Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
a blast from the past!
Four years ago, I posted a list of restaurants I wanted to eat at in New Orleans before graduating. Of course I didn't get to all of them, but I've spent the past three visits and my return here trying to cross them off. Here's an updated list. So close!
Restaurant AugustBayonaBrigtsen's- Clancy's Restaurant
Cochon RestaurantRestaurant CuvéeCrabby Jack'sDickie Brennan's Palace Jazz CafeDomilise'sEmeril's Delmonico- Emeril's NOLA
5 Happiness- GW Fins
Herbsaint Bar and RestaurantLilette Restaurant- Martin Wine Cellar
Mat & Naddie’sOki NagoONE Restaurant and LoungePascal’s Manalea>Ralph & Kacoo's- Ralph's On The Park
Ralph Brennan's BaccoRestaurant AzulRock-n-SakeTable OneStella!
If you want to see the original post, it's here.
Friday, May 21, 2010
follow me?
I caved and made a twitter. Please follow twitter.com/ndrewmarin for reviews in 140-character increments.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Osteria del Porton Rosso
This pleasant, homey osteria is located less than a fifteen minute walk from Pisa’s famous tower and right by the river. The waiter recommended the spaghetti con frutti di mare with “fruits of the sea.” The spaghetti is filled with mussels, clams, slices of squid, and chopped shrimp. The wine adds a lot of flavor, in a good way. Fresh parsley and a hint of red pepper freshen and spice up the dish.
For a main entrée, the suggestion was a filettto di tonno alla griglia, which is generous slices of seared tuna tagliata, browned on the outside but rare on the inside. Seasoned lightly over lettuce and raddichio and finished with fresh lemon juice, it’s a filling but not heavy or oily.
For a main entrée, the suggestion was a filettto di tonno alla griglia, which is generous slices of seared tuna tagliata, browned on the outside but rare on the inside. Seasoned lightly over lettuce and raddichio and finished with fresh lemon juice, it’s a filling but not heavy or oily.
via Porton Rosso 11
Pisa, Toscana 56126
050 58 05 66 Tel
050 58 05 66 Fax
http://www.osteriadelportonrosso.com
osteriadelportonrosso@hotmail.it
closed in August and on Sundays
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
I know...
I've been slacking with the updates. There has been no lack of good food in my life, just a lack of time and internet. But I'll try and get some retroactive updates posted in the near future.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Mac Dario
So I’m sure the readers of this blog – all four of you – were wondering which fine eatery would resurrect Where’d Ya Eat?
Well your answer is Mac Dario, the “fast food” establishment of butcher Dario Cecchini. Its mission statement is that it “can serve good food at a good price and have a good time doing it.” This is all accomplished with only two menus, the first a play on fast food and the second a sampling of specialties from the butcher shop.
The Mac Dario is a bun-less half pound burger in a breadcrumb crust with garlic and sage roasted potatoes, vegetables and sliced onions, the restaurant’s sauces, Tuscan bread, and sparkling or still water. Set at 10 euro, it’s basically a steal and pretty ridiculous given the quality and amount of food served.
The “burger” itself is cooked to order – the restaurant and I both recommend “Toscana” or rare – and the crust is light and barely-there. Cecchini owns cattle of a rare breed in Spain, and all the beef he serves is trucked in weekly. The quality of the beef is obvious and the other components of the dish only serve to reinforce and complement it. The potatoes wedges are perfectly roasted, the vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, celery) caramelized, and the red onions barely-cooked... crunchy but sweet. The sauces and breads are brought out before the burger, but I recommend holding back until the plate arrives so you don’t fill yourself up. The sauces are ll homemade: A “Tuscan ketchup” (high quality tomato sauce), honey mustard, and a red bell pepper jelly both sweet and spicy.
The other menu, simply called “Welcome,” is a selection of the specialties available for purchase in the shop. Raw garden vegetables and olive oil for dipping, probably to keep things light and healthy before all the meat arrives: “Chianti sushi” (steak tartar), “Chianti tuna” (or pork), roasted pork with herbs and garlic, and meatloaf with the pepper jelly. I haven’t actually had this menu, but I have sampled both the Steak tartar which is beefy and fresh and enhanced with spices and lemon, and the roasted pork, which is tender as expected and leaner than expected.
The rest of the menu is a glass of house red wine, fruit juice, coffee and a slice of olive oil cake (topped with sugar and pine nuts), and Italian military liquers for digestifs. Each item is available for 2 Euro. And for 3 Euro, you can have a quarter liter of the red wine.
You can purchase Cecchini’s beef, pork, or lamb (when in season), at his butcher shop attached to the restaurant. And although he favors Spanish cattle, the rest of his ingredients are local to Chianti. His wine, olive oil, and herbs all come from his own estate within two miles of the restaurant. The aforementioned as well as the red pepper jelly, honey mustard, and “perfume of Chianti” (a delicious salt spiced with Tuscan herbs that probably makes its way onto everything on the menu) are all on sale there too.
The restaurant seats about two dozen people, so don’t be surprised if you’re sitting next to strangers at one of the long tables. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful. It almost feels like a party. No RSVPs or reservations are taken though.
This is certainly an excellent and memorable dining experience and definitely in my top ten favorite meals of all time. The staff are all professional, courteous, and genuinely happy to be at work. Although the likes of Elton John, Madonna, and Sting have eaten there, there is no pretense; the staff would never call their burgers “casual fine dining” although they are. In fact, the lack of foie gras, truffle, and other unnecessary fancy ingredients only goes to show the quality of both the beef and the cooking. A meal here would satisfy anyone who is a meat lover and change the mind of anyone who is not.
Well your answer is Mac Dario, the “fast food” establishment of butcher Dario Cecchini. Its mission statement is that it “can serve good food at a good price and have a good time doing it.” This is all accomplished with only two menus, the first a play on fast food and the second a sampling of specialties from the butcher shop.
The Mac Dario is a bun-less half pound burger in a breadcrumb crust with garlic and sage roasted potatoes, vegetables and sliced onions, the restaurant’s sauces, Tuscan bread, and sparkling or still water. Set at 10 euro, it’s basically a steal and pretty ridiculous given the quality and amount of food served.
The “burger” itself is cooked to order – the restaurant and I both recommend “Toscana” or rare – and the crust is light and barely-there. Cecchini owns cattle of a rare breed in Spain, and all the beef he serves is trucked in weekly. The quality of the beef is obvious and the other components of the dish only serve to reinforce and complement it. The potatoes wedges are perfectly roasted, the vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, celery) caramelized, and the red onions barely-cooked... crunchy but sweet. The sauces and breads are brought out before the burger, but I recommend holding back until the plate arrives so you don’t fill yourself up. The sauces are ll homemade: A “Tuscan ketchup” (high quality tomato sauce), honey mustard, and a red bell pepper jelly both sweet and spicy.
The other menu, simply called “Welcome,” is a selection of the specialties available for purchase in the shop. Raw garden vegetables and olive oil for dipping, probably to keep things light and healthy before all the meat arrives: “Chianti sushi” (steak tartar), “Chianti tuna” (or pork), roasted pork with herbs and garlic, and meatloaf with the pepper jelly. I haven’t actually had this menu, but I have sampled both the Steak tartar which is beefy and fresh and enhanced with spices and lemon, and the roasted pork, which is tender as expected and leaner than expected.
The rest of the menu is a glass of house red wine, fruit juice, coffee and a slice of olive oil cake (topped with sugar and pine nuts), and Italian military liquers for digestifs. Each item is available for 2 Euro. And for 3 Euro, you can have a quarter liter of the red wine.
You can purchase Cecchini’s beef, pork, or lamb (when in season), at his butcher shop attached to the restaurant. And although he favors Spanish cattle, the rest of his ingredients are local to Chianti. His wine, olive oil, and herbs all come from his own estate within two miles of the restaurant. The aforementioned as well as the red pepper jelly, honey mustard, and “perfume of Chianti” (a delicious salt spiced with Tuscan herbs that probably makes its way onto everything on the menu) are all on sale there too.
The restaurant seats about two dozen people, so don’t be surprised if you’re sitting next to strangers at one of the long tables. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful. It almost feels like a party. No RSVPs or reservations are taken though.
This is certainly an excellent and memorable dining experience and definitely in my top ten favorite meals of all time. The staff are all professional, courteous, and genuinely happy to be at work. Although the likes of Elton John, Madonna, and Sting have eaten there, there is no pretense; the staff would never call their burgers “casual fine dining” although they are. In fact, the lack of foie gras, truffle, and other unnecessary fancy ingredients only goes to show the quality of both the beef and the cooking. A meal here would satisfy anyone who is a meat lover and change the mind of anyone who is not.
Mac DarioALSO: With reservations, the restaurant morphs into two other alter egos for dinners and Sunday lunch. “Solociccia” is a six-course two-hour dinner – the six meats selected at Cecchini’s discretion – with an abundant amount of sides, desserts, and drinks for 30 Euro a person. “Officina della Bistecca” is a meal devoted to Chianti’s famous grilled steaks: Bistecca alla Fiorentinia, alla Costata, and alla Panzanese. The 50 Euro per person price is inclusive of other expected components too, not that anyone could possibly leave the three-hour meal hungry.
Open noon to 3pm everyday except Wednesday and Sunday
Via XX Luglio, II
Panzano in Chianti, Firenze
+39 055 852020 Tel
+39 055 852700 Fax
http://www.dariocecchini.com
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Bacccarossa
In my opinion, it’s still the best place to get fresh seafood in Florence prepared simply (as in, not fussily or pretentiously) but with clean, exquisite flavors. The amuse bouche was (raw or barely cooked?) anchovies on toast. This may sound fishy or salty, but it wasn’t. Much more delicate in flavor than one would expect. We got some appropriate red wine pairings for the dishes. My pasta was a linguini with lobster and cherry tomatoes. Perfectly cooked, generous amounts of lobster and tomatoes and just-right al dente pasta. My main dish was a seabream island wrap, which means the fish was steamed in parchment with potatoes, tomatoes, capers, and two kinds of olives. It also was not the least bit fishy in taste but perfectly tender and light. We split a spicy chocolate mousse/pudding with drizzles of melted chocolate. The wine pairing was a Muscat that tasted apricot-y with the chocolate and honey raisin-y on its own. This was a true testament to the sommelier’s skill because the dish and the drink not only brought out each other’s flavors but enhanced them.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Alle Murate
Alle Murate is a beautiful place. Simple modern furniture underneath an ancient, frescoed ceiling. The tasting menu that night was based on both flavors and aromas. Every dish smelled amazing as it came out of the kitchen and made you want a taste. Obviously water, spumante, breads, and breadsticks came out first. The basket of baked things was so good it was hard to resist eating them and spoiling the appetite. Tara and I both had the tasting menu, but they tailored hers to fit her non-mammal diet.
- First course, Sarconi white bean and shrimp soup. The shrimp were perfectly cooked. As moist and fresh as possible without being undercooked. The soup also had hints of sage and thyme.
- Second course, bay-leaf-scented seared tuna (and fried pork chop for me) with an apple sauce and potatoes. This was a successful play on the classic pairing of pork chop and applesauce, but this apple sauce (notice the space in between the words) was very different and delicious.
- Third course, paccheri pasta with prawn, mussel, seabass, and cuttlefish. All four of the seafood ingredients were the right texture and chopped to a pleasant size, the pasta was clearly homemade and done to the right level of al dente, and the sauce was tomato based. A wilted sage garnish and a bit of spicy heat accented it all to the perfect finish.
- Fourth course, a pumpkin soufflé, with a chestnut on top and black cabbage sauce underneath. This was a perfect example of letting ingredients speak for themselves. The flavor of each component was clean and distinctive, the combination of three in-season ingredients proves we should eat the freshest things nature provides.
- Fifth course, Casentino lamb three ways – stewed in tomato, fried cutlet of rack, and baked leg stuffed with black olives. These were all fantastic and so different, the fact that it was all lamb and the roast potatoes in between tied them all together. (Tara’s fifth course, baked seabass over vegetable caponata. The seabass was tender, buttery, and flaked if you just ran your fork across. Perfection. Caponata is a Sicilian preparation of eggplant, zucchini, and pepper. The veggies were the crisp-tender consistency that all cooked vegetables should have.)
- Dessert course, a pear tiramisu over a chestnut pancake, topped with fresh pear cubes and chocolate shavings. Tara had said she was tired of tiramisu, but this was a refreshing and much lighter version. Once again with the argument in favor of using seasonal ingredients.
Via del Proconsolo, 16/Rosso
50122 Firenze, Toscana, Italia
+39.055.240618
Alle Murate Website
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Buca di Sant'Antonio
This ristorante has been open since 1782, so they’ve had time to get things just right. The food is amazing. Of course, they quickly provide the water, breads, and breadsticks. They greeted us with glasses of spumante and two amuse bouches. One was a pastry filled with anchovies that was simultaneously, entertainingly flaky and salty. The second were deep fried little meatballs the size of marbles. With all the courses, we e drank a local DOC wine, Urlo di Lupo 2007. Duchessa di Lucca. Colline Lucchesi.
My first course was a cold rabbit salad with lettuce, tomato, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Sounds simple but so complexly good in its balance of flavors and textures. My pasta was a hare pappardelle, perfectly cooked homemade egg noodles and tender pieces of hare, which is a little gamier and leaner than rabbit but tastier. I’m not a big pork fan, but the waiter recommended the roast pork with truffle cream sauce, roast potatoes, and green bean soufflé. The pork was perfectly done, tender and juicy, the potatoes were sliced into perfect size bites, and the soufflé was surprisingly intense in taste. Oh and the truffle cream sauce? Does that even need explanation as to how good it is?
Dessert was baked caramelized fruit with chestnut gelato. So good. Hot and cold. Crisping and melting. Sweet and creamy. The Sauternes dessert wine we had went excellently with it also.
My first course was a cold rabbit salad with lettuce, tomato, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Sounds simple but so complexly good in its balance of flavors and textures. My pasta was a hare pappardelle, perfectly cooked homemade egg noodles and tender pieces of hare, which is a little gamier and leaner than rabbit but tastier. I’m not a big pork fan, but the waiter recommended the roast pork with truffle cream sauce, roast potatoes, and green bean soufflé. The pork was perfectly done, tender and juicy, the potatoes were sliced into perfect size bites, and the soufflé was surprisingly intense in taste. Oh and the truffle cream sauce? Does that even need explanation as to how good it is?
Dessert was baked caramelized fruit with chestnut gelato. So good. Hot and cold. Crisping and melting. Sweet and creamy. The Sauternes dessert wine we had went excellently with it also.
Via Della Cervia 3
55100 Lucca, Toscana, Italia
+39.0583.55881
+39.0583.3121999 Fax
http://www.bucadisantantonio.com
Closed Sunday evening and Monday
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Il Belvedere
Who can resist the fresh and inexpensive seafood of Cinque Terre? Belvedere is on a Mediterranean beach, so no one should not order seafood here. We split all the generously sized plates. Monterosso’s famous anchovies, marinated and less salty than you’d think. Rice with squid in its ink, a perfect example of not trying to cover an ingredient’s natural tastes but enhancing their best qualities. Stuffed mussels, another local favorite. The stuffing makes them richer and more filling but not heavy. The Cinque Terre DOC white wine of course is the obvious and correct pairing to all this.
Piazza Garibaldi 38,
Monterosso, Cinque Terre, IT
+39.0187. 817033
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Bacccarossa
In my opinion, it’s still the best place to get fresh seafood in Florence prepared simply (as in, not fussily or pretentiously) but with clean, exquisite flavors.
The amuse bouche was (raw or barely cooked?) anchovies on toast. This may sound fishy or salty, but it wasn’t. Much more delicate in flavor than one would expect. We got some appropriate red wine pairings for the dishes.
My pasta was a linguini with lobster and cherry tomatoes. Perfectly cooked, generous amounts of lobster and tomatoes and just-right al dente pasta.
My main dish was a seabream island wrap, which means the fish was steamed in parchment with potatoes, tomatoes, capers, and two kinds of olives. It also was not the least bit fishy in taste but perfectly tender and light.
My hot date and I split a spicy chocolate mousse/pudding with drizzles of melted chocolate. The wine pairing was a Muscat that tasted apricot-y with the chocolate and honey raisin-y on its own. This was a true testament to the sommelier’s skill because the dish and the drink not only brought out each other’s flavors but enhanced them.
The amuse bouche was (raw or barely cooked?) anchovies on toast. This may sound fishy or salty, but it wasn’t. Much more delicate in flavor than one would expect. We got some appropriate red wine pairings for the dishes.
My pasta was a linguini with lobster and cherry tomatoes. Perfectly cooked, generous amounts of lobster and tomatoes and just-right al dente pasta.
My main dish was a seabream island wrap, which means the fish was steamed in parchment with potatoes, tomatoes, capers, and two kinds of olives. It also was not the least bit fishy in taste but perfectly tender and light.
My hot date and I split a spicy chocolate mousse/pudding with drizzles of melted chocolate. The wine pairing was a Muscat that tasted apricot-y with the chocolate and honey raisin-y on its own. This was a true testament to the sommelier’s skill because the dish and the drink not only brought out each other’s flavors but enhanced them.
Monday, October 27, 2008
uno momento
Due to a lack of internet connection, and in no way due to a lack of good food, this blog is going on hiatus.
Although... mad props to Eric Ripert's Westend Bistro, Ceiba, Acadiana, and Rossini, among others. I owe you amazing reviews.
Although... mad props to Eric Ripert's Westend Bistro, Ceiba, Acadiana, and Rossini, among others. I owe you amazing reviews.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
La Mucca sul Tetto
La Mucca is an intimate, candlelit restaurant. I apologize for a lack of food pictures. I forgot my camera and only after eating remembered my phone has one. They came out a bit dark.I almost ordered a risotto alla mela rosa con tallegio e olio al basilico (red apple risotto with tallegio cheese and basil oil). But the waiter told me a better option was the gnudi di ricotta e spinaci al burro e salvia (nude ricotta/spinach ravioli in sage butter). Nude ravioli means they’re without covering. It’s the filling without the pasta basically. There were also pine nuts which lent an extra texture to the melt-soft ricotta/spinach and the shreds of parm on top. The sage butter was subtle but nice. The nudi were like vegetarian meatballs, slightly bigger than golf balls.
After that I cleansed my palate with acqua naturale and some pane. (This saffron/pine nut/pistachio bread was so deftly cut it almost looked like my cousin’s play kitchen). T’was a nice change from the requisite Italian table bread, which they also served. The bread was so smooth and sponge-soft, I had to ask the waiter where they got it. Apparently they bake it fresh.
Carpaccio di manzo classico su insalata di carciofi e Parmigiano e vinagrette al worcester (classic beef carpaccio on artichoke and parmesan salad with Worchestershire vinaigrette). This was a very well-layered dish. From top to bottom: Large, generous but paper-thin shavings of parm. Slices of rare meat with beefy flavor unadulterated by salts and spices. Arugula leaves. Its spicy touch was, but being such a strong taste there was perhaps too much considering it’s not listed on the menu. It didn't spoil the dish though. I finished it save for a few leaves. (A few bites into it, I decided if I can ever recreate the bread, I’ll make a sandwich with it, rare roast beef, artichokes, parmesan, arugula, and Worchestershire.) My waiter recommended two red wines to go with it, so I tried them both and eventually selected a 2006 Val Rose – Morellino di Scansano.
For dessert, he recommended their tiramisu. Espresso-soaked cake, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder. All distinct tastes and textures but they combine and melt sublimely in one’s mouth. The tiramisu not a slice, or even worse, a scoop. It’s served in a four-inch diameter, inch-thick dish and was the best tiramisu I’ve had here.
He offered limoncetta and grappa as digestifs, and I was grateful for both.
Via Ghibellina 134/RossoFirenze, Italia 50122
+39 (0)55.2344810
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Baccarosa, Bistrot Enoteca
Let me preface this by saying although there are no foods I dislike, there are some foods I never seek out. (Every ingredient, prepared properly, can be delicious. But that doesn’t mean I always order it. When available, I always order red wine instead of white, shellfish instead of actual fish, eggplant instead of zucchini, etc.)But this restaurant, Baccarossa, had a degustation (“tasting”) menu, where you take the chef’s suggestions. This is my favorite way to experience a restaurant’s cuisine. You basically give the kitchen permission to serve you what they deem a complete and cohesive meal.
I gave this restaurant control, and I didn’t regret it. It was five courses, so I’ll go through them individually. A gent named Amerigo was my waiter, and I trusted his wine pairings. Turns out he was the sommelier also, so I lucked out.
[0. Amuse bouche – Torta di zucchini (Zucchini cake). It was like a little, wet, green quiche. Zucchini isn’t one of my favorite ingredients but this was surprisingly good.]
- Carpaccio di branzino marinato sotto sale con insalata di arance, finocchi, e spinaci novelli (Salt-marinated sea bass carpaccio with orange, fennel, and baby spinach salad). This was awesome. Carpaccio is kind of like sashimi, precisely sliced raw fish. There were pine nuts in the salad, which added to its rich texture. The flavors were clean and the textures were light. The wine pairing was a white, a 2005 viogner “le Chiare” from Maurigi vineyard in Sicily. Its balance of sweetness and acid matched the course nicely.
- Tortino al forno di alici e misticanza mediterranea (Oven anchovies with Mediterranean flavors). This was served simultaneously with the carpaccio and salad. The flavor of the anchovies was nicely toned down by the olive oil and tomato they were baked with. I actually thought they were sardines at first. This was heartier than the first course, so it was a nice change. The expertly-paired Sicilian wine also held up against the slight saltiness of this dish and smoothed the transition between the two dishes.
- Tortelli di branzino su pesto leggero di zucchini (Sea bass tortelli with a light zucchini sauce). These four large discs of fish-filled pasta brought back two earlier ingredients, zucchini and sea bass. The flavors were done differently of course. The zucchini sauce was very much like a pesto and the now-cooked sea bass was more intense but not at all “fishy.” The pasta was a little intimidating with two courses left but was surprisingly, pleasantly light. The wine was again white, this time a 2005 gavi “Filagnotti” from Piemonte, Cascina ulivi vineyard. It was sweeter than the first wine and combined nicely with the nutty of the pesto and the salty of the sea bass.
- Tagliata di filleto di tonno in crosta di mandorle con piccolo flan di melanzana (Seared filet of tuna in an almond crust with a small eggplant pudding). Wow. Wow. Wow. The middle of the tuna was a dark pink like a tenderloin steak and sliced accordingly to show off the rich, fresh color. The almonds gave more texture to the already caramelized outer layer, and the eggplant pudding reminds me of the mashed potatoes you find with lots of beef dishes. But better. This dish was a masterpiece. The wine was a 2004 syrah from Sicily. It was red to match the semi-rare tuna and more acidic than the other wines to give a tinge to the delicate flavors of the dish.
- Bonet: Budino al cioccolato con amaretti, rum e caramello (chocolate pudding with amaretto cookie, rum, and caramel). It’s “bunet” in Piemontese, where this dessert is from. It was a dark chocolate dish with just the right amount of firmness (like a flan), richness (not too heavy), and sweetness (the cookie) on top. It came with slices of grapefruit, again another of my not-favorites. But its acid made the combination of flavors all the more complex and deep. And the final wine: Malvasia dell Lipari by Antonio Caravaglio. A sweet, softer, dessert wine from Venice. The pairing of this sugar-sweet wine with the sourness of the grapefruit and the nutty-cocoa of the pudding: AMAZING. The most divine combination of flavors I’ve ever experienced. This is exactly why I need to learn more about wine.
If you still need more objective reasons, here are a few: The couple sitting next to me, Robin and Chris from San Francisco, and I couldn’t help conversing about how delicious everything was. I know I’m not alone in my approval. The place is noted in this year’s Michelin Guide to Italy. They only use wild-caught fish, no farming. The menu changes weekly as dictated by the season, the ocean, and the Chef Claudio’s imagination. All the pastas and desserts are made in-house. And every wine I had was organic and bio-dynamic, meaning no sulfites or preservatives. Fresh, clean flavors.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Istanbul Doner Kebap
Istanbul offers red meat and chicken kebaps and falafel, all of which are good. But for those uninterested in kebaps or falafel, there are also dishes you can by (in combinations if you’d like). The dishes change daily and are things like the requisite chick peas, okra stewed with tomato and onion, and eggplant and veal. Kebaps are notorious around Florence for a quick lunch or late night snack, but it's nice to have these alternative fork-or-spoon options too.
Via Dei Benci
Florence, Italy 50122
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Trattoria Tirovino Three-dux
For my third visit to Tirovino, I opted for new flavors once again. A bottle of white wine went nicely with the meal, but they generously gave me both aperitif and digestif. The aperitif was prosecco, and the digestif was grappa. (Usually I think grappa is Italian for “gasoline,” but this was actually excellent.) For my primo piatto, I opted for Maccheroni dell’ Aia (macaroni with liver, peas, and fresh tomato). I’m not a big fan of liver, but I wouldn’t guess this was liver. It was so good. The flavor was perfectly enhanced, just like their tripe. If you like deep-fried, get a secundo of Fritto dell’ Aia. It’s a fried platter of chicken and rabbit, eggplant, onion rings, and zucchini. What more can I say? Awesome. Want a unique and decadent dolce? Coffee mousse topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and roasted split coffee beans. It was a welcome change from the regular chocolate mousse.
Via Ghibellina, 70 Rosso
Firenze, Italia 50122
055.2638940
http://www.tirovino.com
Friday, April 4, 2008
a special Grom visit
So a group of us went with one of the Apicius chefs to Grom, and the owner gave us a special lesson in gelato-making. He made stracciatella (cream ice cream with dark chocolate shavings) from scratch for us, and believe me, the soft-serve version is easily the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Sadly, soft-serve gelato is not available because it goes from creation into the flash-freezer for commercial sale. But seriously. It was amazing. After that, he offered us a few scoops from the regular stock. I asked him for his favorite flavor: Toroncino. (Known as “nougat” in English.) He paired it with café (coffee, duh). Amazing.
Via del Campanile
angolo via delle Oche
Florence, Italy, 50122
Tel. 055.216158
http://www.grom.it
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Kettners Restaurant & Champagne Bar
Kettner’s is a champagne supernova. It’s an upscale yet laidback restaurant. They make Italian-style pizza with international ingredients. I opted for a "Padana" pizza with caramelized red onion, goat cheese, chicken, spinach, and garlic oil. Light but flavorful. I approved entirely.
They also carry meat dishes, salads, appetizers, and of course desserts. But the real highlight of Kettner’s is their champagne selection. Whether you opt for the excellence of Ayala or the Winston-Churchill-acclaimed Pol Roger, make sure to pack a couple hundred pounds for the entirely-authentic from-Champagne-France selection. You won’t regret it.
They also carry meat dishes, salads, appetizers, and of course desserts. But the real highlight of Kettner’s is their champagne selection. Whether you opt for the excellence of Ayala or the Winston-Churchill-acclaimed Pol Roger, make sure to pack a couple hundred pounds for the entirely-authentic from-Champagne-France selection. You won’t regret it.
29 Romilly Street
Soho, London, W1D 5HP
England, United Kingdom
Tel: 020.7734.6112
Fax: 020.7287.6499
http://www.kettners.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Masala Zone
Masala Zone’s motto is “real Indian food at unreal prices.” True story. They say London is the best place to get Indian food. Also a true story. This is largely due to the fact that it has the biggest Indian population outside of India and, for the most part, better, fresher ingredients than India. Masala Zone offers a rich selection of Indian food a la carte and for more voracious appetites, thalis. (Thali: Platter.) These include your curry of choice, the vegetables du jour, the daal (lentils or beans) du jour, green sauce, chutney, and rice or naan. I opted for the lamb kolhapuri, which is lamb stewed with the flavors of black cardamom, pepper, and star anise. It’s not too spicy but has a nice heat and a nice kick to it. The vegetables were curried in coconut milk, and the daal was creamy but not heavy. Both would have been great even on their own. And I got rice but a special order of garlic naan on the side. For dessert, I got kulfi – Indian ice cream. The waitress recommended the caramel flavor. And so it was. And it was delicious.
Covent garden: 48 floral st, London, WC2
England, United Kingdom
020 7379 0101
http://www.realindianfood.com
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