alta strada

Life has been super hectic and busy, but I thought I’d post a slightly late but still kinda recent food adventure before a personal post :] This is first and foremost a food blog right?

So last month I finally had the chance to eat at alta strada in Wellesley. It’s so close yet I never had the chance to go.

I even broke out the nice Vera Wang stems

Of course I started off with a nice Italian red…

They gave us a beautiful slab of delicious bread.. EVOO, S&P and I asked for some Balsamic Vinegar as well :]

COULD NOT STOP EATING THIS BREAD.  The crust was perfection.

We ordered three AntiPasti [basically Italian Tapas]

Chilled Calamari with Cucumber and Citrus [top]
Marinated White Anchovies with Frisee [botom]

I looove anchovies.. the frisee totally helped balance out the saltiness of the fish… MMMM…..  The calamari almost felt like a ceviche… and the squid was cut into noodles… It was good, vinegary but nothing out of this world.

And of course Roasted  [Golden] Beets with Grana Padano

I actually wanted more but the waiter said that for two people this was far more than enough.  And he was right, I expected smaller dishes but these were HUGE.

And then split a pizza…

Prosciutto and Arugula

I asked for an egg in the middle, you know the pizzas that come out like this:

But I guess they just had no clue.. even tho I just asked for ONE gooey egg in the middle… they gave me chopped eggs all over the pizza… Kinda disappointing but it was still delicious.

And for dessert, even though we were super full, we got the Mascarpone Cheesecake; Lemon Curd, Vanilla Tuille

Light fluffy and a perfect sweet ending to an amazing dinner.

The Spotted Pig

So ya’ll know about the book… WHICH IS AMAZING, I got it as soon as it got out. GET IT.

Now let’s talk about her food.. it was a beautiful Saturday so after walking all the way from the edge of FiDi…. all the way to almost Times Sq..

First by the waters… and then we decided to walk on the HighLine since I’ve never been…. We walked all the way to the end… and then went down to Gastro Market for a few beers. Ahhh beergardens.

I don’t remember what they were except they were in caskets and red ales.

We ended up walking to the The Spotted Pig RIGHT before the big dinner rush. Phew. Last two seats at the bar. Booyeah!

I was surprised at how little pork items were actually ON the menu. Come on.. Spotted Pig? We need a full on all out pigged out menu….

Pork Rillette with Pickles & Mustard

What could go wrong with pork topped off with lardo?!.. You don’t even need the grainy mustard on the side….. just a huge scoop of the lardo and pork from the rillette on top of the perfectly grilled crostini… toasty fresh… and you’re good.  The pickled gherkins and pearl onions were a nice touch…

Crispy Pig’s Ear Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing

This was the first thing I saw on the menu and I KNEW I had to get it.  I was surprised that it was a whole pig’s ear… unless it’s connected to the head still, I’m used to eating it cut into thin strips.  The pig’s ear was crispy, not greasy at all, and paired lovely with the refreshing salad of mixed greens, endive and italian parsley underneath.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Beets & Horseradish Cream

J shared this with me. AMAZING horseradish butter and simple braised beets and beet greens. Delicious. We weren’t asked how we wanted it to be cooked but it was cooked to a beautiful medium rare, on the rare side. YUM. Buttery meat.

Prosciutto & Ricotta Tart with Marjoram

This was an appetizer but I got it as my main to share with J.  A flakey crisp tart topped with prosciutto, risotto, greens and shavings of parm. DELICIOUS.

And of course, a very much needed – and always necessary side dish

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

These literally melted in your mouth.  Most definitely NOT good for you but sooooo delicious.

I kinda wish we got the burger as well, it’s supposed to be awesome and I saw a TON of people order it.

Afterwards we ended up at Proletariat for beers….. and PRETZEL BREAD

The stout cheese dip was meh….. it was all about the curry mustard sauce!!!!

Met up with a few friends and ended up at Dive Bar Lucy’s..

Great times.

In the Mood for Bf’s Cooking…

My Boy knows how to cook. Um, yeah, HELLS YEAH – I’m a lucky little biznatch.  I can eat and W can cook. :]

Oysters

Crab Meat in Tomato Jus

When I HEARD what it was.. I excepted a tomato-y saucey, soupy thing but it literally tasted like eating a fresh raw tomato. OMFG. SO GOOD.  I LOOOOOOVE crab, so fresh, so tender, delicious and sweet.. slightly naturally salty and the tomato jus was SO freaking refreshing and beautiful looking. W said that the waiter gave me too much but I loved it anyways.  I twas SO gorgeous.

Raw Tuna on Creamy Avocado, Blood oranges, Sprouts and Pinenuts

I actually wasn’t told about the pine nuts so it was the happiness surprise when I bit in.. it had this sesame japanese sort of thing sprinkled over the tuna.. MMMMM and the blood orange was SUCH a fresh bright burst of citrus-y deliciousness that was totally brought it together – and like I said, the toasted nutty crunch of the pine nuts TOTALLY enhanced everything as a whole.  This was my favorite dish of the night and just brightened the night.

Compressed Watermelon Salad with Beets and Creamy Goat Cheese.

I’m not even a huge goat cheese girl but this was delicious. JUICY JUICY sweet fresh, REFRESHING watermelon and juicy sweet earthy beets. Freshly cracked black pepper – OMFG this was SO good.  So many textures and a mix of savory and sweet flavors.

Scallops on a Pepperoni pizza like sort of chopped up deliciousness… and methinks Squid Ink?!

Salty fresh deliciousness. This was SO good, I  INHALEd it.. it really tasted like a scallop pizza! NOM.

Baby can cook. I can eat. See?! We’re perfect!

“Are you a Vegetarian?”

And yes I actually got asked that, the waitress only saw me eat the last two dishes and not my starter.. so I guess that’s why, but still… always awkward when I get asked since I’m SUCH a huge meat eater. HAHA. OMNOMNIVORE!

Worked late and then headed over to one of W’s restaurants, Bourban Steak,  for some grub.  I was craving some raw meat and W knows me too well so I sipped my water and the first thing I got sent was delicious RAW BEEF!

This was the closet thing to a tartare they have… MMMMM

Kobe Beef “Kibbeh”

Cucumber Yogurt, Pickled Beets, Grilled Pita Bread

Totally satiated my craving for tender raw meat.  Haha always reminds me of the movie P in the part where eating raw meat turns her evil LOL…. I’m an evil mofo ;]

OK, onwards to my vegetarian part I suppose… SOOOO GOOD and carbo loading <3

Fava Beans and Sprouts on a Crostini, SOOOOOO FREAKING GOOD.  DE-VOURED!

And a yummy panzanella… toasted crunchy croutons with tomatoes, onoins and more sprouts. SOOO GOOOOOOD

I am a happppppppy girl :]

W fed me well, once again :]

A full Tiffie is a happy Tiffie :]

La Provence, ……… in Concord MA

So I was lucky enough to have doctor appointments galore this week…. and today?!… Gyno & Oral Surgeon.. more on that after this…. so inbetween I had a little over a hour and a half to eat lunch. SOOOO.. off to La Provence.  My mom and her girlfriends have lunch dates here ALL THE TIME – so why not?!.. quick, cheap, delicious, fresh!.. FAST!  Best of most of all worlds…..

LUNCH!

You order at the counter, pay, sit down at one  of the cute tables in two different rooms [front and back] and they bring it to you — gets busy during super lunch times.. good thing I got there a little before the rush.

NOM NOM NOM.. mmm TEA

Vegetable Frittata

Great marinara… lovely… thick and fresh.. but the frittata was a bit dry and overloaded with JUST noodles.. just a tinnnny bit of egg to hold it together and…. SERIOUS lack of veggies *pout*

Chicken Curry… with Potato Gratin and Cheesy White Asparagus

Side of Wild Rice

3 Salad Plate…. Pickled Beets&Onions; Hearts of Palm, Fennel, Tomato, Olives; Artichokes & Peppers

LOOOOOOOOOVE the hearts of palm salad the most.  And all of this was like.. what.. 6 bucks?!.. At WHOLE FOODS it would’ve been like 20 hahahaha… :] YUM  I adore fennel! We need more raw fennel in foods and salads!! NOM NOM NOM!..

SOOOO GOOD, I got another plate!!!

I had all of this.. and a few cups of hot hot tea :] Even met an ABC/Taiwanese Boy there from Cali. Noooo worries, he’s still in school and I’m not a cougar.. all the time ;]  But he was nice.

And then I DESPERATELY needed something chocolately.. so I bought this Bumble Bee BOMB to eat when I got home and started working….. cup of hot hot coffee and this chocolately mousse over a honey soaked butter cake.. OH EM GEE <3 LOVE – Aside from this they have yummy fruit tarts..  which I love to get. but today I really needed chocolate

OK so after lunch with cake in hand.. I went to my oral surgeon to check on this black spot on my tongue.  It suddenly appeared last year when I was still living midtown in NYC and while I was alarmed I never got it checked out.  Earlier this year my dentist wanted me to go see if it was serious but since I was still so back and forth from NYC I didn’t…. so finally. this Monday I talked to my doctor about it and INSISTED me to check on it.  I did – it’s not, thankfully, tongue cancer  – it’s a freaking TONGUE FRECKLE…. *sigh* I’m a dork.

OK, so back to this place.  Quick, easy, fresh, delicious – while the sweets are a bit *sweet* the food is simple and yum!   Methinks they have beer too cuz I saw some old people near me bring it over and drink some Sam Adams :] so THUMBS UP.. sorta.. [I don’t think I’ve ever had a Sams Adams.. maybe a special fall brew or something but that’s it]  Great service, super sweet… just don’t go during rush times cuz you have to wait for EVER.. yes it’s that’s popular. :]

Celebrating Mommy’s Bday the French way…

It was my beautiful Mommy’s birthday this past Friday [obviously she was turning sweet 26 hehe]…

She’s always been my number one foodie crime in partner with me ;D Even before I started eating/liking food

…ane/so I was planning to take her out to dinner Thursday night since I had a wedding to go to in Flushing for the weekend… – it was her choice… but change of events and I had to make a trip down to the Apple store to get my macbook fixed [again] stupid harddrive [again] so why not our favorite French resto in our area?! Sel de la Terre.  I’ve been so busy with life/work that I’ve missed the past few wine Tuesdays….

I’ve been wanting to try their new menu items anyways since I’ve only been going to their wine Tuesdays :]… We had the NICEST waiter who gave me the best wine recommendation AND also recognized us from Wine Tuesdays :D Woot!

Instead of a bread basket we got to choose our own :]

A delicious glass of French red thanks to my awesome waiter

2009 – Cabernet/Syrah “Puydeval” Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
This was delicious.. fruity, bold but not earthy at all.. so glad I went with this and not the Argentinian Malbec… it’s so nice when I get proven wrong.. especially since I’m usually not a fan of French reds :D

House made Duck Liver Terrine, Toasted Crostini, Whole Grain Mustard, Chutney

Silky smooth duck liver, soooo delicious.. a light sprinkle of salt  – I like it with a sprinkle of red onion and a tiny bit of chutney – love the sweet – if I don’t have some of the jelly with it. YUM!  I’m in LOVE with the brioche toasts.  So fluffy….

ASF Green Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Bacon Lardons, Comte, Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette

Delicious greens, so herb-y and full of flavor, different kinds of leaves and greens YUM.. and tons of freshly cooked bacon all over.. the basil heavy vinaigrette was DELICIOUS – I’m not a huge dressing person, but I loved it!  Just made the salad that much more refreshing!

Long Island Duck Breast, Quinoa, Braised Greens, Beet Puree, Pickled Baby Beets

Cooked medium – mom was kinda scared of medium rare, which is usually what I get with duck – but still super fatty and moist and FULL of flavor, tender and the skin was cooked to a slight crisp – but still chewy and pliable  consistency, YUM!  I say it was still under a medium which I loved…  the quinoa seemed to be a little cheesy mustard grain tasting which made it a bit heavy… so I didn’t eat it with the duck.  The beet sauce and the pickled beets had a nice slight tang to it that cut thru the richness of the duck.  YUM!

Mussels with White Wine, Chorizo, Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Fennel, Garbanzo Beans and Cherry Pepper Broth

This was sooooo good… super fresh mussels and tons of delicious chunks of spicy chorizo and perfectly cooked garbanzo beans!!!  This was soooo good.. and the salty broth paired beautifully with the delicious broth the mussels were bathed in.

Steak Tartare, Dijon Vinaigrette, Truffle Aioli and Rosemary Pomme Frites

I haven’t had a good steak tartare in awhile.. and OMG even tho I’m not a huge aioli girl THIS TRUFFLE AIOLI was AMAZING.. the tartare itself was delicious by itself.  I had some on crostini and with the fries but mostly with a tiny dip of the aioli.  MMMMMM, truffle and raw meat <3  What more can a girl want?!

Happy Birthday Mommy, from me and Dior :]

Vegas Birthday Dinner @ Circo

After an already FANTASIMICALLY AWESOME time in less than 24 hours… it was Birthday Dinner time with my girls…. SO the plan was to go to Scarpetta – me and my huge crush on Scott Conant, yes yes, but we shopped and drank for awhile at Caesars after a long day at the pool and we were tired and lazy… halfway thru my large fruity  drink I decided we should just eat in the Bellagio – since there’s a million delicious places to eat there anyways – So Circo it was… we got beautiful with my newly bought dress and went downstairs to dinner with my sexy shoes Katy bought me :D

As soon as we walked in, I asked for my table.. they got my NAME wrong and wrote me down as “Jing” and asked me if I had a table at Le Cirque instead…. I’ve already had the ORIGINAL Le Cirque in NYC why would I come here for it?!  Plus I was in the mood for some nice simple Tuscan/Italian food :] MMMM.. and MONKEYS…!!!

Monkeys monkeys monkeys EVERYWHERE!! designed by Adam Tihany…

Where are we?! Circus Circus?  There were cute monkeys EVERYWHERE in the restaurant OMG.. we got a nice table with a good view of both outside and the kitchen :D

Yep a 18,255$+ bottle of wine… they had a crazy awesome wine selection, apparently over 900 different sorts of bottles.. I talked to the sommelier and found a delicious light fruity Italian wine [red obviously] that would go well with all of our dishes!!!… Katy ended up not liking it too much which meant – MORE FOR MEEEEE hahahha..

My lovies!!!

Delicious bread and EVOO

Antipasto del Circo

Assortment of Traditional Tuscan Appetizers

SOOOO YUM!  A delicious selection of cheeses…. some bruschetta on the most delicious toasty garlic bread.. sOOO super garlicky and the tomatoes were SO fresh and sweet… MMMM, we had super garlic breath :] My favorite was the salami and then, obviously, the prosciutto.. YUM YUM!! OH and then there was the artichokes on the side.. NOM NOM NOM!

Kelly’s Ravioli Di Mama Egi

Mama Egi’s Recipe of Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Butter Sage Sauce

She seemed to love them.. wait did I try a bite? They looked so pretty and saucey :D  And smelled absolutely amazing. I LOOOOVE sage and I tend to get vegetarian raviolis more than I get meaty ones… :] Save those for agnolottis… teehee

Katy’s Frantoiana

Tuscan Vegetable & Bean Soup with Fettunta 

This was a huge bowl, and so are Katy’s beautiful boobs,… wait, too crude? I’m a 16 y/o horny teenager [male] seriously, okay back to the food – KATY LOVED IT!!!.. it came with Fettunta.. which is just super indulgent garlic bread :D NOM!!!…. It was FILLED with fresh cooked down super tender veggies and beans!!!!

And then, of course, my Il Coniglio

Roasted Napa Valley Rabbit Loin wrapped in San Daniele Prosciutto, Polenta ‘sfogliatina’, Roasted Beets, Green Pea Veloute, Rabbit Jus

As soon as I said I was gonna order this, poor Katy got wide-eyed… and talked about “Harry” the bunny from her backyard. Kelly tried some and liked it but Katy wouldn’t nibble on Harry teeheee… I actually found that I don’t like cooked prosciutto… the closest I like cooked prosciutto is either really really dried out and crunchy, broken and sprinkled on salads or something.. OR…. placed on freshly baked pizzzaaaaaa… [prosciutto and fresh sweet figs on white pizza, OMG… orgasmic] ANYWAYS.. I felt like it tasted really gamey cooked and affected the taste of the rabbit, plus it was a bit too salty. I ended up just eating the bunny part. I LOVED the way the polenta was cooked. I’m ALL about crunch and texture… and while the taste itself was almost bland, the texture was FABULOUS!… and the beets, OH the beets… I LOVE BEETS <3

We were stuffed from eating and drinking all day so that little food actually filled us up a lot… so we got one dessert…  a delicious Molten Lava Chocolate Cake.. it had a classier name but whatever… hahaha

HAPPPPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE

My signature blowing out candle pic :D TEEHEE

Afterwards, we rushed back to our room for our second outfit change – teeeheeeee.. yes I wore two outfits that night and I also ended up curling my hair… finish up the rest of the trip on this entry.

Marea, Chef Michael White is the best for Special Occasions

“Watching people eat my food is like watching people have sex”  – Michael White

Sunday was Z’s birthday and is, like I’ve mentioned numerous times, obsessed with Chef Michael White [who isn’t right?] and his pasta….  Both of us haven’t been to Chef White’s baby, Marea yet so OBVIOUSLY, taking him here was the obvious choice.  We got there a few minutes before our reservation and was promptly seated in a nice cozy table.

Yep Marea. THE Marea. “Seafood Porn” Marea.. [or so says Tony Bourdain]

And yes, we did eat those uni lardo crostinis :]

After two glasses of some delicious cold bubbly… I picked out a delicious bottle of Red, VERY delicious… seeee… Italian but with a hint of German… I like a good looking bottle… :]

To be honest, it took a long long time just to get someone to take our order, let alone give us bread or refill our water glasses.  Our “waiter” actually went to tables that sat way after us and took their order, helped them out and gave them bread – WAYYY before us. Sad. And it’s a shame too, the sommeliers actually ended up giving us the most service and we barely saw our waiter until after Z complained towards the end of our meal, when they were getting orders wrong and serving us the wrong dishes at the wrong times.. and taking a long time. Nevertheless… we finally got our order in… towards the end of dinner we got our apology and yes we got bread. OH and everything was delicious. FYI, Manager and all the sommeliers are SUPER nice and attentive.

Breads…  Foccacia, Muti-Grain and Sourdough

They were delicious.  Chewy sourdough… a dense but full of flavor ansd still managing to be light, multi-grain…. BUT OMG the Foccacia was amazing… CHUNKS of huge green salty, flavorful olives in it.. and all the breads were even more delicious when dipped in the olive oil – which was super grassy, fresh and delicious – to be honest I was ready to make like an Asian and steal the bottle for consuming at home hahaha.. no worries, I didn’t find my inner Asian ghetto :]

Amuse Bouche
Spring Pea Soup Shooter

I even got a delicious fat spring pea in my soup – super sweet, naturally of course…. blended to a creamy smooth consistency and a lightly tart foam on top.  It was a nice change up from the usual asparagus soups that I’ve been tasting lately… speaking of which I kind of miss autumn/winter pumpkin/squash soups :] Hehehehe….

Ricci
Sea Urchin, Lardo, Sea Salt

This is actually one of the sole reasons that I’ve been wanting to come to Marea.  I love Michael White‘s food and pasta, but before I really fell in love with him and his food, I knew about these…. oh oh oh joy.  These were everything and MORE than I ever could dream about. SOOO rich and decadent.  You have the creamy creamy uni.. not one, but TWO lobes.. [and according to Andrew Zimmern and Michael White on the newest epi of Bizarre Foods those white splotches you get on Uni means it’s EXTRA good.. it’s also Sea Urchin sperm haha] Layered on top is a large fat thick delicious piece of perfectly melted lardo. MMM pig fat makes EVERYTHING taste better. Even the freaking crostini on the bottom holding two of the most delicious morsels in the world is perfection.  Crisp, chewy, toasted to perfection – just enough bread to hold up to the richness.. but not overly so that all you get is extra bread.

PERFECTION in a bite [well for me three or four haha, I like to savour]

Sidenote: You also may remember the Top Chef All Stars team who went to White’s restaurant to eat and “mimic” the restaurant’s food… yep, those guys ate this[Team Marea: Stephen, Tre, Blais, Spike].. [and remember, Tre doesn’t like uni and Stephen was saying how THIS dish would change his mind? Haha.. Yes I’m a Top Chef Trivia nerd]

I couldn’t help it… I made it so fuggggg but that’s the best part :D OMG am I a nerd that I just tweeted about this pic I drew and can’t stop laughing at myself? I’m such a dork!

Okay while I just totally ruined the whole classiness that I wanted this blog to exude… OOOOOOZEEEEE… EXUUUUUUDE… I’m tired and delirious :] And it’s my blog so in the words of Cartman “I do what I wannnnnnnttt!!!!”

Assagio Di Tre – Tasting of Three Crudo

Ainame
Japanese Greenling, Pickled Ginger, Charred Celery

The second favorite of the crudos, we tried first… which was perfect. It was SO delicate, sweet and light – the perfect way to start off the appetite.  Like an aperitif. I’ve never had Japanese Greenling before but it’s such a pure clean tasting fish…. the pickle in the ginger could’ve been a little stronger, but since the char and the celery flavors were also very light and just adding that little bit of needed texture, this was the most delicious bite.

Seppia
Cuttlefish Tagliatelle, Soffrito Crudo, Bottarga Di Muggine

This was the most anticipated but the most disappointing of the three.  It was missing acidity and oomph.  The cuttlefish was REALLY tender and had that milky texture to the slight rubbery chew to it [just think raw squid which I eat all the time as sashimi at Japanese restaurants]  The Soffrito was really refreshing and delicious… the slight salt, barely noticeable was from the Bottarga.. but like I said, totally missing acidity. :[

Sgombro
Pacific Jack Mackerel, Olives, Marcona Almonds, Mushrooms

This was definitely the winner of the crudos.  A perfect balance of the sweet silky fish, the salty olives, the soft mushrooms and the crunch of the Marconas [which was funny because when the server brought it over they said Walnuts, HELLO, HUGEEE difference there!!!]

Braised Snails with Mushrooms, Croutons and Fennel

This was simple and complex at the same time.  When I first saw this on the menu, Z showed me a pic of whole briased snails – kinda freaky looking – but these were cut into small pieces and perfectly braised to a tender chew.  Full of flavor, and the lightly cooked fennel added SO much flavor to the dish.  The croutons were buttery and crunchy while the mushrooms, also braised with the snails were tender and full of flavor. I LOVE MUSHROOMS!

Uovo
Poached Egg, Spring Garlic, Bone Marrow, Baby Eel, Passatelli, Barley Brodo

This was totally not what I expected.. probably because usually when I get these sortrs of Uovos they look foamy or creamy or thick. And they’ve been like that in multiple restaurants that I’ve been to – not just Michael White’s.  Le Cirque. Per Se. Le Bernardin. Bouley. This was SO beautiful. A perfectly poached egg not hidden in anything but with a nice broth poured around it.  Deliciousness surrounding it but the star was most definitely the creamy warm yellow yolk that spilled out after slicing through it.

BTW, Passateli is a sort of pasta formed out of breadcrumbs. Yep, *the more you know theme song plays*

Of course I had to do an after picture :] It was DELICIOUSNESS and I totally could have made do with another bowl or two of this :] ALL to myself too… haha but then again #sharingiscaring.

Since they had gotten our orders wrong and had actually took the pastas out before we got the snails and uovo, they comped up a few dishes :] And some chamapagne.. but the waiting for the next course was KILLER – it took forever.. and because of the super slow service, we were slowly getting “full” fast….

Fusilli
Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow

After seeing this on Bizarre Eats, Z & I KNEW we HAD to get this.  The fusilli were cooked to a perfect al dente, maybe slightly under… the sauce, while not very “original” tasting, was very very homey.. and while the waiter said it was a heavier richer sauce, I thought it was a lot lighter than our second pasta.  The octopus was also cooked to perfect – very very tender and full of flavor. MMMM… CHUNKS of bone marrow were in the sauce – YES, like VISIBLE chunks of soft delicious buttery fatty bone marrow surrounded the pasta and of course the nice crisp sprinkle of bread crumbs on top. Amazing.

Eel, Sage … delicious a little less than al dente pasta… looked like unstuffed tortellini.. totally forgot what they’re called and can’t find it on the websites :[

I hate myself for not remembering then name of this pasta.  It was such a unique shape and while it was undercooked  The sauce was definitely unique tasting so I didn’t know what to think upon first taste.  But the sweet sauce paired perfectly with eel [I mean how often do you eat eel aside from Unagi at Japanese restaurants?]  While a bit on the heavily sauced side, the basil gave that nice pop of herby flavors – maybe a bit TOO much… but in the end it somehow worked and balanced each other out – maybe cause the pasta was so dense.

And after another long wait….

Bistecca
Grilled Creekstone 50 Day Dry Aged Sirloin, Braised Romaine, Bone Marrow Panzanella

Not Black & Blue like Z asked for but the aging and the marbling was beautiful. I could smell the aged meat from across the table and the meat was delicious, so so tasty…  the Bone Marrow Croutons were to DIE for… and there were two pieces of braised [which looked just kind of like grilled cooked down] Romaine.

Roasted Beets, Ricotta Salata

Super super sweet and perfectly roasted beets.  Deliciously red… and a creammmmmmy delicious ricotta salta shaved on top.  Looked like heaven… looked like dessert. MMMM.. so delicious.

Roasted Black Bass, Roasted Eggplant, Fava, Grilled Ramps, Apricot Mostarda

By the time I got this, it was so late.. it was past 11 and I was really full already.  The fish was delicious, cooked brilliantly.. soft, flakey.. and yes, my favorite word, tender…   The skin as crisp and had the most amazing crunch to it.  Then there was the grilled ramps, YUM.. and thin slices of eggplant.. MMMMM, so delicious.  So refreshing… tasted so seasonal.

Panna Cotta
Formage Blanc Panna Cotta, Mandarin Orange, Pink Peppercorn, Thyme

The most creative way I’ve ever been served Panna Cotta.  The Pink Peppercorn crunchy meringue pieces were SOOOO delicious and dotally made the dish.  A bit of everything, all textures, tastes, flavors, sensessss of all sorts – and the pop of thyme – OMG I’m so in love [yes now I have Usher stuck in my head]

Bomboloni
Fried Doughnut Holes, Lemon Cream, Prickly Pear Sorbet, Cassis

Fluffy but still dense, but not overpoweringly so.  They reminded me of the fried doughnut holes you get at Chinese buffets.. yep, those really ghetto ones :] No, I totally mean that in the best way, the ghettoier the better.. probably because of the extra “flavoring” in the “AGE-ED” hot penaut oil they fry it in hahahah… come on, us Asians waste not ;D

But no, these doughnuts tasted super fresh, piping hot, melted in my mouth but tasted VERY clean [no dirty oil!]

Petit Fours
Apricot Bonbon, Berry Pate de Fruit, Financiar, Salted Caramel

Started with the bonbon, next came the cookie/cake and then the pate and lastly – save the best for last – salted caramel… DELICIOUS!  Full to the point of popping… we decided to call it a night and watch Hangover back at home to end the birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday Z.

Convivio, Best of the Best

Dear Chef Michael White… you have made me fall in love with pasta all over again. For me, Italian food is something I have to be in the mood for, but I can see me coming to Convivio over and over and over again, just for your food… and your amazing perfect pasta. I haven’t had such amazing pasta, maybe ever [aside from the homeland in Rome], since dell’anima…. and I still keep pushing Scarpetta back… but I think my heart now lies here…. in your creations.

Convivio is the new Southern Italian restaurant from Chris Cannon and Chef Michael White. A restaurant rich in conviviality, flavor and passion, this acclaimed restaurant offers a pure translation of soulful dining—the Southern Italian way. Inspired by warm memories of Italian kitchens and the country’s unforgettable flavors—tomatoes, pancetta, sea urchin, and pesto—White’s menu travels through Italy’s Southern towns and creatively interprets revered recipes. Located in Manhattan’s charming Tudor City neighborhood, in the space of their former award-winning L’Impero, Convivio offers guests an irresistible opportunity to dine leisurely, sensuously and with gusto.

My date arrived later than me so I sat down first and ordered some champagne, a nice bubbly glass of Brut Nicolas Feuillatte NV

Delicious whole wheat bread with a burnt crust and the most amazing extra virgin olive oil to dip it in – EVER…. I was in love and ate at least 4 pieces of bread that night… amazing.. I could bath in that oil and lick it off my toes…. oh wait, TMI?

Delicious delicious wine

2006 Etna Rosso ‘A Rina Girolamo Russo

Round One

Barbabietole
beets, mozzarella, almonds

The creamy mozzarella combined with the earthy roasted beets [cooked perfectly might I add] and then the crunch of the almonds – delicious. I am a sucker for fresh mozzarella… everytime I buy a huge ball of it, it never lasts for more than a day… aside from homemade pizzas and homemade caprese salads… I just eat it like there’s no tomorrow…

Insalata di Mare

warm seafood salad, caper berries, lemon

I wouldn’t call it a “salad” perse but it was a nice light combo of seafood… perfectly cooked shellfish with a nice crusty garlic bread on the side. Didn’t really notice the caper berries or lemon too much but it was amazing nonetheless…

Arancini

saffron risotto croquettes

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. The first time I had one of these was in Denver at duo… and since then I was hooked. These were even simpler than the duo ones… a light dusting of cheese atop the perfectly fried risotto balls… orgasmic.

TMI ALERT TMI ALERT — A certain someone once suggested me eating a Bahn Mi, drinking bubble tea and getting some loving = Ultimate — tempting but I think these would be even better ;D Hahaha…

Round Two

Zuppa di Ceci

chickpea soup, pig trotters, escarole

Tenderly cooked chickpeas [garbanzos, whichever — you say toe-may-toe I say toe-ma-toe] A delicious thick, but light, blended – super creamy – chickpea soup, almost chowder like, with nice tender veggies, some crunchy buttery garlicky [best word ever] croutons… not sure where the pig trotters were tho… pureed in the soup? irregardless… droool* I licked the bowl clean [obviously]

Polipo

tomato braised octopus, polenta, asiago

I love octopus and while there was more polenta than anything else on the plate, the octopussy was tender… and the polenta was AMAZING… I gobbled it all up!!!

Polpettine en Brodo

pork meatballs, broccoli rabe, ricotta salata

You know I’m obsessed with meatballs….  Obsessed… ;D These were tender, succulent and oh so tasty… love love lovessss… mine are still better tho ;D

Round Pasta [aka Three]

Then came the pasta dishes…. dinner date and I actually ended up ordering TWO more pasta dishes because they were so so tiny…  I’m a growing girl [horizontally] and I need my carbs!!!!…

Malloreddus

sardinian saffron, gnocchetti, crab, sea urchin

MMMM…. love gnocchi, love Sardinia [speaking of which, still need to go to that special restaurant to eat in the wine cellar with that certain someone…… I was stupid not to go last time I was offered to…. sigh*; and then there’s that Sardinia episode of No Reservations when Anthony Bourdain goes to his wifey’s homeland and that SEXY gooey cheesy scene… effing orgasmic…]  and of course, crab + Uni are just……. breathtaking…. the uni was super subtle, whereas if I didn’t know it was already in there, I wouldn’t be looking for it…. but the gnocchi was magnificent and perfectly cooked.

Orecchiette Nero

squid ink pasta, seppia ragu, lardo, broccoli rabe

SOOOO good…. I’m a huge fan of squid ink pasta, maybe it’s just the blackness of it, but I’m convinced the flavor is just as fantastic… and then of course… LARDO.. freaking LARDO… and broccoli rabe…. :D

This is when I ordered another set of pasta dishes.. still hungry for more carbs…..

AHH, this was the special of the day… totally forgot what it was… some squash tortellini – I remember it being a bit too sweet for me….. so I only ate a little bit of it and gave it all to the dinner date….

But then it gave me plenty of time to focus on my gorgeous….

Maccheroni alla Carbonara

pancetta, pecorino, scallion, egg, black pepper

The first time I ever had carbonara was my sophomore year in college… one of my close friends, Dave Choi, made me the most delicious and memorable dinner of my life. This was one one of the first meals that made me really fall in love with cooking… and truly appreciate egg yolk for more than a sunny-side up. This was also the first time I learned about pancetta.. and bacon being the lamer, but still good, substitute… since then, this is my go-to meal when I only have a few simple ingredients to create something wonderful… I even got my dad to fall in love with carbonara… and he hates cheese [except on pizza]

Round Four

My choice, a delicious side of Funghi Arrosto

wild mushrooms, garlic

I could never resist mushrooms.. altho I DO find while getting them in restaurants, they’re often too oily… but nonetheless, while they WERE, they were SO flavorful and there was SO many varieties of ‘shrooms… oh joy <3

Along side it, the “MAIN” course of the night… the duck.. quack quack… I’ve had so much pig that I decided to stick with duck and just duck as the main course [altho now I kinda wish I had gotten the suckling crispy piggie as well ;D hehe… The glutton in me…

Anatra

long island duck breast, grilled sausage, sunchokes, apples

Look at that perfect balance of skin, fat and rare medium rare meat… Delightful… not super memorable, but good

The night ended on a sour note with the date, so I opted to skip dessert… [altho I already had my choices picked out] … I paid the bill and we left in a hussy….

One a side note… when I went to the restroom…

SOOO many rolls of toilet paper to choose from on the wall…. Awesome, yet… why?

Good Intentions…… [Oceana]

So I finally went to Oceana. My date had already been there before for a previous birthday but was lame and only got some fish entree…. no raw bar or anything. LAME. So obviously we had to do it up. I got all dolled up and was ecstatic that I could get a 8:15 reso the day of.

I had been on an intense detox diet and just gave up because I was craving oysters. So Oceana it was, close by, fairly famous, oh and should I mention that they have Chicken Fried Blowfish?!?!?! To be honest, they were on my list of to-go’s but it was their tweet that got me to their restaurant the day after I saw it.

I want to tell you that it was an amazing experience, delicious and totally worth the $400+ check but…. it wasn’t. The champagne was good tho. Altho I may be biased to how it started off. Well, it started off great – we were 20 minutes early and seated immediately. But then our waitress came over to ask what we wanted for drinks. NO DRINK MENU. So we say water. 5-10 minutes later she comes back with menus. NO DRINK MENU. We had to hunt her down and ask for one. Then she got all weird when I asked her what her favorite champagne/sparkling wine was. Sommelier was great tho, super nice guy – great choice in champagne for us :]