic. Really fresh and perfectly dressed.

For entrees we had the mini pasta dumplings with wild boar ragu and the pappardelle with mushroom and truffle sauce. The pastas were fresh and the sauces were rich and delicious.

We split a bottle of red wine from Sicily - I wish I wrote it down because for the price, it was pretty unbelievable. I may call and get the name.

The meal ended with tiramisu which was the only thing that didn't hit the mark, it was a little wet for my taste - too much coffee.

We paid, very happy with the meal, and then the manager came over and asked us not to leave yet. He came back with 3 shot glasses and a bottle of honey grappa. We all did a shot - and all former wrongs were righted.

Saturday night: Girls night out at Mamlouk, also on 4th Street between A and B. This is a truly great restaurant block. There are at least 2 other spots that I want to try.

I had heard good things about this Middle Eastern restaurant. It is a $40 price fix and there isn't a menu, you just get dish after dish, after dish...after dish....

Really, this went on for over 2 hours.

I can't remember everything that we had but some highlights were the hummus, the cheese that came with the pita, the lentil soup. the salad with spicy pita chips, the lamb meatballs, the sauteed white fish, the spinach with tomatoes, and the avocado spread. Again, these are just highlights - there were probably another 5-10 dishes that were great.

The real winner was the baklava. It was drenched in butter and was perfectly sweet and flaky, and the cinnamon really shone through. This typically isn't a favorite dessert of mine, but I have definitely changed my opinion. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The decor is exotic and cozy at the same time - lots of pillows, intimate booths, low light, copper tables, lots of red and yellow, etc. The kitchen was open and added to the notion that we had walked into someones home and were being treated to a feast. Adding to the experience was a belly dancer who performed midway through the meal and the hookah pipes that other tables were enjoying.

Earlier in the night, we were deciding between this restaurant and Moustache - a favorite of mine with locations in the West and East Village. As I was doing a little research this morning, I found out that Iraq-born chef/owner Salam al-Rawi also owns the Moustache restaurants. So, it all makes sense that Mamlouk's was as good as it was. It is worth noting, that unlike Moustache, it wasn't a cheap restaurant. Four of us had the price fix and we split two bottles of wine - we got out of there for $75 each. But, it is a great experience and never once did I doubt that we got our money's worth.

Back too work now and looking forward to my lunch of leftovers from the Superbowl Party last night.

Burrito

Lat night I finally found a good burrito in New York. In California, eating a bad burrito is almost unheard of but in NYC, I had almost stopped trying - Chipotle was sadly the closest thing I found to good.

Last night I was in a pinch because I needed to pick up dinner quickly before a poker game that I was already late for.

Across the street from where I was going was Paquito's (1st between 8th and 9th). Despite my hesitation, it looked like the real deal so I took a gamble.

I got a chicken burrito and it came with sour cream, guacamole, rice, cheese, black beans, and cheese. It was very similar to the mission burritos in San Francisco. Perfect amount of meat (well flavored), enough sour cream without overwhelming the rest of the ingredients, great beans and rice, plenty of salsa fresca on the side.

I won with the burrito and lost with poker. I feel like it was an even trade...

Quick Restaurant Review

Have you ever been to a restaurtant where the food is good, the service is good, the ambience is good and yet something didn't click - leaving you with a mediocre experience? That's what happened this Saturday night at Taralluci e Vino on 18th between Broadway and 6th (this is the 2nd location, the first is in the East Village).

The husband and I were looking for something new, inexpensive and Italian. T e V fil the bill. We also wanted someplace that felt like we were going to a much more expensive restaurant - i.e. nice ambience, creative menu. Again, T e V seemed like the perfect choice.

We walked in and immediately the decor and vibe seemed perfect. Very New York City without being too trendy. We were seated quickly at a table right next to the waiters station - not ideal, but not the worst.

The wine list was good, but compared to the prices of the food, it seemed a little expensive, though certainly not unreasonable. We ordered a bottle of Italian red, something called Fontaveccio somthing or other. It was great.

For starters we had "Screppelle m'Busse" - parmesan cheese filled crepes with hen broth (or chicken soup). This restaurant is known for this soup and it didn't dissappoint. The crepes were so delicate they melted as soon as you put them in your mouth and the soup made you sort of wish you had a cold to cure.

We also had "Vitello Tonnato con Caramello al Limone" - cold veal roast with tuna-caper cream and lemon caramel sauce. Our waiter highly recommended this, so we ordered it even though it wasn't really popping off the menu to us. It was ok, the flavors didn't make any sense to me. The tuna was very canned tuna-y. And the veal didn't have much flavor. I have no idea what the lemon caramel sauce was doing there.

On to the entrees. "Capriolo Ripieno ai Pistacchi e Pinoli con Spatzli alle Castagne e Pere al Forno" - pistachios and pinenuts stuffed venison, chestnut spaetzle and roasted pear. This was delicious. The venison was so tender and the pistachios and pinenuts really shone through the other flavors. The only complaint here was the small portion size. It wasn't like a french restaurant where the flavors might warrant it, it just seemed like that was how they kept the price down.

We also shared "Ravioli al Guanciale Affumicato con Brasato di Coniglio e Scaglie di Grana Padano" - house smoked pork cheek tortelli with braised rabbit and grana padano shavings. Again delicious, but small portions. The sauce was very light and you all know how I love anything braised. So we were fine with the flavors.

The thing is, I felt like the chef didn't really believe in what he or she was cooking. That sounds like the most ridiculous foodie thing to say, but that's the only way to describe why this restaurant didn't work. All the other pieces were there.

We got out of there for a cool hunny ($100) and stumbled home a bit lighter on our feet from the wine. It was that really warm Saturday night and unlike the restaurant, the city clicked for me.

Lugers

Last Thursday we went to Peter Lugers in Brooklyn to celebrate a birthday.

Here's how it went down:

8 people
1 steak for three Pittsburgh style
1 steak for three medium
1 steak for two medium rare
8 pieces of bacon
1 side of creamed spinach
1 side of potatoes
1 side of onion rings
1 slice of cheesecake
8+ cocktails

2 bottles of wine
1 apple strudel
1 bowl of whipped cream with a candle

Pictures speak louder then words so:

...and just to prove that I can commit to gluttony.

There's not much else to say.

Babbo on My Mind

Once again I woke up too late to make my lunch. At what I thought was 7am, I sat up and was so wide awake that I was pleased with myself for getting a good night sleep.

As it turned out my watch had stopped and it was actually 8am. I was up and out the door in 15 minutes...and I still missed my train.

I love Monday mornings.

Already, I am thinking about what I am going to do for lunch since my options are EXTREMELY limited. My mind wanders in nostalgic reverence to the perfect meal that I had at Babbo a few weeks ago.



This was my kind of restaurant, comfort food done on a gourmet level, no pretentiousness at all but very nice atmosphere, a good buzz, not ridiculously expensive, and great music like the Strokes, Radiohead, etc. No classical elevator music anywhere to be heard.

We started with a salami plate which had a range of cured meats with an accompaniment of caramelized onions. The only thing that I didn't love was the lardo, which I feel bad admitting because I think it is a specialty.

We then split two pastas. First, the beef cheek ravioli with porcini and truffle sauce. It was so earthy and cozy. The other pasta was pumpkin ravioli with a brown butter sauce and shaved amaretto cookies. This is the most pumpkinny thing I have ever eaten and it was the perfect balance with the other pasta.

The next course was more braised beef (I've mentioned before that I love braised beef - do you believe me now) which was fall apart good and again just the perfect comfort food, especially with the nice bottle of good Chianti that we treated ourselves to since it was our anniversary.

Finally, the dessert of warm plum tart with cinnamon ice cream was better then I even expected it would be, and I expected a lot. The pastry was so flaky and delicate. And I am a sucker for cinnamon anything.

Sadly, now that my reminiscence is over, I will go back to thinking about my crappy lunch of who knows what. It might be a vending machine day for me.

Does anyone have something delicious for lunch? Maybe I can live vicariously through you?

BNO

Had a big night out on Friday. Two excellent friends were in town from San Francisco for the night. We started with cocktails and cheese in the apartment. Because it was a special occasion, we broke out the champagne. I am thinking of naming my first born French 75 after this celebratory delight:

French 75

2 tsp sugar
1 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces gin
Champagne

Shake all but the Champagne in an iced cocktail shaker. Pour into a champagne flute. Stir gently and garnish with a cherry.

(will post a picture tomorrow - it doesn't seem to be working tonight.)

The second cocktail was a Champagne Cocktail where you place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute, pour in four dashes of Angostura bitters and top with champagne. This drink really grew on me. At first I liked it, but it wasn't a standout. But as the sugar dissolved, the warmth and spiciness of the bitters played off the sugar and melted into a drink with so much depth and flavor.

We paired all of this with some cheeses from Murray's Cheese in Grand Central - a favorite spot of mine in the city. I asked the man behind the counter for some advice, which is always a good call. We ended up with a mild but tangy goat cheese, a creamy blue that melted as soon as I took it out of the wrapper, and a sheep's milk from Vermont that was mellow and firm. As accompaniments, we had quince paste and sliced apple. So good. (I'll post tomorrow with the names of the cheeses, I tossed the wrappers and forgot to write them down beforehand.)

Sufficiently cocktailed, we headed out to dinner at Schiller's Liquor Bar. Arriving at the restaurant 15 minutes late, we were greeted with a 40 minute wait. This was ok for three reasons, first it gave us time to digest all of the cheese, second we had enough time to enjoy the hipster circus that is the lower east side. And finally, we could catch up on each other's lives before stepping into the deafening din of the restaurant. Seriously this restaurant is loud.

We were crowded into a tiny table and I must have elbowed about 20 skinnyjean-clad rear ends. The food was just ok. We had lemon and garlic shrimp and calamari for an appetizer. For dinner I had the steak frites which were fine. The fries were actually very good and the house butter on the steak was great. But really, when is butter not good?

I did love the cheap wine that they serve and also the service was surprisingly excellent considering the crowd. And of course, the company was sublime!

After dinner, we headed to the Pegu Club for some more drinks. As always with this bar, the drinks were well made and did not disappoint. I had a gin, peach and jasmine fizz and then the last drink I don't remember that well, gin, cognac, lemon and soda water I think....hmmm, can we say one too many?

Oh, did I mention that we got back to the apartment at 3am and that I had to be on a train to work at 7am? Not smart.

But so worth it to catch up with old friends. On the eve of a terrible anniversary, that sentiment was never more true to me.