Cafe Fiorello

Occasion: Post-opera (Barber of Seville) drink and snack with Jana.... at least, that's what we intended....
Location: Cafe Fiorello on B'way between 63rd and 64th (cafefiorello.com)
Edibles: antipasto platter - eggplant caponata; fried cauliflower; sautéed Swiss chard with pine nuts; grilled asparagus; roasted beets; bocconcini mozzarella; shards of parmesan cheese; two kinds of olives; sundried tomatoes

Musings: Being an okay-looking girl in the city - as the saying goes, that and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee. Once in a while, though....

I've been coming to Cafe Fiorello for some time now, something like (geez) seven years. It's convenient - Winnie used to live on 62nd, and Lincoln Center is just across the street. My favorite thing to get is the mixed antipasto plate. For $20 - seven years ago - you could pick four veg and three seafood from their vast selection of antipasti at the bar. They also threw in a fist-sized ball of fresh mozzarella that did not count as one of your choices. A really sumptuous brunch or dinner, in my book.

Sometime, maybe three years ago, the price went up to $28. The servings got a little smaller and the mozzarella counted as a choice. Still not too bad, if you shared it with a friend and filled in the gaps with bread. Yesterday, I took a look at the menu and it had become an exorbitant $24 for three seafood alone! Three veg clocked in at $18! Unbelievable!!

I asked the bartender (and not in a flirtatious way) if they had recently changed the menu. I mentioned that the antipasti seemed to be a lot more expensive. He took a look at us and said, "My beautiful ladies! You can pick ten and I will only charge you for three!" I generally don't turn down free food, so we were off.

I stopped after the first six things listed above. Ten minutes later, he came by with a plate of parmesan chunks, green and black olives and sundried tomatoes. Ten minutes after that, he was brandishing a block of Himalayan pink salt, which he ceremoniously grated over everything. A second quartino of wine appeared for each of us (pinot grigio for me, pinot noir for Jana).

At one point, he started chatting with Jana, who busted out her fluent Spanish. They had a long and involved conversation about the landscape and culture of Ecuador. After finding out we had come from the opera, he also offered to get us half-price tickets from a guy he knows who works there.

Now, my mom taught me that, if you're paying, it's okay to leave something on the plate; if it's on the house, you gotta finish it. So we finished the antipasto plate. Friendly Bartender took that to mean we were still hungry and so he brought another giant serving of caponata! And a third round of wine. I gave it my best effort but could only get through half of the caponata.

What a meal to remember! All those flavors and colors, textures - from the creamy softness of the mozzarella to the leathery grittiness of the parmesan to the crisp snap of the asparagus. Whew! Stuffed to the gills and pretty tipsy from all that wine, we paid our $67 tab. There was, of course, a VERY generous tip in it for Friendly Bartender.