Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

The informal offshoot of Il Buco on Bond Street is a perfect lunch spot and needs to be a strong contender to take the visiting family!  The Alimentari (up front) has stellar pork sandwiches and the back of the space is the dining room and wine bar.  In true Il Buco fashion, the restaurant boasts with rustic Italian furniture beautiful lighting fixtures.

The octopus carpaccio was topped with chilis, but maintained a citrusy, light flavor.

Aren't they gorgeous?

One dish not to missed here is the crispy artichokes with preserved lemon.  We kept saying while furiously popping these in our mouths, 'they are like the artichokes served in the Jewish ghetto in Rome'.  Every leaf so perfectly crisped.

Porchetta served with spring peas and pea puree.  Moist and spot-on with the herbs definitely challenging Sara Jenkin's namesake restaurant (which can sometimes be dry).

Although all were tasty, the dish that really made the meal was the Pasta Setaro. Creamy spaghetti with ample salty bottarga and parsley.  Pasta is always Il Buco's strong suit.

Strawberry Rhurbarb crostata with vanilla gelato.  Not too sweet, not too sour, not too great.

Porsena

A little more than a year ago, Sara Jenkins added lasagna to her miniature menu at Porchetta on East 7th Street.  It was an odd addition to the protein-filled 'restaurant', but was fabulously flavorful and foreshadowed things to come.  Since, she has opened her Roman-inspired pasta ristorante down the same street and wins not only with the innovative pasta dishes, but also takes reservations.  In case you haven't heard, reservations are coveted these days in the "No Reservation Generation" (Adam Platt).

Olive oil poached baby octopus with celery, chickpeas, lemon and olives.  Light oil and fresh ingredients as well as a fair amount of tentacle-y octopus.  Very Roman and superb! 

Savory whipped bacalau spread with toasted, oiled bread and actually more appealing to stateside diners due to the fact it was not salty to the extreme.

Anelloni with salsiccia e rape.  This is exactly what makes Jenkins a creative chef in a city of thousands of Italian chefs.. She chooses the ring-shaped pasta which has a ridge on the outsides that seals the sauce in the pasta alongside spicy lamb sausage, mustard greens and breadcrumbs.  An incredible textural contrast.

The Eggplant Parmesan I didn't care for.  The tasteless eggplant was swimming in a soupy bechamel sauce, although it was hidden under a thin layer of piping hot cheese.

Hence, why Porsena is regarded as the 'pasta restaurant' and rustic cooking at its finest.

A Fork in the Road: Il Capriccio (Whippany, NJ)

Old-school Il Capriccio seemingly only attracts regulars, which I have to believe is a good thing.  The dining area is anything but subtle with loud carpet, chairs and the dining room centerpiece overloaded with various size wine bottles.  However, it doesn't take away from the excellence of food here, Italian waiters that have been there for years and a lovely patio perfect for a summer evening. 

Burrata appetizer.  I always try burrata when available, but none like here, although this burrata was a light and refreshing alternative.

Tuna tartare served with onion and Gaeta olives over farro.  The farro livened up the tatare giving it an entirely different texture. 

Farmer's salad of fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, Bermuda onion and summer corn.  I just can't get enough corn!  Especially when it is showcased with other vegetables, not covered with lettuce.

The off-the-menu fish of the day (branzino) cooked whole in a salted crust.  So rarely do you see that on menus these days.  It's truly a beautiful sight.  The fish is cracked tableside and there is aromatic hit of fresh herbs and lemons.  Your waiter takes time fileting the fish, placing it on the dish,  drizzling olive oil, then a quick heat on the burner and voila.  More than enough fish for two....though I ate all of mine :-)  I'm only sorry I didn't get an action shot of cracking the crust!

If you are in the area, the fish is NOT TO MISS! 

Donatella

This was the BEST Strawberry Shortcake I have ever eaten!  By a landslide.  Donatella's post will be reversed starting with the magnificent desserts.  The seasonal strawberry shortcake was a soft, non-biscuit (no taste of butter) biscuit with a hard, sugary top.  In the middle?  Homemade whipped cream and sweet strawberries with an ever so tiny scoop of strawberry rhubarb sorbet.  P.e.r.f.e.c.t.i.o.n! 

I was equally impressed with the off-the-menu ice cream sandwiches.  Smaller than your palm, these round beauties' top and bottom layers were Italian tricolore cookies with slivers of ganache.  Some of diners thought it was too sweet, but I didn't share that sentiment.

Affogato is always a simple dessert with a small scoop of vanilla gelato.  These "biscotti" were actually small cookies (ones I did deem sweet, but fabulous nonetheless).

Moving right along to the pizzas....also some of the best personal pizzas I've had in New York.  Doughy, thin-crust with fresh ingredients. 

Classic Margarita

Diavola with spicy, slivered salami and chili oil.  This pizza had the perfect amount of heat.

Enzo - Smoked Mozzarella, pork-fennel sausage, broccoli rabe and pecorino.  Instead of plain jane spicy or sweet sausage,  I absolutely love the fennel sausage in addition to the sauteed rabe.  This was unreal!

Polpette - Veal Meatballs and Caciocavallo (a teardrop cheese that is left to mature 'a cavallo' i.e. straddling a horizontal stick) 

A ricotta gnocchi that gives April Bloomfield a run for her money.  Served with summer corn, basalmic, parmagiano, and chives.

A luscious mixed green salad with lemon citronette, candied walnuts and pecorino.

Our starter of spicy, braised veal meatballs.  Soft, perfectly spiced and sized.  If you are deciding between Polpette (meatball pizza) or a side of meatballs, get the meatballs.  The pizza doesn't do these meatballs justice.

AND you have to love the bottle and wine glass chandeliers! 

Let's get Supper

There's always a larger-than-life-sigh when anyone says they want to dine at any of the Frank dynasty restaurants. Why? They are all loud and crowded. Alas, the food has pretty much stayed consistent through the years. We arrive at 9:30pm on Thursday and no wait, however, we did head next door to Supper's bar, Sugo, for a quick glass of wine ($9 glass or $10 half carafe). 
I absolutely love Sugo! It reminds me of what 'old New York' might have been like. Dark, cool interior mostly lit with chandeliers and candles. Sugo also serves appetizers as well as minimal entree options. There is no denying the blaring music once you walk in the front door of Supper; and unfortunate for us, the large group of gals drunkenly celebrating a birthday in the back.

My first debate is whether to try the Black Kale Panzanella or the Burrata. The waiter tells me the burrata had been flown in from Italy that morning. No Brainer! Others around the table see the burrata and order. When the waiter tells you it is flown in from Italy (true or not), you have to try. The hard mozzarella shell encapsulates the magical salty, creamy mozzarella inside. The night prior, at San Pietro's sister restaurant, Caravaggio, I also ordered burrata with beets and I must say, Supper's was FAR superior! It was served cool with tomatoes, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was a meal unto itself.

Side salad

I chose the Lasagna alla Bolognese served in a piping hot dish.  I'd say the lasagna was average due to tasting only meat and tomato sauce, although I certainly did not need to consume more cheese.

Off the menu Gnocchi with garlic cream sauce was off the charts.  The mild garlicky cream sauce was poured over the large amount of gnocchi.  I can't remember a time in recent history I've had a better potato dumpling dish. So good I forgot to snap a photo!

The fettuccini with mint was refreshingly light, but the mint needed to be finely chopped and not sprigs that must be chewed separately. 

Priest Stranglers as described on the menu as Stoooopid Good!  Long and soft tubes tossed with marinara topped with ricotta.  This is a must!!!!  Why?  Cause they really are stooooopid good.

http://www.supperrestaurant.com/index.html

Arthur Avenue...original or Little Italy redux?

Two days spent along Arthur Avenue...
Vibe: definite appeal, less tourists than Little Italy

Palombo Pastry - where the real Italians go to sip espresso



Assorted pastries
Cosenza's - freshly shucked on the street


$1 clams (opt for littleneck clams; cherrystones too big and chewy) $2.50 oysters


Full Moon - chalk full of Fordham co-eds; exceptionally good calzone, but forgettable pizza

Rigelotto's - Neapolitan style restaurant with cheesy murals painted everywhere, but surprisingly good food that tasted better the day after

Bruschetta

Eggplant Parmigiana

Chicken Scarpariello (chicken with Italian sausages)

Pasta Carbonnara


Fresh breads

Cheese mongers

The butcher

Pastry shoppe

SHUTTERED: Quinto Quarto

Resembling a small, Roman dining room, Quinto Quarto inconspicuously sits on tree-lined Bedford street. During our 20-minute wait, the cheery Italian host brought us small tumblers of red wine before seating us in our nicely candlelit, corner table.


Carciofi con Guanciale (Sauteed artichokes with pork cheek)

Spaghetti cacio e pepe (Spaghetti with cracked pepper and pecorino)

Salsiccia vino Bianco (Roman Sausages cooked in white wine with roasted potatoes and green beans and tomato sauce)

This is a simple menu and there are no complicated dishes coming from the kitchen; but it is good to know that you can make these exact dishes at home. Quinto Quarto chefs don't quite stack up against any NYC American-Italian chefs, but it's a nice neighborhood spot for the right price. 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and a bottle of wine for $60

14 Bedford Street b/t 6th & 7th Avenues
http://www.quintoquarto.com/index-en.asp

i Trulli

There are a few reviews I missed throughout the winter, but will post pictures with captions.

I Trulli embodies a true Tuscan ristorante, particularly on a bitter winter evening.


Wood-oven roasted oysters with cavolo nero and fonduta

Malloreddus (Sardinian Saffron Dumplings with sausage and tomato) - Makes the entire meal worth the trip!

Costoletta (Grilled Veal Chop, brussel sprouts, herbed potato puree and pinenuts)

Brasato (Braised Short Rib of Beef, Pumpkin Farrotto, Broccoli Rabe) - super tender hunk of meat with a semi-sweet pumpkin side and the bitterness of broccoli rabe

122 East 27th Street b/t Park and Lexington
http://www.itrulli.com/