Taglierini Piemontese

I don't know why but blogger wouldn't let me upload a picture with the last post so here is Taglierini Piemontese in all its beauty.

Midnight Meatballs

Two in one day!

I go to restaurants that I hear about. I'm not sure if I said this already but here is my theory on NYC restaurants:

1. You will never go hungry - there is at least 5 restaurants on any NYC block.

2. Of all those restaurants only a few are standouts.

3. It is easy to wander into a bad restaurant and because of that don't just leave your hotel, apartment or work and wander in to the closet place.

4. NYC is expensive. If you are going to spend money on eating out, make sure its worth your time and making a dent in your wallet (and by dent I mean spending $15 on nachos or a burger). There is nothing worse than leaving a mediocre meal and wishing you had just had a $1 slice instead of what you just ate.

5. Only go to restaurants that have been talked about. It doesn't matter by whom - the New York Times, a co-worker or a friend. This way you will know something about the restaurant and, chances are, it will only be on your radar if what was said peaked your interest.

With that said, my dad was in town two nights ago and there is a place I have been hearing about that I wanted to try out. My favorite manager at work was let go about two weeks ago and has since started a blog. He tried this place and loved it. I mentioned it to his replacement (my new favorite manager) and her response, "I used to manage there! You have to try it." Like I said, any recommendation is good, but two from two different Esca managers? I knew I had to try it.

The place is called The Meatball Shop. It is in the Lower East Side at the intersection of Stanton and Allen. The concept is simple. Pick a meatball. Pick a sauce. Pick a side. Choose if you want that "side" under the meatball and sauce or actually on the side. They don't take reservations and are pack from the second they open at noon until last call at 4am. There is a communal table in the middle of the restaurant surrounded by tables for two on two sides and a bar on the other. Take-out is also available.

I went with the special meatball - a bolognese - with a parmesan cream sauce on top of rigatoni. My dad went a non-Italian route. He got the classic beef meatball but chose a mushroom gravy on top of mashed potatoes. Both were unbelievable. The meatballs were so moist (I hate that word but it's the best description), the sauces were rich, flavorful and bountiful. My rigatoni was ok but my dad's mashed potatoes were perfection. Fluffy, airy and buttery. To go along side our meal, I ordered a side of their broccoli which was good but nothing special. Both dishes came with foccacia - used, of course, to get every last drop of the sauces once the meatballs were gone.

As for drinks. They don't have a wine list - just a few options written on a blackboard - or extensive beer list but the choices they have a good. I had two different whites - a verdicchio and a soave. Both are Italian white varietals that I am somewhat familiar with from the restaurant so I thought I'd give them a try. The verdicchio, which is a light, crisp wine, was too light for the meal but nice to enjoy while waiting. The soave, on the other hand, was a nice balance to the beef and pork meatballs and parmesan cream sauce. It is medium plus in body and had a little fruit to it but finished dry. It worked nicely to balance the rich sauce and the salt from the pork in the meatballs. Dad, as always, had a beer (Brooklyn Brown Ale to be exact).

All in all, the meal was great! I can't wait to go back and try another on the of the meatball combinations because the choices, literally, are endless.

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Currently Cooking/Eating: It's a lazy day today so I am making frozen or pre-made food (from Trader Joes of course). I love their refrigerated pulled pork! I'm toasting a white bun, microwaving the pulled pork, baking a few sweet potato fries and steaming a little broccoli. Nice and easy lunch!

Currently Craving: Ricotta gnocchi. We have award winning ricotta gnocchi at Esca and a lot of people have been ordering it lately. I can't wait until the next time I go in and get to have some!

Currently Reading: Nothing :(

Currently Obsessing Over: White truffles. We got our first truffles of the season last weekend and they were gone in two days. We got a few more yesterday and I am mesmerized. I always knew truffles were special and had a sort of mystique about them but I didn't, and still don't, completely understand. All I can say is I can't wait until I have an extra $100 to try our Taglierini Piemontese (traditional 40-yolk pasta, butter and white truffles shaved on top).

Dhall Delights

Last weekend was Homecoming at my alma mater (of six months), The University of Richmond. I took the Bolt Bus from NYC to DC and met up with some of my best friends, Nadine and Amanda, to drive down to Richmond, Virginia. It was my first trip back since graduation in May and it was the perfect reunion weekend. The weather was perfect, the company was hilarious (thanks to Meaghan and her STC friends - the UR improv troupe), and we won the football game! The real highlight though - it actually tops Richmond's new tailgating in the fraternity lots with good beer and liquor- DHALL!!!

While I was in college, I cooked in my apartment more often than I ventured across campus to eat buffet style on a meal swipe. However, Sunday brunch at 11am was a staple throughout my college career. We all decided that a brunch trip to Dhall (short for dining hall and the nickname you are told to use the second you step on campus your freshman year) was a must. And, man oh, man was it good!

As always, I got hash browns and my "signature" Dhall breakfast sandwich. It is simple and delicious and cannot be replicated outside of Dhall but here is the "recipe":

1. Walk to the grill guy and order two overhard eggs with two slices of American cheese.

2. While he is cooking them, go to the center island and toast a white bagel (you will have to send it through twice because the toasted machine sucks).

3. While the bagel is making the second trip though the toaster, walk back to the grill guy and get your eggs - they should be ready. ** Also, make sure he folds them in half. I think most Dhall grill guys do this but it makes the cheese extra gooey and makes it possible for the eggs to fit on the bagel.

4. Move one station to your right and pick up some triangle hash browns and two sausage links.

5. Pick up your perfectly twice-toasted bagel and head to your table to assembly.

6. Once at the table, open the bagel and place the eggs/cheese on the bottom half.

7. Cut the sausage links in half the long way so they are butterflied.

8. Put the two butterflied links on top of the eggs (the should fit perfectly).

9. Place top half of the bagel on the sausage and enjoy!

Nothing too extraordinary but it is delicious. Like I said, this cannot be replicated outside of Dhall. You have to have their sausage, the grill guy and their messed up toaster that requires double toasting to reach this perfection. But for anyone who reads this and is still in Richmond -Enjoy!

October

First of all, I apologize for the brief break in my posts. I have had a lot going on lately and I'm working a TON (50+ hours a week). Because I've been gone so long and I want to ease myself back into writing, I am going to do tid bits from here and there.

I finished Heat a few weeks ago and highly recommend it to anyone who loves food and wants to know more about kitchens, food education and exactly how much work goes into being in an NYC restaurant. The author, Bill Buford, was/is a writer/editor for The New Yorker when he was assigned to write about Babbo - Mario Batali's first successful restaurant in the West Village. Buford enters the prep kitchen and eventually works his way up to the line. On the line, he masters the appetizer station and even makes a successful run on the grill station. He leaves Babbo in order to learn more about the restaurant's roots and how Mario became "Molto Mario." His travels take him to a family know for it's pasta making in Northern Italy to "el Maestro" - a fourth generation Tuscan butcher. The book flows wonderfully and lends itself to easy reading. Buford is a natural writer and has a way of making you feel as if you were in Tuscany with him.

It was great reading about an NYC kitchen and picturing our kitchen and it's daily operation. The similarities are striking. On my way to work, I would read Heat on the train then walk in the cargo door and witness everything I had just finished reading. Buford describes Mario's stint with "Iron Chef America" and I got to picture an upcoming episode (I think it's airing in January) where Chef (my chef) battles Morimoto. Speaking of television appearances - I woke up three weeks ago today (October 1st??) before my alarm. This never happens so I decided to have a leisurely morning before heading to work. I made some coffee, got back into bed and turned on the Today show.

Before now, I have kept my restaurant anonomous for reasons I can't really explain. I just figured being ambiguous would be easy and keep people out of it but it's hard to describe things without connecting the name. Plus, any of you who are reading this know me and are aware of where I work, so I might as well say it. I work at Esca.

Back to the Today show. Chef David Pasternack was there to make our Linguine. Obviously I got extremely excited and when Matt Lauer (who I have waited on at Esca) said "I have to say this and it's not because you're here right now, but Esca is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in New York" (don't quote that but it was something along those line), I knew Chef would be in a good mood all day. I arrived at work an hour later and got to see Chef, say congratulations and here about how he spent the morning with Tony Bennett, who was also on the show that morning.

Now I am going to completely change course. I cried at work for the first time a few weeks ago. Restaurants in NYC are hard. Sometimes you have people who want to spend money, sometimes you don't. Sometimes customers are grateful, sometimes they're not. I had a table that I went out of my way to help over and over again and at the end of the meal, they complained about the service. I think it was a combination of being exhausted and knowing that they were the table I chose to focus on and give my best service possible. Since then work has gotten worse (realllllly bad) and is now on an upward turn. I hope it stays this way.

Now time for some restaurants. I am going to keep this short - my apologies.

Toloache- Great Midtown nuevo-Mexican restaurant located on 50th between 8th and broadway. I went here with my parents and had an amazing meal. Sam Sifton reviewed it for the New York Time recently and gave it one star. I agree with his rating - decor and other little details could be improved. The food, on the other hand, was perfection. I highly recommend the fruit guacamole and black truffle quesadilla.

Spice Market- My mom and I also went back to this Meatpacking district favorite while they visited a few weeks ago. I was excited to go back and try a few things to write about - seeing that Spice Market initiated my interest in writing a blog. I had the Red Curry Duck and Ginger Fried Rice. Both were amazing and, I believe, they are considered their signature dishes. My mom did the Bento Box - a lunch special with 5 small courses for $24.07. Her box included a squash soup, cod, an asian slaw, a chicken skewer as well as a dessert of Vietnamese coffee ice cream. Definitely a place worth trying.

Margot- This is a Dominican restaurant two blocks from where I live. Some friends of mine recommended it and I tried it this past week. I had it delivered because I was running late for work and did not have time to sit down for a meal. I ordered the Pepper Pork, rice and beans and tostones. Everything was amazing, but a little too greasy. I'm hoping that it only because it was delivered... I'm going to have to go back and try it for real sometime soon.

Balthazar- This French bistro is extremely well-known in New York. I have wanted to try it ever since seeing it on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" a few months ago. THe show highlighted the french fries and I have to agree- they were amazing. I have oysters to start. Nothing special- just a dozen Blue Point oysters and minuette. Then, because I wanted to try the fries, I got the Moules Frites. As I said, the fries were great. The mussels weren't amazing and I wouldn't run back to have them again, but I am interested in seeing what else this place has to offer.

I feel like this blog is all over the place. Like I said before, I have had a lot going on. I promise to re-focus and get my posts back to where they were in the beginning. I was enjoying focusing on writing and got derailed for a bit, but I'm back. It is getting cold in New York so I look forward to writing about all that fall has to offer in New York.

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Currently Cooking/Eating: Nothing :( I'm on a bus to DC in route to Richmond for the weekend (homecoming!!!) and I was running late, so no breakfast/lunch for me :(

Currently Craving: My mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole. Look for the recipe and post in the near future!

Currently Reading: Since finishing Heat I have struggled to really dive back into a book. I started A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by a New York based food writer Molly Wizenberg. I like it but, as I have now said three times, I've been busy.

Currently Obsessing Over: Knives! My birthday is coming up and all I want are a few good knives. Knives are really expensive so I have asked for one utility knife for my birthday to get me started.