L'Artusi

Located just off of Bleecker Street in the heart of the West Village is L'Artusi, the younger sister of one of my favorite restaurants Dell'anima.

Also run by Gabe Thompson and Joe Campanele, graduates of the Batali empire, L'Artusi has both an excellent menu as well as clean and comfortable decor. The small Italian plates are inviting, and the neo-Regency décor of Dell'anima has been splendidly recreated. While there are plenty of tables downstairs (in addition to seating upstairs), an extensive bar with 30 seats dominates the first floor of L'Artusi, as well as an excellent raw bar and cheese bar.

Before coming to L'Artusi, I naturally did my research and checked it out online, where I learned that cheese snobs speak highly of the restaurant's selection. Naturally we decided that our meal must then start with cheese. After speaking with the waitress, she recommended two: tomme du berge ($6) and ossau iraty vielle ($6), both of which came from Murray's. The tomme had a buttery richness and was remarkably fruity, with ripe pear flavors, which went nicely with my glass of Syrah (by the way, there are quite a few reasonably priced bottles). On the other hand, the ossau had an excellent smoked flavor, which gave us a nice balance with the tomme.

For our meal, we ordered both a pasta and a carne. For our pasta, we chose the tagliatelle ($18) which was topped in a lovely bolognese bianco. The pasta itself was a dual sided tagiatelle – one spinach, one egg. And even though it was not a cream sauce, there was enough pecorino that when it blended with the sauce, it became decadent and creamy.

Our carne was the hanger steak ($20) which was simple but quite good in my opinion. On the inside, the steak was still tender and juicy, but on the outside it was charred to perfection. It was served with a delicious salsa bianco as well as crispy roasted potatoes.

L'Artusi in my opinion was an excellent restaurant. The cheeses were excellent, and both plates were delicious. And I appreciated the fact that I left feeling full, but not obese. I would definitely recommend going, especially if you enjoy the atmosphere of a good wine bar. Great date spot as well.


L'ARTUSI
228 W. 10th Street
(near Bleecker Street)
(212) 255-5757 Read More!

Co.

When I first moved to New York in August 2006, I remember hearing about the Roman-inspired pizza slices available in Hell's Kitchen, at the Sullivan Street Bakery. I was told by a co-worker that they had some of the best pizza in the city, but it tended to always fly under the radar.

Little did I know that Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street also owns a local Chelsea eatery: Co., an intimate pizzeria, serving Lahey's newest creation: round, thin-crusted, Nepolitanesque pies with standard, yet delicious toppings.

One key difference between the pies at Sullivan Street and Co. would be the temperature. At Sullivan they're served at room temperature, while at Co., they are baked in at around 700 degrees in a wood-burning oven imported from Modena. And the result is quite appetizing, providing a light, fluffy crust with a slightly charred flavor.

Since the pies are relatively small (4 slices per pie), we decided to order two. First was the Ham and Cheese ($14) which was topped with prosciutto and caraway, and then covered with a 3-cheese mixture of pecorino, gruyère, and buffalo mozzarella. I must say, the prosciutto was outstanding; I would have willingly ordered a second pie simply to devour the ham on top! Our second pizza was the Flambé ($16) which a mixture of parmesan and buffalo mozzarella, with caramelized onions and lardons, covered in a béchamel sauce. At first I was concerned the the sauce was too heavy for the pizza, but I was certainly wrong once I bit into the pizza; the flavors blended together perfectly, creating a truly delicious piece of pizza. I was recommend cutting back on the lardons though, I thought it made the pizza a little too salty at times.

We also ordered an Escarole Salad ($7 – topped with bread crumbs, capers, and anchovies in a lemon and olive oil dressing) which was, well, fine. If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would have picked something else.

Overall? Co. was a really enjoyable experience, with a friendly staff and excellent food. I would highly recommend giving it a try, but I must say that it was definitely overpriced for pizza. Between the two pies, one salad, and a bottle of wine (with tax and tip), the bill was almost $100!



CO.
230 Ninth Avenue
(at 24th Street)
(212) 243-1105 Read More!

Bar Stuzzichini

Bar Stuzzichini was my most recent dining experience in New York's Flatiron District, and despite being concerned about the restaurant because of its fairly empty dining room (during the Sunday lunch hour), I found everything that I ordered to be, well, delicious.

We started the afternoon off with the large Stuzzichini Misti, which was essentially Italian tapas. Five plates for $25. I decided to be adventurous and let a Stuzzichini-regular order since I had never been there before.

We started off with Scamorza alla Brace (normally $8) which is a Scamorza cheese (similar in taste to a mozzarella, but notorious for melting better in baking) that is then topped with with a spicy, grilled meat. Nice flavor, but I felt that the meat was much too powerful for the cheese.

Next, a simple, but classic Italian specialty: meatballs in tomato sauce (normally $7). The sauce was not too heavy which was nice. Light, but not watery. And the meatballs were very good: adequately seasoned, and they appeared to have been cooked in the sauce instead of in the oven, which I prefer.

Prosciutto di Parma (normally $10) came next. What can I say? It's prosciutto. You either like it or you don't.

Probably my favorable part of the meal was the Ricotta e Miele Crostini (normally $4), which was a light, whipped ricotta cheese, placed on top of a small crostini, which was then drizzled with a saffron-infused honey sauce. I have always enjoyed dishes that are both sweet and salty, and this dish certainly fell into that category. The bread and the ricotta were obviously on the saltier side, but the slight touch of honey added the perfect pinch of sweetness to dish. As I write this, I'm craving another order.

Again, I've become much more adventurous in the past few weeks, and was willing to try grilled octopus (normally $9). It had been cooked and then drizzled with olive oil. I was not looking forward to trying it, but we ordered it, and my dinner date was accurate when he said it tasted like chicken. And it did, a combination between chicken and rubber. A good combination though.

Our next dish was not part of the large Stuzzichini Misti. It was part of the restaurant's weekend brunch menu: Maccheroni alla Carbonara ($14). The spaghetti was served with traditional guanciale (an unsmoked Italian bacon) and egg yolk, and was topped with black pepper and shavings of pecorino. I felt that the pepper in the dish, combined with the spices used as a rub for the guanciale made the dish a little too spicy, but not necessarily in a bad way. Just a surprising way. It certainly wasn't your typically bland Pasta alla carbonara.

And of course I shouldn't neglect our personal carafes of Prosecco di Conegliano ($12 each).

Overall, a very pleasant experience. I have yet to return to Bar Stuzzichini for a weekday meal, but I plan on going back soon. In the meantime, try their weekend brunch. I think you'll find it quite enjoyable.



Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
(between 21st and 22nd Streets)
(212) 780-5100 Read More!

Grosseto v. Overtime - Prague

Pizzeria Grosseto or Pizza Overtime?

There are two very similar Italian restaurants near my home in Vinohrady, and I am never sure which one I like better...

Let me break them both down! One thing however that I should definitely mention, which applies to both restaurants: the pizza is just blah. Especially if you compare them to Tacconelli's.

First of all, there is Pizzeria Grosseto near Náměstí Míru. It's a fun restaurant with a great atmosphere and it's awesome for people watching. Tiny but vibrant.

Here is what I always get:

Zuppa di pomodori
48 Kč
I have to say that this could quite possibly be the BEST tomato soup that I have ever had. It's like drinking tomato sauce that's been thinned out with cream and chicken stock. That may not sound too appealing, but it is to die for.

Penne con rucola e pomodori
135 Kč
Oh my god, I don't even know where to begin! First, a description: penne with sun-dried tomatoes, rucola, fresh basil and slices of Parmesan in a garlicy-olive oil sauce. The combination of the rucola and the sun-dried tomatoes, with the sharp Parm is refreshing and light. Get it! It really is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes, and you know what? I'm going to get it tomorrow for dinner!

In general, Pizzeria Grosseto is a great place, and the bread and butter (with tiny pepper slices in a garlicy butter) is out of this world. Negatives: slow service, and they don't refill your bread.

Okay, on to Pizza Overtime, which is just two or three blocks away from Grosseto. Again, the pizza isn't that amazing. It's equally as good as Grosseto... it is however cheaper, which is why I think Grosseto is a better pizza option.

Favorite dish?

Fusilli al Pesto con pollo
115 Kč
For those of you who do not speak Italian, or even restaurant Italian, let me break it down for you: Fusilli is the small, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta, and at Overtime, they serve it with small slices of chicken, and cover it with a pesto-olive oil sauce, and then they add slices of Parmesan on top. They are a little too excessive with the pesto-olive oil, but it's damn good. And fairly addicting. I find myself thinking about it often.

I like that Pizzeria Overtime is small and quaint, and the staff is ALWAYS friendly and attentive, but I not extremely impressed by their menu choices. And don't get the tomato soup unless you like tomato sauce soup. But their butter is equally as delicious as Grosseto (mixed with garlic and chives, yummy!)

I'm not really sure which restaurant I like better. When it comes to the atmosphere, I think I prefer Pizzeria Grosseto because it is more spacious and it is always filled with strange characters -- and people watching is VERY important! When it comes to food, I would again say Pizzeria Grosseto. However, I cannot bring myself to say that I like it better than Overtime because, well, I just don't. Know what I mean? Yeah. Read More!