Tag Archives: altamarea

NYC – 3/9/16 – Osteria Morini

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I have no explanation for why I haven’t been here for a year other than there are just too many choices in New York and I often am travelling too much.  I completely forget how good it is.  And another completely fantastic chicken dish which would typically be my last choice on a menu but I have found so many good ones lately.  Far too dark for decent photos though!

Negroni
Lamb crudo – olive oil & chives
Beet – ricotta salata
Roasted squash – marscarpone, pumpkin seeds

Mista insalata – mixed winter greens, peppadew peppers, pomegranate, apple, Morini vinaigrette

Pollo al Mattone – brick oven roasted chicken, gaeta olives, lemon, potatoes

NYC -1/21/16 – Vaucluse

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If only I did not have to work I could easily slip into a ladies who lunch upper east side lifestyle and Vaucluse is a perfect spot.  The poireaux vinaigrette completely lived up to my very high expectations after reading several rave reviews of this dish.  I’m not sure that I could order anything else from the hors d’oeuvres section of the menu when I return.  The Vaucluse version of the white label burger is actually a perfect French take on the original white label burger.  But I must admit that I love the original white label burger much more so it looks like a lunch visit to Ai Fiori is in the cards very soon.  Apologies but bacon marmalade beats tomato jam every time. 🙂

 Poireaux Vinaigrette – grilled leeks, toasted almonds, mustard seed vinaigrette
 White Label Burger – aged beef blend, fontine cheese, tomato jam, dijonnaise, frites

NYC – 6/29/15 – Ai Fiori

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I oddly find myself writing this in the midst of restaurant week. I know everybody in the industry dislikes it, I no longer care for it myself because I never actually want anything on the restaurant week menu, and I always wonder why anybody participates. But the first time I dined at Ai Fiori was at lunch during restaurant week several years ago. I have come back many times since and have happily followed the white label burger to Costata. So perhaps restaurant week isn’t such a bad idea after all as at least for a minority of diners, a good experience will translate into loyal customers.

I seem to have a rather large weakness for Michael White’s pasta. And while the fusilli will always be my favorite, the various versions of agnolotti at Ai Fiori definitely come in second place.  Its very rare that I even order pasta because why bother if its not this good? Dining at Ai Fiori is always lovely and this was no exception. Pasta aside we loved the very summery cocktails and desserts and while I seem to have been ordering quite a lot of octopus lately, this one definitely ranks near the top of the list. As tends to happen far too often, I was distracted by conversation and didn’t take notes on the dishes so the only descriptions I have are from the ones still on the menu.

I look forward to checking out the newest Altamarea addition soon!


amuse 
octopus
 Crudo di Passera – fluke crudo, American sturgeon caviar, Meyer lemon    Trofie Nero – ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia, scallops, spiced mollica
 Agnolotti – braised veal parcels, roasted eggplant, pine nuts, balsamic sugo 
Astice – butter poached Nova Scotia lobster scallops
 Torta di Olio – mascarpone mousse, Sicilian pistachio, strawberry sorbetto  

NYC – 7/5/15 – Marea and Eleven Madison Park

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Marea
I swore that I would order something other than the fusilli on my next visit but then I just couldn’t make myself. I did try the other pastas ordered at the table and of course they were all fantastic. Someday I swear I will deviate!

Seppia – cuttlefish tagliatelle, soffrito crudo, bottarga di muggine  
Polipo – griddle octopus, smoked potatoes, pickled red onion, radish, chilies, tonnato  
Fusilli – durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow  
Tortelli – potato and ramp ravioli, soppressata, peas  
Garganelli – tuna ragu, guanciale, broccoli rabe pesto  
Tagliolini – Manila clams, calamari, white wine, hot chilis   

  

Lounge at EMP
I have been meaning to plan a return visit to EMP for quite some time. But with every new accolade it receives, I seem to become less interested as I don’t think it lives up to the hype. While the voting system of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants is questionable at best, and I want US restaurants to do well, when EMP ranked at #5 this year it seemed a bit of a joke. So hoping that the experience would make me realize I had it all wrong we decided to stop in the lounge for a light dinner.

There seem to be dozens of servers at EMP and while I don’t know what the actual ratio is to diners, my perception is always at least 2:1. When you scan the dining room (still my favorite in NY) they seemed to be lined up around the perimeter just waiting for something to happen. So it was entirely unexplainable that we sat in the lounge for going on 10 minutes without anybody coming over and thus had no menus. One member of our group ordered a wine by the glass that was entirely too warm, and while she probably should have declined it when she was poured a small taste, shouldn’t a restaurant of this caliber serve wine at the correct temperature? Then several accompaniments arrived with the cheese but none were explained and we were left wondering if they really were meant for the cheese or for the foie. And the foie in no way compared to the one had a day prior at Per Se. Many of these things I would overlook elsewhere but at this level I admittedly nitpick because I have much higher expectations. And while we were in the lounge, I expect the service to be equal to that in the dining room. This is the 5th best restaurant in the world? Definitely not.

 
Marinated Foie Gras with Chamomile, Orange Blossom and White Asparagus  Butter Poached Lobster with Dandelion and Ginger  Selection of Local Cheeses with Rhubarb Jam and Sorrel Relish    

NYC – 4/29/15 – Costata

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I couldn’t be happier that the White Label burger is finally available outside of Ai Fiori. I have no idea why this burger doesn’t end up on more best of NY burger lists other than maybe too many people haven’t had it. Hands down one of my 3 favorite burgers in NYC. Everything else was wonderful, but I can be honest and say I was just here for the burger.


Carrots Oysters
 Artichokes Alla Giudea

White Label Burger – bacon marmalade, mcclures pickles, American cheese, fries

NYC – 12/20/14 – Ai Fiori

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It had been way too long since I visited Ai Fiori and it admittedly fell off of my radar until some friends from out of town recently dined there. A perfect choice for catching up with family who prefer a more formal setting and a dining room where you can actually hold a conversation. While the entire meal was fantastic, perhaps predictably it was the Tartufo Bianco Tagliatelle that was the stand out dish. As I have said before, minimal ingredients executed perfectly often tend to be the most memorable (plus I honestly could eat truffles on almost anything). I did have a lovely cheese plate for dessert but evidently was sidetracked by an extra dessert wine and forgot all about a picture. A big thank you to Colin and Edward for the incredible service!

Blessed Thistle – cardamaro, michter’s rye, lemon, egg white

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Amuse

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Crudo di Dentice – red snapper crudo, garlic crema, crispy shallots, trout roe

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Tartufo Bianco Tagliatelle – pasta ribbons, butter, parmigiano (before and after)

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Vitello – amish veal chop “au four,” new potatoes, prosciutto, sage

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