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.

A Fork in the Road: Bellissimo (Houston, TX)

Family-owned Bellissimo is in Houston's lovely Heights and also happens to be one of the more neighborhood-y joints in the area.  This growing neighborhood seems to be attracting more restaurateur types, so this is a distraction from the loud, indulgent menu restaurants.  It is a dark, quiet atmosphere that is BYOB (see my smile) with heavy Italian fare.  One thing I love about this menu is make-your-own pizza and pasta which can translate into putting together an entree pretty much any way you want.

Garlic shrimp appetizer - large shrimp in a puddle of butter, garlic and lemon. 

Red Snapper with a white wine, caper sauce served with angel hair pasta and sauteed spinach.  The diced tomatoes just don't do anything for this dish.  Unless tomatoes are vine-ripe, just forget them all together! 

It looks like alot 'cause it is alot!

I might have gone a tad overboard ordering the Red Snapper served with sautéed shrimp, crab meat, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil served in a white wine lemon butter sauce.  Not only did I get a hefty seafood portion, I just had to try the namesake pasta jalapeno fettuccine served with grilled chicken, black beans, fresh cilantro, diced jalapenos and tomatoes served in a Parmesan white wine butter sauce.  The pasta was a bit of a disappointment.  I think perhaps I was looking for a cream jalapeno sauce?  I don't know what I was thinking, but the 'jalapeno' pasta had no kick and dry to boot.  My suggestion is go with angel hair and a green.

Dessert special - Bavarian berry cream cake...lighter than you would think and delicious! 

BYOB, moist fish and price make Bellissimo a favorite; though I wish they would change the plate presentation.  It looks like something I'd get in a casino restaurant. 

Giovanni Rana

If you find yourself wandering through Chelsea Market, make a stop at Giovanni Rana, even if it is just to check out the homemade pasta bar.  You can choose from a variety of fresh pastas, and for only a few dollars more than store bought.  In general, I have an issue with spending more than $15 on a plate of pasta unless you are dining at Babbo or Felidia.  Typically, the restaurant pastas aren't worth the dough you are shelling out.  Now, in Rana's case, the pasta is worth the money (buy the fresh pasta), but the dine-in prices are steep for what I thought was a little above average plates.

Loved the copper pots hanging from the ceiling

I went on New Years and this I can say, worth every penny to not go to a restaurant with a prix fixe menu. 

Stuffed artichokes with a wonderful fruity Taleggio tang

The light,  'somewhat gratuitous for $24' lobster mezzaluna with Chanterelle mushrooms and adored the plating.

Spinach and ricotta girasole (essentially ravioli shaped like sunflowers) in a Parmesan reggiano basket...the basket, not so much a fan.

My advice: don't overpay for pasta unless it is something special.  Rana also offers a takeaway menu that is very affordable with all pastas under $12

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.

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! 

A Fork in the Road: Poole's Diner (Raleigh, NC)

Few things make me more genuinely happy than a retro restaurant modernized and Ashley Christensen has done just that with Poole's Downtown Diner.  In what seems to be well thought strategy, the James Beard semifinalist's restaurants are all located smack dab in downtown Raleigh.  I mentioned Poole's to my grandmother on the way from the airport and she said, 'I went there with your grandfather years ago (had to be at least 30 years), and it took so long to bring the food.' He said, 'they better bring it out soon, or I'm getting up and walking right out.'  I told her Poole's was a little different these days and she said, 'well, how would you know?' to which I answered, 'a thing called the internet'. 

We park on McDowell Street and from the outside, it appears to have kept that retro diner look.  Christensen has kept the interior structurally the same with the double fountain bars and stools, then added roughly 20 booths and tables.  Clearly, the interior isn't nearly as drab as the original diner with its gorgeous stainless steel bar, hanging chalkboard menus and soft lighting.

Gin martini

Our bubbly waitress offers us drinks and lets us know her favorite things on the menu.  She tells me everything I've read about, so naturally, I don't order any of it.  Instead, I start with roasted beets with marinated beluga lentils, goat lady diary chevre and brange-black pepper vinaigrette.  My first thought was how distinctive this dish was.  The lentils did resemble caviar and the velvety chevre texture complemented each other nicely.  My second thought was it could be a meal in itself.

Ordered without a second thought, my 97 year old Grandmother gets the rosemary roasted chicken with whipped yukon gold potatoes since it is the most simple of all the entrees.  I didn't get any rosemary, but the skin was nicely crisped and potatoes sat in a meaty, twice-cooked chicken stock. 

I ordered the braised Berkshire pork shoulder with pappardelle, roasted tomatoes and ramps.  Again, the ramps were lost in this dish.  The pork shoulder ragu was super light, and super good.  Personally, I would have served the pork shoulder without the pasta at all and particularly since there were two pieces of pasta.  Perhaps a piece of toasted bread?

Gorgeous

The halibut with artichoke-basil barigoule which is a traditional Provençal dish of artichokes braised with onions, garlic and carrots in a seasoned broth of wine and water.  If I could have this dish year-round, it could turn me straight pescatarian!

A 'side' (entree size) of asparagus with oyster mushrooms, dry sherry and completely delicious.  As a matter of fact, I've never had anything like it, nor enjoyed asparagus this much. 

Rhubarb-Strawberry cobbler with creme was good, but not great.  At least not great like I was hoping
for.  The ratio of flour & oats was lacking and left a pool of liquid fruit. 

Caramel Chocolate Tart with Olive Oil ice cream was a good combo, but heavy on the sea salt and olive oil.  The ice cream should have a hint of olive oil, not taste like spoonfuls of olive oil (as indicated by the color).

Poole's is a fantastic addition to the Raleigh scene and applause to Christensen for both the modernization of space and Southern food!

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