Terroir Murray Hill

Occasion: Spur-of-the-moment tapas crawl with my shenanigan buddy Yining
Location: Terroir on Third between 30th and 31st (wineisterroir.com)
Edibles: Breaded and deep-fried lamb sausage; beet salad

Musings: Hey! There's a Terroir three blocks from me! The original location is lovely, but too crowded on a regular basis and too far to be a regular hangout for me.

The new Murray Hill location has more seats and it's not too crazy yet - though it's only the opening weekend so who knows what it'll be like in a few months. (Since the meatheads found Hofbrau, it's been a complete madhouse.)

Food's good. Serving sizes aren't huge - they're really just to munch on while you drink. Be prepared to spend a lot if you're wanting the equivalent of a full dinner.

A note on the wine: They pour pretty generously on their tasting size. At half the price, Yining's tasting was just a splash less than my (supposedly) full pour. Happy hour prices are great - $6 for their wines by the glass ($3-4 less than regular prices) and free tastings of sherry. BUT... it's only until 6:00. I get out of work earlier than anyone else I know, and even I would be hard-pressed to make it there in time.

[Postscript 2/3/12: The friseé salad with duck confit, shallots and gorgonzola is AMAZING. They were warming up some duck and I literally smelled the delicious aroma from fifteen feet away. Of course, I had to have some.]

Ed's Chowder House

Occasion: Post-ballet (the Mariinsky doing Anna Karenina) dinner with Winnie
Location: Ed's Chowder House on 63rd and Broadway
Edibles: chowder sampler, a couple of raw oysters, and a share of the scallop ravioli

Musings: Wow, for a place calling themselves a "Chowder House," the chowders they make are pretty lame. The New England and the corn were both insanely, insanely rich, and not in a good way. I actually like Hale & Hearty's corn chowder better.

Winnie did make an offhand comment that I thought was interesting. She said, "Maybe I've been eating crappy canned chowder for so long that I can't tell what a good one is supposed to taste like?" I immediately disagreed. While some foods are an acquired taste, chowder is not one of them. I mean, it's not like it's durian or sea urchin or something - there's nothing challenging in a simple chowder at all. Either the chef gets the texture and flavors right, or they don't.

I would assert that, for 90% of foods, you can tell whether it's good or not just by putting it in your mouth. I think the visceral reaction is absolutely valid. Think about the last time you had a great piece of fruit.

That's not to say that you should give up on something after a single try. I'm always trying to get people to try tofu that's properly and flavorfully prepared.

Anyhow, back to Ed's. Winnie and I were both cream-and-butter'ed out by the chowders but we still enjoyed the scallop ravioli (which has a creamy sauce). It's really quite yummy. It's only an appetizer portion but given its richness I don't think you need more.

If I ever come back to this place, the meal to get is the raw oysters to start and the scallop ravioli.

Porsena

Occasion: Winnie's birthday!
Location: Porsena on E 7th between 2nd and 3rd
Edibles: pea risotto and baby octopus starters to share; various pasta mains (more detail below)

Musings: There's a lot to like about this restaurant. It's a cute, cozy space. The staff couldn't have been nicer to us. The food gave me the impression that the chef really has a strong food philosophy, and cares about good ingredients.

That said, I'd give it an average score of B+. There was a something about almost every dish that was just a little bit off. With a few small tweaks, it could be amazing. (Or at least amazing to me. It's entirely possible that the chef and I just don't have the same palate, whereas you might find the flavors perfect as they are now. Porsena is kind of place where you tend to give the chef the benefit of the doubt.)

The pea risotto, for example. The perfect spring dish, it was competently prepared. I did find it oversalted, and texturally it needed to be a bit looser. (You can tell by the way it's mounded up in the picture that it's too stiff. A perfect risotto would slowly ooze into shallow puddle.)

The octopus was great. No problems there.

I also ordered the beef tongue appetizer, more out of curiousity than anything. I liked the concept of the dish; I think the pickled vegetables were absolutely the right side to serve with the meat. The tongue itself was a little mealy. Maybe it should have been served cold instead of room temp? I'd skip this dish, at any rate.

For my main, I got the pasta with spicy lamb sausage. The pasta was very interesting, a wide tube shape with ridges on the inside. It was cooked perfectly al dente. The lamb sausage had a great flavor - unfortunately, I could only enjoy the complexities of the flavor for a few bites before the aggressive spiciness numbed my mouth.

I also tasted of Winnie's uni pasta and Gabrielle's pasta curls with many cheeses. The sea urchin sauce was too rich and too fishy for my taste. I don't think I could have finished a whole dish of it. Winnie loved it, though. The cheese sauce was likewise too rich, though I loved the whimsical pasta shape.

I give this place at least one more try. Start with the octopus and maybe try another pasta.

Sunday Gravy

Location: Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg

Bread boat with meat sauce, chock full of shreds of pork shoulder, slices of sausage and mini meatballs. Hearty doesn't even begin to describe it.

Perhaps a bit heavy for the weather, but it was the most interesting (to me, at least) of the remaining food stalls. The $7 price tag was a mite high but I absolutely fell in love with that sauce. I bought a quart jar of it to take home. It ran me $23, which is expensive but still less than what something comparable would cost you at a restaurant.

A note on the jar: It's not commercially vacuum-sealed, so I wouldn't keep it for more than a week in the fridge.

[One quibble: If you're going to feature a red Le Creuset pot in the company logo, you should really be cooking in it. I could clearly see the stainless steel insert that they were really cooking in. Perhaps they have issues with the sauce sticking to the bottom?]

Mmmm... improvised mushroom sauce

Occasion: Dinner party at Ben and Rebecca's

OK, this turned out to be one of the more eventful dinner parties I've attended. Here's the story.

Ben had decided on a main course of grilled halloumi cheese* with marsala sauce to accommodate Karen, our vegetarian. I offered to go early to help cook (as his sous chef - I would never usurp another cook's kitchen) and Ben accepted.

When I get there, he says, "Why don't you make the marsala?" So I start by slicing an onion and browning it. I add sliced brown mushrooms and sauté. I look to Ben for guidance on what to do next and he tells me, "Oh, I trust you. Just wing it."

I don't have a recipe for marsala sauce in my head!! I freak out for a few seconds, then figure what the hell... I'm sure I can cook something decently edible. I add a dab of tomato paste to the sautéed onions and mushrooms. (You always want to cook tomato paste a bit, to get rid of that raw flavor.) I'm now ready to add the marsala and deglaze. At which point Ben hands me a bottle of merlot.

Marsala, for the record, is a fortified sweet wine. Not the same thing as regular red wine at all. So okay, I'm rolling with the punches. I use the merlot, and toss in a handful of sugar to compensate. After a few minutes to let the alcohol burn off, I pour in some vegetable stock, and season with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh tarragon.

The ingredients bubble together for a bit, and the sauce reduces. I check the seasoning one last time, and throw in a knob of butter at the end for gloss and flavor.

The final product was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself. It ended up being more like a beef-less boeuf bourguignon than a marsala sauce but it went well with the halloumi. (It'd also go well with the more robust meats - beef, pork or lamb. For chicken or veal, I'd use a proper marsala sauce, like Martha's.)

Ben served salads with grilled artichoke and ricotta salata to start, and sides of individual sundried tomato bread puddings and steamed asparagus with the halloumi. Abby contributed a pan of chewy, gooey brownies and coffee ice-cream for dessert, and Ben pulled out a ridiculous assortment of digestifs to complement.

Ben and Rebecca, thanks for having us all over to your gorgeous apartment - and busting out the good china to boot!

Karen, it was so nice to have you back with us! Come back again soon!

*Note: Halloumi is a goat and sheep's milk cheese, originally from Cyprus. One of its unusual qualities is that it can be grilled or fried without melting.



La Follia

Occasion: Drinks with Amy... that sort of slid into dinner.
Location: La Follia on Third between 19th and 20th
Edibles: prosciutto, caponata, and burrata crostini to start; then we shared an arugula salad and the pappardelle with braised pork ragu

Musings: La Follia has a good selection of wines by the glass, and the food is very cheap compared to the likes of Bar Jamón. The prosciutto, caponata, and burrata crostini (two pieces of it) were all $6 a plate. It's good, too. I particularly liked the caponata, which had a few more ingredients than the standard version, but tasted wonderfully bright and fruity.

The pappardelle is also worth a mention. A mere $15, the homemade pasta is great and they're generous to a fault ladling the sauce on.

The décor is understated but classy, and it looks like a place for adults. Hopefully, that will keep the NYU hooligans at bay. I did see a lot of banker-looking guys, but I guess that's not too surprising considering the proximity to Credit Suisse.

In general, a nice addition to the neighborhood. If only it was ten blocks further north....

Part II, 5/2: I came back here for dinner with Mamie after an anniversary showing of Top Gun at AMC Village 7. I ordered a bunch of the same stuff - can't resist caponata! - but Mamie got the salmon main. I can report that it was masterfully done - a gorgeous, tender piece of fish with a nice hard sear on the skin.

I'm really liking this place. Hope they can keep their quality up and their prices where they are.

Cafe Arabe

Occasion: Group dinner
Location: Cafe Arabe in the center of the medina, just northwest of the souks
Edibles: about half ordered the harira soup (including me); we shared various salads and tagines; a few people also ordered dessert

Musings: We all had drinks on the rooftop terrace as a post-wedding event. The terrace is lovely, affording a nice view of the surrounding area and lots of gorgeous light as the sun set. After drinks, the majority of us (minus the bride, groom and their families) headed downstairs for dinner.

Since we were such a large group, they seated us in what I can only describe as the Cave of Red Death. Although the rest of the restaurant was lit conventionally with candlelight and wall sconces, our only source of light was a chandelier with red light bulbs. The photo shows exactly how red it was:


"And that red light is burning my brain!"

It was mostly ignorable to start. Then the food arrived, and you literally could not distinguish the zucchini from the carrots. And towards the end of the dinner, that light started to feel sort of psychotic. But I guess it's only a problem if they happen to seat you in there.

The food was mostly average and forgettable. In addition to Moroccan food, the menu also contains an Italian selection but we stayed out of it. A few people started with the harira soup, a traditional chickpea/lentil soup. I personally found it pretty bland and pulpy. The one new tagine we ordered was the sausage (merguez). I thought the sausage was sort of dry and hard (like I've been finding the meatballs), but it was popular enough with the guys that we ordered a second one. People seemed pretty happy with their desserts.

If you're looking for evening activities in the medina, I'd have a drink on the roof at Cafe Arabe. But I'd give the dinner a pass.

Grimaldi's

Occasion: Post speed-dating debrief dinner with Mamie and Sheila
Location: Grimaldi's on Old Fulton St in Brooklyn (grimaldis.com)
Edibles: pizza, natch - one with mushroom and pepperoni; one with sausage and roasted peppers

Musings: OK, y'all, I know this place is supposed to be legendary... but I walked out feeling like it's kind of overrated. I mean, they make some good pizza, but it's not good enough by itself to get me out into the hinterlands, a.k.a. the outer boroughs.

The dough for the crust is really nice and chewy - this is a pie where I'd actually eat the crusts. But the slice itself is soggy and limp. The sauce was bland and watery. And you certainly don't go to Grimaldi's for the ambiance. So what's the big deal, exactly?

Eataly

Occasion: Dinner with Josh
Location: Pasta / Pizza station at Eataly, on 5th between 23rd and 24th (newyork.eataly.it)
Edibles: Fettucine with oxtail ragu for me; pesto lasagna for Josh; tiramisu and gelato for dessert

Musings: After two failed visits (driven out by the crowds and long waits both times), I finally managed to eat here. The trick is clearly to come early - like, 5 or 6pm - and on a weekday.

As it was a cold and dreary walk over, my first thought was to get me some carbs. Off to the Pasta / Pizza station. We had a short wait for our table, and passed the time by wandering around. There's plenty to browse and drool over, so the wait is not a complete chore. And there are samples to be had! I nibbled on some celery root shavings with olive oil.

Our meal at Pasta / Pizza was pretty good overall. To start, I was pleased that they do a generous pour on the wine, and that there were lots of choices sub-$10.

A small step backward with the antipasto plate. It's not cheap at $13 and the portions of each are miniscule. I'd not get this again.

Really good, fresh, al dente noodles. My fettucine was crying out for some grated cheese, but it was never offered. I also stuck my fork in Josh's plate, and while I liked the flavor of the lasagna, it's pretty heavy with béchamel and a whole plate would have been too much for me.

We left Pasta / Pizza for dessert. I got a scoop of pear and vanilla at the gelato stand - $5 a pop for a small cup. It got a little cloying towards the end, but the flavor is really unique and memorable. Josh's chocolate was nice too, but you can get the same thing at any number of places.

I also got a divine tiramisu cup - just couldn't resist. $6.

Eataly has a casual, marketplace ambiance, but you'll probably end up spending as much as if you went to a proper restaurant. I'd definitely come back to try the seafood place, and the vegetable place. It'd also be good for dessert and coffee, maybe after a Shack burger.

Craftbar

Occasion: Dinner with Rachel W.
Location: Craftbar on Broadway at 20th (craftrestaurant.com)
Edibles: I had hanger steak and brown sugar cake for dessert; Rachel had the sweet potato agnolotti with brussels sprout leaves, bacon and hazelnut butter sauce, and the ricotta fritters for dessert; we also shared two cheeses

Musings: The wines by the glass are pretty expensive, and pretty crappy. I ordered one of the cheapest glasses of red ($11) and it was sour and puckery and awful. However, I will give major props to this place for service. A dude checked in on us about halfway into our meal, and I mentioned the crappy wine (which I had tasted before it was poured, and was fully prepared to finish). He was quick to swap out my wine for another and also silently took it off the bill. Unfortunately, the second wine was no better. Really smoky and charcoal-y, which was pretty much all I could taste. They really need to revisit their wine selections.

Long story short, get a cocktail and avoid the wine, unless you're getting a full bottle.

The food. My steak was a tad chewy, but the potato gratin and the caramelized onions on the side were perfect. Rachel's pasta dish was a work of art. Really luscious, pillowy pasta, perfectly balanced, and so appropriate for the season. (It was so good, in fact, that I had to talk her out of ordering a second one to take home. That kind of dish never travels well, so it's better not to ruin the memory of the original experience.)

Our desserts were both pretty average, lacking in creativity and delicacy. E.g. the poached pear that garnished my cake was still pretty hard and uncooked. I think a little cheese plate and a cup of coffee are the way to go here.

Thanks again for the birthday dinner, Rachel!

Five Points

Occasion: Dinner with the girls - Abby, Jill and Elizabeth
Location: Five Points on Great Jones between Lafayette and Bowery (fivepointsrestaurant.com)
Edibles: I had a couple of raw oysters, followed by the spaghetti and meatball special; the girls shared two pizzas

Musings: Meh. Five Points is a restaurant that I occasionally myself dining at, simply because the reservations are easily had. I think the food is okay at best and overpriced for sure.

One of the pizzas smelled so strongly of truffles it was almost nauseating. Jill agreed it was heavy-handed.

My oysters were good. But they don't really get credit for that - they're not cooked at all, are they? The meatballs in my dish were tough and gamey. I wasn't impressed by the homemade pasta either; I've honestly had dried pasta that was better.

[Postscript: Take a pass on this place and go to Great Jones Cafe instead. Better food and cheaper too.]

Pala

Occasion: Birthday dinner for Elizabeth!
Location: Pala on Allen between Stanton and Houston (palapizza.com)
Edibles: caponata and risotto balls to start; the porri e salsiccia (pork sausage, leeks, sundried tomatoes and pink peppercorns) and bufala cruda (buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil) pizzas

Musings: Great place for a casual midweek get-together. (Or a first date - nice dim lighting!) We were seated promptly even though the space is pretty small. The food came quickly, and was both tasty and reasonably priced.

A big thumbs up on the caponata. It was a nice big dish for $8, and the veggies were very fresh and vibrant. The risotto balls were decent, but nothing to write home about.

As for the pizzas, the bufala was definitely the plain Jane. However, the salsiccia had A LOT of flavors going on, and it was nice to be able to take break from it. They're good complements for each other.

Bonus - it's pretty much door-to-door for me on the bus. I'll definitely be back.

Antibes Bistro

Occasion: Abby's birthday dinner
Location: Antibes Bistro on Suffolk between Rivington and Delancey (antibesbistro.com)
Edibles: we got the roasted asparagus and some parmesan risotto for the table to start; I had two apps for my main course - the goat cheese and beet salad, and the marinated scallops; Jill also let me have a taste of her roast chicken

Musings: Happy birthday, Miss Abby! It was so nice to have all the girls together to celebrate!

Antibes Bistro has a charmingly rustic dining room that made me feel like I was in a farmhouse in the French countryside. The mismatched furniture, the soft amber lighting - it all added up to a great atmosphere for a relaxing, low-key dinner. As a bonus, there was a jazz trio playing live music! (I think the singer sang at Atticus and Kathy's wedding. Sadly, the cute clarinet player from that event was nowhere to be seen.)

The food. Generally good, but I had lots of little niggles. The asparagus was ho-hum. The risotto was overcooked. My scallops had an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. The goat cheese and beet salad dish was inexplicably served warm. I don't know why - it didn't enhance either of the ingredients and just came across as odd....

Ultimately, I think the chef falls a little short in the "attention to detail" department. However, I'd be willing to give this place another try. The space is great and the prices are very budget-friendly (apps $6-9, mains $13-18). I bet there's a great meal to be had off their menu - you just have to find it.

Otto

Occasion: Dinner with Alfred, in from Toronto for the long weekend.
Location: Otto on 5th Ave at 8th (ottopizzeria.com)
Edibles: three veggies to start (I think it was the beets, the mushrooms and the summer squash); a prosciutto pizza; rigatoni with sausage

Musings: My love for all things Batali continues. I can't believe I haven't been here in over a year!

Otto is an old faithful. The food is reliably tasty and the prices are reasonable. It's casual, dim, loud. And I'm always tickled when they've got the train station schedule board (pictured above) going, that lets you know when your table is ready.

As I've mentioned before, the veg guy at a Batali restaurant is always top-notch. For $4, you get a nice ramekin of the vegetable antipasto of your choice. I recommend that you get several, and don't be shy about asking for more bread. It's always my favorite part of an Otto meal.

For the main course, we considered - but ultimately chickened out of - getting the lardo pizza. We were told by our waiter that it has no sauce or cheese; it's just a crust draped with lardo. Now, I like me some pork fat but it's quite a commitment for two people to split one of these babies. I'd definitely like to try a slice some other time. If you feel the same way, call me. Maybe we can get a group together.

[Note: I also recommend the pizza with the egg - it's simple, but intriguing and yummy. For dessert, the olive oil ice-cream sundae is a good choice. It's got lots of weird toppings but, somehow, it all works together.]

La Pizza Fresca

Occasion: Dinner with Abby and Elizabeth
Location: La Pizza Fresca Ristorante on 20th between Broadway and Park (lapizzafrescaristorante.com)
Edibles: I had a half-portion of the orechiette with sausage and broccoli rabe; we also shared two pizzas, one margherita and one prosciutto

Musings: Thumbs down on this place. First, they need to get an AC. Or stop being so cheap about turning it on. It was sweltering inside.

Second, the chef really needs to get off his high horse. Elizabeth wanted the prosciutto baked into the pizza. The waiter returned and reported that the chef didn't think it would taste good that way. We maintained that that's how we wanted it. The waiter returned a second time and said the chef refused to prepare the pizza as we'd asked. (Let me clarify - the waiter was in no way at fault. In fact, the poor guy looked pretty miserable and apologetic.)

I was ready to march into the kitchen and give the chef a talking-to, but Abby and Elizabeth convinced me to wait until after dinner. I mean, when a diner wants his steak cooked to kingdom come, the kitchen is obliged to prepare it that way!

Ultimately, the pizza arrived with the prosciutto baked in. But what a hassle. Not like we don't have PLENTY of other choices for pizza in the city.

Shanghai Expo 2010 - Italy

Italian is my favorite absolute cuisine. I don't think anyone else has mastered the carbohydrate quite like the Italians. For breads, you've got pizza crust, ciabatta, focaccia, panettone, etc. For rice, risotto. And pasta..... ah, pasta - a staggering array of shapes and sizes, in preparations limited only by the imagination.

New York certainly has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to fantastic Italian restaurants. Batali alone accounts for eight outstanding establishments.

The food I had when I was in Italy itself was fairly mediocre - didn't know where to go, I expect. (Though the tomatoes blew me away. You can really taste the difference when a tomato is naturally ripened in the sun. Pure bliss.)

The Italian Pavilion was, sadly, closer to my actual Italian experience than my New York Italian experience. We started with a ho-hum salad and a cured salmon dish with olive oil, orange segments, olives and capers.

We also had a potato and salt cod (baccalà in Italian) dish that confused me because I associate it so strongly with Spanish cuisine.

The lasagne was gummy and goopy. Mine is leagues better.

Very poor form, Italy.

Lupa, part II

Occasion: Dinner with Elizabeth
Location: Lupa on Thompson between Houston and Bleecker (luparestaurant.com)
Edibles: We shared little dishes of broccoli rabe with ricotta, beets with pistachio sauce and sautéed summer squash and zucchini to start; I had the fresh pea pasta for my main; Elizabeth had the spaghetti amatriciana

Musings: I've raved about Lupa before - see the older review here. But I just wanted to add a little additional gushing about the broccoli rabe (the ricotta was the perfect flavor to offset the bitterness of the veg) and my pasta. I'm not usually one to describe food as tasting like colors and feelings and whatnot, but that pasta just tasted so vibrantly green and spring-like, I don't know how else to describe it. Bliss!

By the way, Travertine, let Lupa show you how to serve a proper quartino of wine.

Travertine

Occasion: Dinner with PA.... ultimately without PA. Let's just say we had some logistical difficulties.
Location: Travertine on Kenmare between Bowery and Delancey (travertinenyc.com)
Edibles: Elizabeth and I shared the gnocchi with braised pork shoulder and crackling to start, then I had the skirt steak and she had the prosciutto-wrapped cod; Abby had the garganelli with morels and sugar snaps

Musings: I'll start with a disclaimer that this is not the most objective of reviews. We all arrived grumpy because of the scheduling snafus with PA, and the restaurant did nothing to improve our moods.

Even before the food arrived, things were rubbing me the wrong way. Everything from the Twilight décor, complete with black crystal chandeliers, to the bored aspiring models they'd hired as waitresses. Our table, too small for three people, with my chair positioned six inches from some steps. Everything irked me.

Their pricey wines are listed as quartinos, defined as little carafes holding 8 oz., almost twice the standard New York pour. I was served a fairly miserly amount in a glass, with no carafe. When asked, the waitress insisted that the pour was a quartino and I just couldn't tell because their wine glasses are bigger. Complete BS.

The food was pretty uneven. The gnocchi were about twice the size they should have been, dense and pasty as a result. (Even crackling couldn't save it!) The prosciutto on Elizabeth's cod was soggy and the portion was tiny. Abby's garganelli, supposedly voted the best pasta in the city (by who?), was good but not great. The skirt steak, I'll admit, was pretty tasty.

My inclination is to write this place off completely as expensive and mediocre. Anyone out there think I need to give Travertine another try?

Fig & Olive

Occasion: Post-ballet (Don Quixote) with Brigid
Location: Fig & Olive on Lex between 62nd and 63rd (figandolive.com) [Note: two other Manhattan locations]
Edibles: I had the crostini trio (crab with lemon cilantro mayo; salmon and ricotta; bell pepper and goat cheese) and the beef carpaccio; Brigid had the tuna carpaccio and a side of sautéed spinach

Musings: The salmon crostini was bland and oddly slimy. The roasted pepper and goat cheese one was nice, but the crab one was SUPERB - I wish I'd just gotten three of those. The carpaccio was tasty but very insubstantial, sort of like the illusion of eating beef.

Good eats and conveniently cross-town from Lincoln Center, though the kitchen closes too early for it to be a good after-theatre place. We barely squeaked in after an average-length ballet with a 7:30 curtain. No way you'd make it after an 8:00 opera.

Broder's Pasta Bar

Occasion: Family dinner

Location: Broder's on Penn Ave South in Minneapolis (broders.com)

Edibles: clams in white wine; sausage pizza; caprese salad; pasta with salad greens, asparagus, chicken, mascarpone and balsamic; lobster fettucine; pappardelle with wild boar ragu; lemon ricotta cheesecake and tiramisu for dessert

Musings: I would totally eat at Broder's if it was in New York - and that's pretty much my highest compliment for out-of-town eats. The restaurant was bustling and close to full occupancy even at 5:30, and it's not hard to see why. The décor was clean and modern with some kitschy touches - I loved the metal collanders used as lampshades. The prices were more than reasonable and every dish was outstanding.

The pizza had a wonderful yeasty crust and I couldn't resist a second slice. My favorite of the pastas (all fresh and homemade) was the pappardelle, but an honorable mention goes to the chicken one. It had a lot of surprising ingredients that could have disastrous together but which, instead, melded together into a very unusual and refreshing dish. A great gastronomic mind conceived that dish.

Highly recommended!!