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*****
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2015!
Sorry it has been such a long while since my last post; it has been a busy season, between research papers, traveling to see family, and the holidays, and sadly, this has been the thing pushed to the back of my to-do-list.
But, I did have a couple of really great meals over the last few days of 2014, and Piccolo, a relatively new Portland restaurant, provided the best of them. I went with a couple of my step-siblings and their father (not my step) and his wife, who very generously included me. This was actually option B for us, and I am so glad we ended up there, as this was truly a spectacular experience all around.
Piccolo really lives up to its name, squeezed into a tiny space with only about twenty seats (if even that), but it does not feel cramped as you sit at the table, and the decor is simple but attractive. The servers are all friendly, and we ended up having one of the owners, who is also the pastry chef, for our waitress, which was really great as she knew the menu so well.
We began with the "salumi" plate, which consisted of a couple of cured or salted meats (bresaola included, which was so rich and delicious I could have eaten it all night), some olives, and a few really fantastic pickled vegetables, my favorite of which were the beets. Additionally, we ordered the "carotta" appetizer, which consisted of roasted carrots and a couple accompaniments, and which was a very good, albeit unspectacular, starter.
The entrees were where things really began to shine. The six of us ended up ordering three different entrees, with each having two people picking it: two "pasta fatta in casa;" two "calamarata," and two "del mar." Everything was homemade, locally sourced if possible, and made with a care and technique that is rare to find.
The pasta (and the name literally means house-made pasta) was cavatelli, served with a lamb neck ragu, eggplant, orange, and pecorino, and other than my own dish, this was what I ate the most of, as one of the two who ordered it could not finish the rather large portion she was served. The lamb neck was succulent and rich, the cavatelli themselves perfectly formed and cooked, and on the whole the dish was a delightful melange of flavors.
My dish, the calamarata, consisted of squid ink pasta (referred to as maltagliati on the menu, and seeming to be the ends of strips of papardelle) that was literally the best pasta I have ever had, the best cooked squid I have ever had (are we sensing a pattern?), charred tomato, peppers, and olives. I'll admit, I missed the olives, but everything else was there in delicious abundance. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the squid not even the littlest bit chewy (and anyone who has ever cooked that particular cephalopod knows how insanely difficult that is to achieve), and the tomatoes in particular was incredibly flavorful. Everything just worked, so ridiculously well, that it has launched itself into the pantheon of best dishes I have ever had, a list that includes the short ribs I had at Bouchon Bistro in Las Vegas a couple years ago. I cannot recommend this particularly dish highly enough, even more so than the restaurant as a whole, which I recommend very, very highly.
The last dish was fish, the particular variety of which I cannot recall other than that it was a locally sourced whitefish (I do not think it was hake, but I may be wrong), which was perfectly cooked. I only had a single bite, so I cannot speak to it more than to say my sister, who has impeccable taste, loved it.
For dessert, we had a funnel cake-like Italian fried dough that was really tasty, with a crunchy exterior and just a little bit of dough inside the thin strands to provide a little chewiness. We also had a poached pear with chocolate mousse dish that was fine, but a little too rich for me; it was clearly well done in every way, just not my thing.
The wines we had were great (picked by my sister in the case of the white wine we had), and the owner was good enough to suggest a red wine that was significantly cheaper than what had been the previous choice. That was just the beginning of the great service, and once again, I really cannot speak highly enough of this entire experience. If you find yourself in Portland, this is a very reasonably priced, very well executed restaurant with spectacular food; just make a reservation, since there are so few seats. The owners are both veterans of a Daniel Boulud restaurant in NYC, so they have the pedigree to explain their excellence.
I do not think vegetarians would be successful here, though they may be willing to make something special; if they do, I have no doubt it will be delicious.
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, December 30, 2013
Maine Trip #1
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! This is my favorite time of year, despite my recently acquired aversion to cold, because I absolutely love Christmas. I am, without a doubt, the worst Jew ever, but since I grew up celebrating Christmas in Portland, ME with my step-family, I came to love it not as a religious holiday, but instead as a time to get together with family and friends, exchange gifts, tell stories, and of course, eat lots and lots of great food. This year, in addition to the great food we had at family dinners, I went out and tried a few new places in Portland and the surrounding area. I also hit up an old favorite, Pai Men Miyake, which has become a requirement for my Portland trips over the last year.
*****
First up was Local 188, a fairly high end restaurant that specializes in fresh, local ingredients. Now, before I go any further, in the interest of full disclosure my sister and her boyfriend are both managers there, front and back of the house respectively, and this meal was essentially comped. That said, I did greatly enjoy it, as I had a classic favorite of mine (steak tartare), a classic Maine dish (mussels), and an innovative take on a true Italian classic (gnocchi with lobster).
I started off with a cocktail, the "Bergeron Sidecar," made with house infused vanilla and fig bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Ordinarily I am not a big cocktail person, preferring either to drink beer or straight spirits, but at my sister's suggestion I went with this, and it was really tasty. The bourbon did not overpower me, nor did it entirely mask the other ingredients, though it was definitely the dominant flavor. I do not know what kind of bourbon they used, but it was at least decent, though I doubt it was tremendously high end. The lemon juice added a nice citrus note to it, but since I have no clue what Cointreau tastes like on its own, I could not tell you whether it added anything. It would probably have been a better option as a pre-dinner drink, but it was fine during the meal as well.
Since I had never been to Local 188 before, despite my sister having worked there for quite some time now, I decided to sample a few different dishes, and they were all successful, though one clearly stood out above the rest. The mussels in red sauce were incredible, perfectly cooked (and cleaned, which even in a restaurant is no small measure of success) and delicious. They are plump, juicy, slightly briny delights that on their own would have been delicious, but when served in the incredible red sauce were legitimately delectable, one of the best dishes I have ever had in a restaurant. I have no clue what they put in the sauce other than that it is tomato based, and according to my sister Moroccan inspired, but my lord, it is delicious. I ended up using the endless supply of bread my sister kept grabbing for us (also really good) to sop up all the sauce, because there was no way I was letting any of it go to waste. Everything else could have been terrible, and this dish would have made going there worth it.
Next up were the gnocchi, which threw me for a bit of a loop. I am used to, and partial to, light, pillow-y, but deceptively dense gnocchi, which soak up sauces and provide just a little bit of a bite, that perfect al dente. These were definitely not that; they were absurdly light on the inside, but because they are pan seared, they have a little bit of crispness to the outside. They were extremely flavorful, and the lobster cream sauce they are served in is great, with a pretty significant amount of lobster piled on top of the gnocchi. All in all, I liked this, but it definitely was unlike any gnocchi dish I've ever had, and I think I would have liked it even more if they were not seared. That said, it is nice to see a restaurant do something a little different, and the sear was perfect on each of them.
The final dish, the steak tartare, was both awesome and disappointing. The steak itself was perfect, uniformly diced and formed beautifully into a classic disc, with capers and truffle oil mixed in that gave it the perfect saltiness and umami flavor to go with the clearly high quality steak. My issue, however, was the quail egg on top; rather than serve it traditionally, with a raw egg yolk on top, they fried the whole egg sunny side up; this created a textural and process issue for me, as I neither enjoyed the texture of the fried white or having to cut through it while trying to get a bit of the egg with the steak. Soft egg on top of malleable steak does not cut easily or cleanly. Additionally, who is eating steak tartare, but has an issue with raw egg? I would rather have just had the steak itself and no egg on top, because the steak itself was amazing, but that egg was incredibly disappointing.
Overall, I had a great experience, I really enjoyed my food, and I look forward to going back in the future to try some more things. The paella gets raves from the variety of people I know who have tried it.
Local 188 is relatively vegetarian and gluten-intolerant friendly, with several items on the menu that are one or both already, and the ability to retrofit some others to meet dietary restrictions.
*****
Saturday, after a delicious lunch at Pai Men, my sister and I took a quick trip up to Freeport, a town best known for the Maine staple L.L. Bean, but also now the home to Maine Beer Company. While they do not offer a brewery tour, they do have a small tap room that overlooks the heart of the brewery. They offer eight beers on tap at a time, and sometimes (including when I was there) have beers that are "Pilot" brews, not offered for sale anywhere else. Offering 5oz and 10oz glasses, or four and eight beer samplers of 5oz pours, you can try an old favorite or some new specialties. I went for the four beer sampler, trying three new-to-me beers, and of course, my all time favorite, the Lunch.
The new beers I tried were Weez (7.2%, American Black Ale), Lil One (9.1%, American Strong Ale), and Pilot 5 (5%, American Lager). The Weez was dark, heavy and very hoppy, but like all of MBC's beers, that hoppiness did not manifest in much bitterness. The Lil One was anything but, an absurdly strong, vibrant ale that even in a 5oz glass nearly knocked me on my ass. I would not want to have more than one of these at a time, but it is very, very good. The Pilot 5 was a nice, light, hoppy lager, and I hope they end up producing it, because I think it would be a great session beer, in a craft world sometimes too crowded by higher ABV offerings. Lastly (and I did save it for last, so I could savor it), the Lunch, that perfect, delightful, hoppily bright and effervescent IPA; as much as I love Ballast Point's Sculpin, Dogfish Head's 90 Minute, or any of the other truly great IPAs I have had in my life, none of them quite match up to Lunch. I keep saying it deserves its own review, and it does, but its so hard to find, and when I do, I end up just drinking it without taking the time to sit down and write a review because it is just so freaking good.
FYI, just down the street a short ways is Maine Distilleries Inc, the producer of Cold River Vodka.
*****
I always try to grab lunch or dinner with one or more of my dad's old friends when I make it up to Maine, people who have been very, very good to me in my life and were dear to him in his, and this trip I was able to make it to brunch with his old friend Doug and his wife Ann, who are some of my favorite people in the world. We tried initially to go to Flatbread, a small chain restaurant that Doug swears by, but they had actually had a small fire that morning and were not opening up until after I needed to leave town, so we ended up at Ri Ra Irish Pub, another small chain that has ten locations throughout the east, plus a new Las Vegas restaurant. Somehow I had never been there, despite their proximity to the Casco Bay Lines terminal, but since they are right next to Flatbread as well, we decided to pop in.
They are definitely a bar heavy restaurant, and with a pretty decent drink selection at that. We were there right around noon, so we ended up, at the suggestion of our waiter, ordering brunch. I had the Irish Benedict, an interesting play on the traditional dish wherein the English muffin is replaced by potato cakes (essentially home fries mashed together and then pan seared) and the Canadian bacon with a large rasher of regular bacon, with house-made Hollandaise on top. It was served with very unremarkable home fries and a thick slice of grilled tomato (a concept from the British Isles that really needs to catch on more here). The food took a long time to come out, but our waiter did come over and apologize for that and offered us some soup, on the house, to make up for it; as it turned out, the food arrived almost immediately after the soup came out, but it was nice of the restaurant (or just him?) to do that, and the soup, a tomato bisque, was pretty decent, though I make it better. The Benedict was quite tasty, albeit kind of difficult to get all the components into one cohesive bite, but that was not a big deal. The potato cakes were tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like good home fries would be, and the bacon was cooked just right, as were the poached eggs. I would definitely have it again, or the Lobster Benedict that Doug ordered.
I firmly believe that the average restaurant customer goes in thinking they care primarily about the food, but in reality, people return for the service. With that in mind, and having had some great waiters, waitresses and bartenders in my life, I have to say that the waiter at Ri Ra was one of the best. I initially ordered the Irish Benedict, then immediately changed my mind to the Crab Cakes Benedict, a special for the day, and instead of just letting me get the (slightly) more expensive meal, he informed me that the crab cakes were not something that the restaurant does well, and encouraged me to stick with the Irish version. Not many waiters would do that, and he saved me (and Doug, who was also going to have them) from a poor experience. Combined with his general friendliness and professionalism, I was very, very impressed by him; even if the food had been only mediocre, rather than actually pretty tasty, I probably would still have written a positive review just because of his service.
******
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*****
First up was Local 188, a fairly high end restaurant that specializes in fresh, local ingredients. Now, before I go any further, in the interest of full disclosure my sister and her boyfriend are both managers there, front and back of the house respectively, and this meal was essentially comped. That said, I did greatly enjoy it, as I had a classic favorite of mine (steak tartare), a classic Maine dish (mussels), and an innovative take on a true Italian classic (gnocchi with lobster).
I started off with a cocktail, the "Bergeron Sidecar," made with house infused vanilla and fig bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Ordinarily I am not a big cocktail person, preferring either to drink beer or straight spirits, but at my sister's suggestion I went with this, and it was really tasty. The bourbon did not overpower me, nor did it entirely mask the other ingredients, though it was definitely the dominant flavor. I do not know what kind of bourbon they used, but it was at least decent, though I doubt it was tremendously high end. The lemon juice added a nice citrus note to it, but since I have no clue what Cointreau tastes like on its own, I could not tell you whether it added anything. It would probably have been a better option as a pre-dinner drink, but it was fine during the meal as well.
Since I had never been to Local 188 before, despite my sister having worked there for quite some time now, I decided to sample a few different dishes, and they were all successful, though one clearly stood out above the rest. The mussels in red sauce were incredible, perfectly cooked (and cleaned, which even in a restaurant is no small measure of success) and delicious. They are plump, juicy, slightly briny delights that on their own would have been delicious, but when served in the incredible red sauce were legitimately delectable, one of the best dishes I have ever had in a restaurant. I have no clue what they put in the sauce other than that it is tomato based, and according to my sister Moroccan inspired, but my lord, it is delicious. I ended up using the endless supply of bread my sister kept grabbing for us (also really good) to sop up all the sauce, because there was no way I was letting any of it go to waste. Everything else could have been terrible, and this dish would have made going there worth it.
Next up were the gnocchi, which threw me for a bit of a loop. I am used to, and partial to, light, pillow-y, but deceptively dense gnocchi, which soak up sauces and provide just a little bit of a bite, that perfect al dente. These were definitely not that; they were absurdly light on the inside, but because they are pan seared, they have a little bit of crispness to the outside. They were extremely flavorful, and the lobster cream sauce they are served in is great, with a pretty significant amount of lobster piled on top of the gnocchi. All in all, I liked this, but it definitely was unlike any gnocchi dish I've ever had, and I think I would have liked it even more if they were not seared. That said, it is nice to see a restaurant do something a little different, and the sear was perfect on each of them.
The final dish, the steak tartare, was both awesome and disappointing. The steak itself was perfect, uniformly diced and formed beautifully into a classic disc, with capers and truffle oil mixed in that gave it the perfect saltiness and umami flavor to go with the clearly high quality steak. My issue, however, was the quail egg on top; rather than serve it traditionally, with a raw egg yolk on top, they fried the whole egg sunny side up; this created a textural and process issue for me, as I neither enjoyed the texture of the fried white or having to cut through it while trying to get a bit of the egg with the steak. Soft egg on top of malleable steak does not cut easily or cleanly. Additionally, who is eating steak tartare, but has an issue with raw egg? I would rather have just had the steak itself and no egg on top, because the steak itself was amazing, but that egg was incredibly disappointing.
Overall, I had a great experience, I really enjoyed my food, and I look forward to going back in the future to try some more things. The paella gets raves from the variety of people I know who have tried it.
Local 188 is relatively vegetarian and gluten-intolerant friendly, with several items on the menu that are one or both already, and the ability to retrofit some others to meet dietary restrictions.
*****
 |
| The heart of the brewery; those tanks are filled with delicious, delicious beer |
 |
| Clockwise from front righ: Pilot 5, Lil One, Lunch, Weez |
FYI, just down the street a short ways is Maine Distilleries Inc, the producer of Cold River Vodka.
*****
I always try to grab lunch or dinner with one or more of my dad's old friends when I make it up to Maine, people who have been very, very good to me in my life and were dear to him in his, and this trip I was able to make it to brunch with his old friend Doug and his wife Ann, who are some of my favorite people in the world. We tried initially to go to Flatbread, a small chain restaurant that Doug swears by, but they had actually had a small fire that morning and were not opening up until after I needed to leave town, so we ended up at Ri Ra Irish Pub, another small chain that has ten locations throughout the east, plus a new Las Vegas restaurant. Somehow I had never been there, despite their proximity to the Casco Bay Lines terminal, but since they are right next to Flatbread as well, we decided to pop in.
They are definitely a bar heavy restaurant, and with a pretty decent drink selection at that. We were there right around noon, so we ended up, at the suggestion of our waiter, ordering brunch. I had the Irish Benedict, an interesting play on the traditional dish wherein the English muffin is replaced by potato cakes (essentially home fries mashed together and then pan seared) and the Canadian bacon with a large rasher of regular bacon, with house-made Hollandaise on top. It was served with very unremarkable home fries and a thick slice of grilled tomato (a concept from the British Isles that really needs to catch on more here). The food took a long time to come out, but our waiter did come over and apologize for that and offered us some soup, on the house, to make up for it; as it turned out, the food arrived almost immediately after the soup came out, but it was nice of the restaurant (or just him?) to do that, and the soup, a tomato bisque, was pretty decent, though I make it better. The Benedict was quite tasty, albeit kind of difficult to get all the components into one cohesive bite, but that was not a big deal. The potato cakes were tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like good home fries would be, and the bacon was cooked just right, as were the poached eggs. I would definitely have it again, or the Lobster Benedict that Doug ordered.
I firmly believe that the average restaurant customer goes in thinking they care primarily about the food, but in reality, people return for the service. With that in mind, and having had some great waiters, waitresses and bartenders in my life, I have to say that the waiter at Ri Ra was one of the best. I initially ordered the Irish Benedict, then immediately changed my mind to the Crab Cakes Benedict, a special for the day, and instead of just letting me get the (slightly) more expensive meal, he informed me that the crab cakes were not something that the restaurant does well, and encouraged me to stick with the Irish version. Not many waiters would do that, and he saved me (and Doug, who was also going to have them) from a poor experience. Combined with his general friendliness and professionalism, I was very, very impressed by him; even if the food had been only mediocre, rather than actually pretty tasty, I probably would still have written a positive review just because of his service.
******
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Tuesday, December 3, 2013
La Fiorentina (Northampton, MA)
I have discussed a few of the cafes in Northampton before, including recent posts on The Roost and The Foundry, but nothing comes close to the quality of La Fiorentina. With three locations now (the others are in Springfield and the newly opened East Longmeadow shop), La Fiorentina presents perfect coffee, delicious pastries, ice cream and other sweets. Most items are, of course, Italian, though they have other pastries, including my personal favorite croissant. While I cannot speak to the authenticity of their coffees and sweets, having never been to Italy, I suspect that much of what they offer is true to its heritage, as they seem to have an attention to detail and quality that makes me think that anything less than doing things exactly right would not be acceptable.
I have been going to La Fiorentina since I was a little kid, getting hot chocolate, made with real steamed milk, which is really just so much better than the stuff you get elsewhere, and of course, the greatest treat of all, real marzipan. Made with almond paste and a lot of sugar, it is slightly sticky, very sweet, and just all in all delicious; as a kid it was my favorite, and today it is a treat that I cannot resist every time I find myself on Armory St. The marzipan is hand painted and absolutely beautiful, with bright, vibrant colors, shaped and colored to resemble various fruits and objects. I got a couple of the "banana" treats today, which were so perfectly painted that they looked just like miniature versions of the real thing. I am sorry to say that my new phone's camera, while pretty good, did not properly capture the colors, because these little treats really are a work of art. If you have never had marzipan and live or work in the Northampton area, you really need to stop in and try some; if you have tried it and like it, La Fiorentina's will take that to another level.
Beyond the marzipan, they have great fruit tarts, croissant, cheesecake that is to die for, and a lot of really good Italian desserts, including the classic cannoli. All of their cakes that I have tried are tremendous, and I look forward to trying more, despite my general aversion to very sweet desserts, because they just do such an incredibly good job with all of their food.
The coffee is, as I said, spectacular; it being a rather warm day today (47 degrees is warm in December), I went for an iced latte, and as I took my first long sip of it, all I could think was "if everyone tried this, no one would drink flavored coffee." The espresso is amazing, rich and flavorful, perfectly roasted, and the milk mixes perfectly with just the right ratio to the coffee. Their regular coffee is great as well; when I had a few trainings last year in Northampton, their hot coffee was the perfect thing to warm me, and as I struggled to stay awake through 24 hours of boring-ness over three days it kept me awake. After drinking La Fiorentina coffee I cannot drink Dunkin Donuts' swill for at least a week.
All in all, I cannot recommend La Fiorentina highly enough, and they are truly my favorite cafe in not just Northampton, but anywhere. If anyone has a place they think could challenge it, please let me know, but it is a long shot that I will find somewhere that I love more. FYI, though, their hours suck, not opening until 9am Sunday through Friday, and 8am on Saturday. I want coffee at 6am, dammit!
******
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 |
| "Banana" Marzipan; the cell phone camera does not do the beauty of it justice |
Beyond the marzipan, they have great fruit tarts, croissant, cheesecake that is to die for, and a lot of really good Italian desserts, including the classic cannoli. All of their cakes that I have tried are tremendous, and I look forward to trying more, despite my general aversion to very sweet desserts, because they just do such an incredibly good job with all of their food.
The coffee is, as I said, spectacular; it being a rather warm day today (47 degrees is warm in December), I went for an iced latte, and as I took my first long sip of it, all I could think was "if everyone tried this, no one would drink flavored coffee." The espresso is amazing, rich and flavorful, perfectly roasted, and the milk mixes perfectly with just the right ratio to the coffee. Their regular coffee is great as well; when I had a few trainings last year in Northampton, their hot coffee was the perfect thing to warm me, and as I struggled to stay awake through 24 hours of boring-ness over three days it kept me awake. After drinking La Fiorentina coffee I cannot drink Dunkin Donuts' swill for at least a week.
All in all, I cannot recommend La Fiorentina highly enough, and they are truly my favorite cafe in not just Northampton, but anywhere. If anyone has a place they think could challenge it, please let me know, but it is a long shot that I will find somewhere that I love more. FYI, though, their hours suck, not opening until 9am Sunday through Friday, and 8am on Saturday. I want coffee at 6am, dammit!
******
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Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar (Boston, MA)
Some of the better meals of my life have been in Boston, including the best I'd ever had prior to going to Bouchon Bistro at Mamma Maria in North Square, and now I've been fortunate enough to add another hit to the list. Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar, located a short walk from the Haymarket MBTA stop on the Green Line, and just down the street from the famous Neptune Oyster Bar, is but one of many fine examples of Italian cuisine in Boston's North End, but there are a few things that set them apart.
The first thing that drew my dinner companion and I to Ferrara's was its open front; they have a large bay window that opens out onto Salem St., and in nice weather they open it up and allow the place to breathe a bit, a feature that I thoroughly enjoy. Upon entering, I noticed that, while it was not bright inside by any means, it was not so dim as to nearly require a flashlight to even read the menu, a trend that I cannot stand. It was, in fact, perfectly lit, allowing a good view of the entire dining room and bar, where we sat, but without any glaring lights. Behind the bar are a pair of flat screen televisions, which offered a chance to watch Peyton Manning kick his little brother's butt all over the field; always an enjoyable experience.
Our bartender was friendly, knew at least a bit about beer and was happy to engage with us without ever becoming, in my mind, overly intrusive or omnipresent. Speaking of beer, they had only a few options on tap, including a Sam Adams seasonal and the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, which had just been added. Since there was nothing new or exciting, we both went with the Dogfish.
As for food, the kitchen kept up well with the positive impression the layout and bartender had given initially. I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, among my favorite dishes in the world, and my date
ordered the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals, which were prepared very well, but there were a couple critiques that I had. My Carbonara was delicious, though the menu describes it as being in a cream sauce; I do not know if that means they actually used cream in the preparation, or if they are simply describing the sauce as creamy. It tasted right, and felt right, as an egg and cheese only sauce, and at least the bartender knew that a proper Carbonara lacks cream, but it is something that I am left wondering about. The pasta was perfect, and the flavor and texture of the sauce was spectacular, with the taste of the Parmesan (not sure if it was actual Parmiggiano-Reggiano or if it was the impostor we usually find here in the USA, but the menu says Parmesan) and some garlic coming through beautifully. The pancetta was delicious, but served in very large chunks, which was unwieldy; I like my pancetta cubed to about one centimeter, because it keeps a better texture that way I have found, but that is about my only real critique of this dish.
The gnocchi in my date's dish were sublime, perfect little pillows, with just enough density that they felt substantial but not nearly so much that they felt heavy. The mozzarella in the dish was solid, but nothing amazing, though it worked well in combination with the sauce and the gnocchi. The sauce itself was a little sweet for me, so when I first tasted it, with just the gnocchi and no cheese, I was not super thrilled. After adding some mozzarella, I enjoyed it more, as the salt of the cheese did help balance the sweetness of the sauce, but if you are not going to have cheese in every bite (which you will not with this dish) then that is not a saving grace.
The last thing to say about the food is that I must comment on how they serve it, supposedly in the dish it was cooked in. While I highly doubt this, as the pan mine was served in was far too clean along the sides to have really cooked such a messy meal (trust me, I've been trying for a while now to make a proper version; I'm at about a D+ right now, passing but nothing to be proud of), but it looks neat. It is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks work, and I must say, I really liked this one. The price was ridiculously reasonable as well; before tip, we were at $39, which for two entrees and two beers is insanely cheap in this neighborhood, especially when the food is so good. Admittedly, we did get the two cheapest entrees, but that was purely accidental, as they just happened to be what we wanted. I would have gladly paid significantly more for the same meal, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the check. All in all, I highly recommend Ferrara's, and I will absolutely consider a return, though with the incredible breadth of options in the North End, it may be hard to justify not trying something else.
******
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The first thing that drew my dinner companion and I to Ferrara's was its open front; they have a large bay window that opens out onto Salem St., and in nice weather they open it up and allow the place to breathe a bit, a feature that I thoroughly enjoy. Upon entering, I noticed that, while it was not bright inside by any means, it was not so dim as to nearly require a flashlight to even read the menu, a trend that I cannot stand. It was, in fact, perfectly lit, allowing a good view of the entire dining room and bar, where we sat, but without any glaring lights. Behind the bar are a pair of flat screen televisions, which offered a chance to watch Peyton Manning kick his little brother's butt all over the field; always an enjoyable experience.
Our bartender was friendly, knew at least a bit about beer and was happy to engage with us without ever becoming, in my mind, overly intrusive or omnipresent. Speaking of beer, they had only a few options on tap, including a Sam Adams seasonal and the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, which had just been added. Since there was nothing new or exciting, we both went with the Dogfish.
As for food, the kitchen kept up well with the positive impression the layout and bartender had given initially. I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, among my favorite dishes in the world, and my date
 |
| Spaghetti Carbonara served in a stainless pan |
The gnocchi in my date's dish were sublime, perfect little pillows, with just enough density that they felt substantial but not nearly so much that they felt heavy. The mozzarella in the dish was solid, but nothing amazing, though it worked well in combination with the sauce and the gnocchi. The sauce itself was a little sweet for me, so when I first tasted it, with just the gnocchi and no cheese, I was not super thrilled. After adding some mozzarella, I enjoyed it more, as the salt of the cheese did help balance the sweetness of the sauce, but if you are not going to have cheese in every bite (which you will not with this dish) then that is not a saving grace.
The last thing to say about the food is that I must comment on how they serve it, supposedly in the dish it was cooked in. While I highly doubt this, as the pan mine was served in was far too clean along the sides to have really cooked such a messy meal (trust me, I've been trying for a while now to make a proper version; I'm at about a D+ right now, passing but nothing to be proud of), but it looks neat. It is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks work, and I must say, I really liked this one. The price was ridiculously reasonable as well; before tip, we were at $39, which for two entrees and two beers is insanely cheap in this neighborhood, especially when the food is so good. Admittedly, we did get the two cheapest entrees, but that was purely accidental, as they just happened to be what we wanted. I would have gladly paid significantly more for the same meal, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the check. All in all, I highly recommend Ferrara's, and I will absolutely consider a return, though with the incredible breadth of options in the North End, it may be hard to justify not trying something else.
******
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Viva Fresh Pasta Company (Northampton, MA)
It's not often that I get excited by Italian restaurants anymore, as they all tend to kind of run together; some pasta, some Marsala, some veal...it's all fine, but it's nothing special. But, every once in a while, you find a place that just does things a cut above, and Viva Fresh Pasta Company, a longtime staple of downtown Northampton, is one of those places.
As the name suggests, Viva (typically just known as Fresh Pasta Company; in fact, despite the giant sign over the door saying "VIVA" I did not actually know it was part of the restaurant's name until recently) focuses on providing fresh, house made pastas, while offering Italian and other European/Mediterranean inspired cuisine. The menu is limited, offering just a handful of appetizers, entrees and "tapas" plates, but they also have a "create your own" section, where you can pick from ten or so pastas (including stuffed), a dozen sauces, and several add ons such as vegetables and proteins. The entrees that include pasta also allow you to pick which type you want.
The restaurant itself is split between a small upstairs with approximately ten tables and a small bar, and a slightly larger downstairs, with probably twice as much room. It is simply decorated, well lit, but not glaringly bright by any means, and it is comfortable for anything from a dinner date to a business lunch or for grabbing a bite to eat with family or friends. The wait staff is friendly and attentive, and even though my date and I were the only people in the downstairs for the majority of our meal, it never seemed like we had been forgotten.
I had the Carbonara, a classic Italian preparation that involves crispy Pancetta (a personal favorite of mine), cream, sauteed onions, Parmesan cheese (not sure if they use real Parmigiano-Reggiano, but it would certainly not shock me if they do), pepper and, most importantly, a whole egg that is mixed into the pasta and sauce at the last second. I had this with linguine, which is not traditional, but I really enjoy a well made linguine and think that it works well with cheesier, clingy sauces like carbonara. It was perfectly prepared, with a creamy sauce that clung to the pasta beautifully, with a strong flavor of the cheese, and a texture that can only come from expertly mixing in the egg so that it does not really cook until it is incorporated, so it is more like a sauce Hollandaise than an actual cooked egg. The pancetta, of which there were small cubes about 1cm in size, was crispy on the exterior and delightfully chewy inside, with a saltiness and savoriness that just warmed my pork loving heart. It did not seem like a huge amount of food when it came out, but it was so incredibly rich that I could not even finish it, and ended up taking a small amount home, which served nicely as a late night snack later that evening. The girl I was having dinner with had the same result, as her Sweet Potato Ravioli was also rich enough that she ended up taking home about five of the dozen or so ravioli it came with.
As I said before, it is hard to excite me with Italian food, but Viva Fresh Pasta Company does it, and while it had been a while since I had been there before this most recent trip, I suspect I will be going back soon. They are vegetarian friendly for you non-carnivorous types, though not remotely vegan friendly (that's okay with me, veganism is just wrong) and they are highly recommended regardless of your gustatory preferences.
******
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As the name suggests, Viva (typically just known as Fresh Pasta Company; in fact, despite the giant sign over the door saying "VIVA" I did not actually know it was part of the restaurant's name until recently) focuses on providing fresh, house made pastas, while offering Italian and other European/Mediterranean inspired cuisine. The menu is limited, offering just a handful of appetizers, entrees and "tapas" plates, but they also have a "create your own" section, where you can pick from ten or so pastas (including stuffed), a dozen sauces, and several add ons such as vegetables and proteins. The entrees that include pasta also allow you to pick which type you want.
The restaurant itself is split between a small upstairs with approximately ten tables and a small bar, and a slightly larger downstairs, with probably twice as much room. It is simply decorated, well lit, but not glaringly bright by any means, and it is comfortable for anything from a dinner date to a business lunch or for grabbing a bite to eat with family or friends. The wait staff is friendly and attentive, and even though my date and I were the only people in the downstairs for the majority of our meal, it never seemed like we had been forgotten.
I had the Carbonara, a classic Italian preparation that involves crispy Pancetta (a personal favorite of mine), cream, sauteed onions, Parmesan cheese (not sure if they use real Parmigiano-Reggiano, but it would certainly not shock me if they do), pepper and, most importantly, a whole egg that is mixed into the pasta and sauce at the last second. I had this with linguine, which is not traditional, but I really enjoy a well made linguine and think that it works well with cheesier, clingy sauces like carbonara. It was perfectly prepared, with a creamy sauce that clung to the pasta beautifully, with a strong flavor of the cheese, and a texture that can only come from expertly mixing in the egg so that it does not really cook until it is incorporated, so it is more like a sauce Hollandaise than an actual cooked egg. The pancetta, of which there were small cubes about 1cm in size, was crispy on the exterior and delightfully chewy inside, with a saltiness and savoriness that just warmed my pork loving heart. It did not seem like a huge amount of food when it came out, but it was so incredibly rich that I could not even finish it, and ended up taking a small amount home, which served nicely as a late night snack later that evening. The girl I was having dinner with had the same result, as her Sweet Potato Ravioli was also rich enough that she ended up taking home about five of the dozen or so ravioli it came with.
As I said before, it is hard to excite me with Italian food, but Viva Fresh Pasta Company does it, and while it had been a while since I had been there before this most recent trip, I suspect I will be going back soon. They are vegetarian friendly for you non-carnivorous types, though not remotely vegan friendly (that's okay with me, veganism is just wrong) and they are highly recommended regardless of your gustatory preferences.
******
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Friday, November 16, 2012
Las Vegas Trip 2
I was in Las Vegas, NV for the second time in about a month for my mother's 60th birthday (or as she'd want me to put it, the 32nd time she's celebrated her 29th birthday). This time I really didn't do much but eat, which is pretty much fine by me; after all, that's what Las Vegas is good for if you don't feel like doing much gambling. I arrived on Friday evening, and left Monday morning, and in that short four days I ate some very good food.
Friday Night
On Friday night after arriving, I went straight to d.vino, a moderately fancy Italian restaurant at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This was probably the worst meal I had with the family, though it wasn't bad at all. We started with the Shrimp and Artichokes appetizer, which had probably the best artichokes I have ever had, with perfectly cooked hearts cooked in a lot of butter, tender but with a little bit of "tooth" to it, and it was clearly very fresh produce. The shrimp were cooked properly, but lacked flavor despite supposedly being butter braised as well, being overshadowed by the artichokes. I tried a little salad that my mom ordered, the d.Vino Salad, which was pretty good, but nothing special, certainly nothing compared to the salad I had the next night. My cousin's Roasted Beet Salad, on the other hand, was fantastic, the beets perfectly roasted and the goat cheese combining nicely.
For an entree, I had Seafood Risotto, which was only okay; while it was creamy, it appeared to be more from using heavy cream than the actual cooking process of the rice contributing to the texture. Essentially, they appeared to add a lot of fat unnecessarily instead of taking the time to do it properly; I could be wrong, but that was my impression of the dish. The shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari were all really well cooked, which was nice, but they didn't have a huge amount of flavor, nor did the confit tomatoes.
My dessert choice was the Panna Cotta, which tasted a little weak, but having never had it before I don't know if that's normal or not. It was served with a couple raspberries and a raspberry sauce drizzled on it, though not enough to make any real difference in the taste or overall experience. I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't recommend it.
The most disappointing thing was the beer; I was excited when I arrived to find that my brother had ordered a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, among my favorites, but upon ordering it I was informed that the keg was empty. I instead ended up with a Full Sail Brewing beer, that may have been their IPA, but certainly didn't taste like one. This was one of the worst craft beers I have ever had, having almost no flavor whatsoever. This was equivalent to Bud Light, but three times the price. Avoid at all costs.
After dinner we went to see Blue Man Group, who I also saw several years ago in Boston. I was completely exhausted, having barely slept in the previous 24 hours, but it was quite fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a chance to see them.
Saturday
I spent Saturday with my brother, watching football mostly after sleeping for a solid ten hours (don't judge, it was great), and we grabbed lunch at some Chinese/Vietnamese combination restaurant, that also had a couple of Thai dishes. I went with pho, which was good, though honestly, it's kind of hard to mess up. He had some approximation of pad thai that he thought was only okay. Thankfully, this was just the beginning of the day's meals.
Saturday night was when we officially celebrated my mother's birthday (which was actually on Wednesday), going to The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino for dinner at Bouchon Bistro, a Thomas Keller creation, one of three of the same name. My mom and step-dad had eaten at the Yountville, CA restaurant a few years ago and loved it, so she felt this would be the perfect choice. There were eight of us in all: my mother, step-father, my mom's first cousin, my uncle, aunt and cousin, and of course me and my brother. The restaurant experience was incredible, from the food to the atmosphere to the decoration to the service, it was impeccable. The only complaint anyone could make was that the restaurant was a little dark, though this was not a problem for me. Our waitress, Julie, was wonderful, funny and engaging, and really making the overall experience perfect.
My step-father and I split the Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud, with mixed greens, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese with a red wine vinaigrette. It is pretty simple to make a good salad, but tremendously difficult to make a great one. This was a great salad, with incredibly fresh greens, bright and vibrant, with a perfect little disc of goat cheese, really high quality product, presented beautifully atop the mixed greens.
There were two specials that night, one with seared scallops that my mother ordered, and was perfectly cooked and delicious, and a slow braised short rib dish that I ordered. Braised for 12-14 hours according to Julie, the short ribs were fork tender, with a deep, rich beef flavor that was only enhanced by the braising liquid on the plate. Those little white balls are confit chestnuts, which I could not identify while I was eating them, but which were really quite nice, with a woody, earthy quality that is unique to them but quite pleasant. There were also bits of roasted quince that reminded me of pear, but rather less crunchy; very tasty. The short ribs were placed upon a nice pile of wilted collard greens that tasted great with the braising liquid. As good as all this was (and the short ribs were the best I've ever had, by far) the best part was what they labeled a "pain perdu," though this was a bit of a play on the term. It was really more of a savory bread pudding, only very slightly sweet, with a flavor that almost reminded me of really good pumpkin pie (you know, not the stuff from a can), with some cinnamon flavor really coming through. I don't think I could even ever hope to replicate it, but I would love to find a recipe.
We also ordered a side of frites, or french fries. They don't look like anything particularly impressive, but they were incredible. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, with just the right amount of salt. I'm not sure what they were fried in, but it was a stronger flavor than normal fries, and there was no greasiness.
For dessert I ordered the Crème Caramel, a classic caramel custard that was, to keep up the trend, perfect. Smooth, gelatinous, and a little creamy, with just a mild caramel flavor, and not too much sweetness. Among my favorite desserts of all, this was really quite fantastic, and I highly recommend it.
The beer list wasn't bad at Bouchon, though their focus is clearly on the wine list. I went with the Chimay Trippel, a fantastic trappist ale that I enjoyed for the first time. Mild, slightly hoppy, with a nice citrusy flavor, served in a goblet like glass bearing the Chimay name. This was a great beer to have with this meal, as it complemented the short ribs nicely but was not so strong as to overwhelm even the salad.
Sunday
Sunday was a fairly lazy day as well, which consisted mostly of my step-dad and I reading by the pool (until it got cold) and wandering around CityCenter and checking out some of the many shops containing clothes we could never afford (including an $8700 leather jacket at Kiton that my step-dad wanted until I told him the price, and a $4400 Ermenegildo Zegna wool jacket that I may have considered selling my car to buy), before grabbing a beer and some food at the Aria Resort and Casino (also home to the previously reviewed Julian Serrano, where my family went on Thursday night...I am still displeased with them for that) where the family was staying.
After wandering around CityCenter, my step-dad and I adjourned to the wine bar at Sirio Ristorante, another moderately fancy Italian restaurant not entirely dissimilar to d.vino. They have a "happy hour" menu from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, which includes "cheap" (it's a relative word) drinks and small plate options.
For beer I went with a Birra Moretti Lager (picture on right), a beer similar to that old standby Stella Artois, extremely crisp and light, with no hops to speak of. The head dissipates quickly, like a lot of these super light beers, and there was no aftertaste. This was nothing to write home about, but if it weren't imported (aka, expensive) it would be a great session beer.
There were five options for food (mozzarella bites, pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta, salted cod croquette, chicken meatballs, and spinach and ricotta ravioli), and we picked three initially. Once the rest of the group arrived we ended up having all five.
The pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta were amazing, with thin, crisp slices of baguette topped with fresh tomato and slices of fried pork cheek that were incredibly salty, fatty, and crisp. It was a little too fatty for my step-dad, but I loved it; after all, fat is flavor, right? It was my favorite of the night.
The ravioli, which came in a sage butter sauce, were unremarkable, less impressive than the similar ravioli my mother occasionally makes from scratch. They tasted fine, but I really doubt there was anything homemade about them. There was a nice earthiness that almost tasted of mushroom, but that is really it.
The chicken meatballs in a tomato-Gorgonzola fonduta were more successful, as they were still moist, with a mild chicken flavor that really should have been stronger, but was pleasant nonetheless. The fonduta was the best part, tasting (and looking) rather more like a roasted red pepper sauce than tomato, but was really fantastic, with just the right amount of salt imparted by the cheese. These were a great option.
The mozzarella bites were nothing special, with virtually tasteless cheese on skewers with delicious oven roasted tomato and some basil pesto. The salted cod croquettes were better, crispy and moist, and the puttanesca coulis was nice for dipping. It did not match up with the pork cheeks, but it was pretty darn good.
We ended up having dinner at Sirio as well, which had a slightly better result than the bar food. I went with the gnocchi, served in a very heavy green sauce that I can't really describe too well. The gnocchi were fine, having a good flavor, but they were a bit too light. I know that lightness is a virtue in gnocchi, but these had almost no substance to them, and a little more density would have been nice. Dessert was a platter of small Italian doughnuts, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and served with three dipping sauces. Happy Birthday was written out in chocolate on the side of the platter. These were actually pretty awesome, though a little overly sweet with the sauces, which included a caramel sauce and a "tropical" sauce (aka, lemon). Overall, this was not my favorite meal, but it wasn't the worst either, and I would not object to going back, though there are certainly better options both in the Aria and in the surrounding casinos.
******
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Friday Night
On Friday night after arriving, I went straight to d.vino, a moderately fancy Italian restaurant at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This was probably the worst meal I had with the family, though it wasn't bad at all. We started with the Shrimp and Artichokes appetizer, which had probably the best artichokes I have ever had, with perfectly cooked hearts cooked in a lot of butter, tender but with a little bit of "tooth" to it, and it was clearly very fresh produce. The shrimp were cooked properly, but lacked flavor despite supposedly being butter braised as well, being overshadowed by the artichokes. I tried a little salad that my mom ordered, the d.Vino Salad, which was pretty good, but nothing special, certainly nothing compared to the salad I had the next night. My cousin's Roasted Beet Salad, on the other hand, was fantastic, the beets perfectly roasted and the goat cheese combining nicely.
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| Seafood risotto; those little balls are the confit tomatoes |
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| Panna Cotta |
The most disappointing thing was the beer; I was excited when I arrived to find that my brother had ordered a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, among my favorites, but upon ordering it I was informed that the keg was empty. I instead ended up with a Full Sail Brewing beer, that may have been their IPA, but certainly didn't taste like one. This was one of the worst craft beers I have ever had, having almost no flavor whatsoever. This was equivalent to Bud Light, but three times the price. Avoid at all costs.
After dinner we went to see Blue Man Group, who I also saw several years ago in Boston. I was completely exhausted, having barely slept in the previous 24 hours, but it was quite fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a chance to see them.
Saturday
I spent Saturday with my brother, watching football mostly after sleeping for a solid ten hours (don't judge, it was great), and we grabbed lunch at some Chinese/Vietnamese combination restaurant, that also had a couple of Thai dishes. I went with pho, which was good, though honestly, it's kind of hard to mess up. He had some approximation of pad thai that he thought was only okay. Thankfully, this was just the beginning of the day's meals.
 |
| My mom's scallop dish; perfectly seared scallops |
My step-father and I split the Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud, with mixed greens, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese with a red wine vinaigrette. It is pretty simple to make a good salad, but tremendously difficult to make a great one. This was a great salad, with incredibly fresh greens, bright and vibrant, with a perfect little disc of goat cheese, really high quality product, presented beautifully atop the mixed greens.
 |
| Short ribs |
 |
| French fries |
 |
| Crème Caramel |
The beer list wasn't bad at Bouchon, though their focus is clearly on the wine list. I went with the Chimay Trippel, a fantastic trappist ale that I enjoyed for the first time. Mild, slightly hoppy, with a nice citrusy flavor, served in a goblet like glass bearing the Chimay name. This was a great beer to have with this meal, as it complemented the short ribs nicely but was not so strong as to overwhelm even the salad.
Sunday
Sunday was a fairly lazy day as well, which consisted mostly of my step-dad and I reading by the pool (until it got cold) and wandering around CityCenter and checking out some of the many shops containing clothes we could never afford (including an $8700 leather jacket at Kiton that my step-dad wanted until I told him the price, and a $4400 Ermenegildo Zegna wool jacket that I may have considered selling my car to buy), before grabbing a beer and some food at the Aria Resort and Casino (also home to the previously reviewed Julian Serrano, where my family went on Thursday night...I am still displeased with them for that) where the family was staying.
For beer I went with a Birra Moretti Lager (picture on right), a beer similar to that old standby Stella Artois, extremely crisp and light, with no hops to speak of. The head dissipates quickly, like a lot of these super light beers, and there was no aftertaste. This was nothing to write home about, but if it weren't imported (aka, expensive) it would be a great session beer.
There were five options for food (mozzarella bites, pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta, salted cod croquette, chicken meatballs, and spinach and ricotta ravioli), and we picked three initially. Once the rest of the group arrived we ended up having all five.
 |
| All three of the original "bites" from Sirio's wine bar |
 |
| Better view of the ravioli |
The ravioli, which came in a sage butter sauce, were unremarkable, less impressive than the similar ravioli my mother occasionally makes from scratch. They tasted fine, but I really doubt there was anything homemade about them. There was a nice earthiness that almost tasted of mushroom, but that is really it.
The chicken meatballs in a tomato-Gorgonzola fonduta were more successful, as they were still moist, with a mild chicken flavor that really should have been stronger, but was pleasant nonetheless. The fonduta was the best part, tasting (and looking) rather more like a roasted red pepper sauce than tomato, but was really fantastic, with just the right amount of salt imparted by the cheese. These were a great option.
The mozzarella bites were nothing special, with virtually tasteless cheese on skewers with delicious oven roasted tomato and some basil pesto. The salted cod croquettes were better, crispy and moist, and the puttanesca coulis was nice for dipping. It did not match up with the pork cheeks, but it was pretty darn good.
We ended up having dinner at Sirio as well, which had a slightly better result than the bar food. I went with the gnocchi, served in a very heavy green sauce that I can't really describe too well. The gnocchi were fine, having a good flavor, but they were a bit too light. I know that lightness is a virtue in gnocchi, but these had almost no substance to them, and a little more density would have been nice. Dessert was a platter of small Italian doughnuts, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and served with three dipping sauces. Happy Birthday was written out in chocolate on the side of the platter. These were actually pretty awesome, though a little overly sweet with the sauces, which included a caramel sauce and a "tropical" sauce (aka, lemon). Overall, this was not my favorite meal, but it wasn't the worst either, and I would not object to going back, though there are certainly better options both in the Aria and in the surrounding casinos.
******
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