Eataly- Lunch and met Carla Hall !!!!

    Well, let me start off by saying this was a good week. Im on vacation from work, moved into my new place, great weather & feeling good. So things were on the up & up. When a buddy asked if I wanted to take a break from unpacking and go out to lunch- umm, of course.
     She was in the mood for pasta I knew there was a pasta restaurant in Eataly- which was a couple of blocks away so off we went. Eataly is a large marketplace of Italian artisan products and groceries with restaurants and kiosks scattered around. Its massive- I have been a couple of times and still have not soaked it all in. Many products sold are only found there outside of Italy. Looking at the many items brought me back to when I was in Rome and Pisa (going back...someday). 
       We went to the pasta restaurant within Eataly and as we were taken to our table my mouth dropped. We were seated right next to The Chew/ Top Chef Alum Carla Hall and her assistant. So excited because I have been a fan since she was on Top Chef, but of course I held in my composure. We instead just looked at them menu and decided on a starter course which was cheese. While waiting on our cheese my friend started conversation with Carla and Nyemale, her assistant. We talked about food, tea pairing concepts and Carla even gave her recommendation for what we should have for lunch.

Pappardelle Pasta with Mushroom Ragu

Pesto Lasagna

Pesto Lasagna

           

           We took Carla's advice and ordered the special pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragu and the pesto lasagna. The pappardelle pasta was fresh and was cooked just to al dente. The mushroom ragu was very reminiscent of a beef bolognese. It was meaty from the mushrooms and the tomato sauce was heavily flavored with fresh parsley, thyme and basil. Simply delicious, I had no complaints. The pesto lasagna had fresh lasagna sheets layered with green beans, pesto and a cream béchamel sauce. Topping the lasagna was fresh basil, parmesan and toasted pine nuts. I thought the entire dish was well executed and presented. I would have never thought to put green beans in a lasagna and along with the pesto and the crunch of the pine nuts it was simply divine.

            We didn't have to order dessert because Carla was so kind she bought us two types of her Alchemy desserts. They reminded me of cookie nuggets. The  pecan shortbread with vanilla salt reminded me of the pecan sandies that I used to take from my grandmothers kitchen when I was younger. They were light, not too sweet and a perfect way to satisfy any sweet tooth. For a chocolate indulgence the Black Forest Crinkle is fudgy with notes of cherry. You wont feel guilty when eating these because the richness of the chocolate will take over and you will only need a few at a time to quench that chocolate thirst. 

Alchemy Pecan Shortbread with Vanilla Salt & Black Forest Crinkle

      Like I prefaced this entry..... It was a good week that turned better when I went out for lunch. Thanks Carla for all of your culinary insight and recommendations for us. There was a reason why we just happen to sit next to her for lunch. I have additions to my list of places I need to try. Coincidence... I think not. Until the next time :) 

Carla, Natalia & myself

Birthday Dinner :)

   Happy 2012..... SO since my last post a couple of things have occurred, the holidays came, we started a new year and most important- i got a year older (not sure how I feel about that yet but its all good). So what better way to celebrate than going out to dinner with friends, talking over delicious food and wine. My way to celebrate.

 My two JWU buddies asked me what type of food I would like to eat so she could pick out a restaurant. I wanted something that we don't eat often, something new and special to commemorate the occasion. I decided on seafood with Italian flair, so the choice was Esca, a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen by Chef Dave Pasternack. I agreed to the decision because this was one of many restaurants that I wanted to try. I have heard much about Chef Pasternack through magazines and I watched his biography on The Cooking Channel. The main reason I wanted to go to Esca was because they do something unlike most restaurants in the city. I refer to him as the fish guy because the chef and his team actually go fishing off the coast of Long Island and bring the catch to the restaurant. Which means the menu items are constantly changing to whats available and the fish is incredibly fresh. Pretty Awesome. 

Scallop Tasting

Fried Halibut Cheeks with Caper Aioli

Burratta with Caviar

For our first course we started off with a trio of dishes. The scallop tasting had three varieties of in crudo form (italian version of sushi). All were dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and a different citrus juice. Its funny because I am really not into crudo/sushi because I don't like the texture of raw fish, however I really enjoyed the scallops. Surprisingly sweet and creamy which paired well with the lime, blood orange and meyer lemon juices they were accompanied with. The burrata was delicious, soft-to the bite mozzarella and creamy ricotta. The caviar were like bursts of sea salt pellets that flavored the cheese. My favorite first course was the crispy halibut cheeks. Light and crispy on the outside and firm, flakey fish underneath. Our waiter told us that everything is fried in olive oil which I felt made a fried dish feel light and airy, not greasy at all. The caper aioli was reminiscent of tartar sauce gone great. I absolutely loved this dish. 

Pan Seared Black Bass with Roasted Root Vegetable

Broiled Fluke with Preserved Lemon & Blood Orange

Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Basil Sauce

For our main courses we shared black bass, fluke and the gnocchi. The black bass was good. Nothing extravagant. Simply seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. The skin was not as crispy as I would have liked. The flesh was cooked perfectly, lightly flaking with the touch of my fork. The vegetables that accompanied the dish were roasted until there natural sweetness came out, which made them  caramelized into deliciousness. The fluke was so delicate and light. The preserved citrus livened up the fluke which was seasoned lightly with salt & pepper. I liked that all of the seafood was lightly seasoned so that the actual flavor and freshness could shine through. The ricotta gnocchi was good however, we all felt that it was a little grainy. When it comes to gnocchi we have a favorite from Barbounia and it didnt reach that point. Good none the less.

Hazelnut Chocolate Cannoli

Pop Rocks Toffee & Vanilla Gelato Affogato

Now you know dinner is not complete without dessert. For this course we were stuffed but had to order dessert for the greater good :) The first thing we notice about the cannoli was its unique presentation. Instead of the typical cannoli shell, there were rings that were filled with the cream. The hazelnut chocolate cheese/cream was a little grainy. The nut flavor was not overpowering and reminded us like a nutella cream. The affogato was comprised of a vanilla gelato with pop-rocks toffee chips mixed in. The waiter poured the espresso tableside. While eating it, I didn't understand why the pop-rocks were apart of the dish. It wasn't until I took a sip of water when my mouth started popping. The cream of the gelato hindered the functionality of the pop-rocks because before the water, I forgot that it was in the toffee. There was no wow factor in the desserts, however both good. With them and more prosecco we finished off our night and celebration of me getting a year older. Cheers!!