California Dreamin'

ATWOOD RANCH

GREG
It’s been a while since the Supper Club gang dined together in the same locale, but after a several month hiatus, here we are again. Or, more accurately, there we were again, as our journey of culinary cravings took us far across this great U.S. of A. to a distant land we call Northern California. The setting: Atwood Ranch, Sonoma, CA. The event: Supper Club member Liz Burton’s wedding to Mr. Brian Boyle.

My experience with wedding food in the past is that it’s only slightly better than prison food. And that’s being generous in some cases. But despite our proximity to both Alcatraz and Folsom, this meal was no ordinary wedding offering. I mean, come on...it’s Liz. There’s no way we would be served anything less than a gourmet, four-course meal, with wine pairings of course.

Upon arriving at Atwood, we were immediately greeted by the sight of a fresh lemonade and iced tea stand. Served iced cold in clear glass mugs, it was the a perfect antidote to the hot California sun. Unable to choose between the two options, I went the Arnold Palmer route, gulping down several mug-fulls before Libby reminded me to save room for wine. Don’t worry...I had PLENTY of room for wine.

SARA
I didn't get to sample the lemonade or iced tea, because I was busy prepping my hair and makeup for my walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid. However, I did get to have a glass and a half of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, a truly extraordinary champagne. Before we walked down the aisle we were also given a glass of the Perrier Jouet. I could have (and mostly did) drink this all night. I'm not a huge champagne fan, but these two champagnes turned me into a believer of the bubbly. I may never be able to go back to Brut again.

After the beautiful ceremony, Liz, who looked absolutely stunning, had the great task of keeping the delicious appetizers off of her gown. We all headed to the porch, where Greg and I attacked the oyster waitress. Those West Coast bivalves were perfectly briny, and came with a wonderful vinegar and onion sauce...which, of course, I spilled on my dress.

I put down my glass of champagne (for only a moment), to try out the other wines being served on the patio. I stayed away from the red, since I already made a shambles of my dress before dinner. I sampled the Carica Sauvignon Blanc instead. I'm usually an oak-barreled fan, but this wine was perfect for the outdoor weather. Crisp, flavorful and refreshing. MORE MORE!

GREG
Cocktail hours are always dangerous, since amazing food just seems to float by every few seconds. Or, if you’re like me, you chase the servers around the patio when you see something you like. I tried to restrain myself, but come on...they had Sliders! Juicy, heavenly sliders! Not wanting to ruin my appetite for dinner, I only had 7 or 8. Matched by almost as many glasses of champagne. Hey, when in Sonoma, right?

Liz will be disappointed if we don’t mention all the hors d'oeuvres, but besides the oysters and sliders, my memory is pretty hazy. In fact, I had to cut myself off from all the fermented grape products for a few minutes or risk forgetting the whole affair. Which, as we were soon to find out, would have been impossible, as the whole night was unforgettable. But we’re getting there.

After about an hour and a half, the announcement came to move on over to the barn. Liz Burton, princess of posh, married in a barn? Ah, but what a barn! Elegantly decorated, beautifully arranged, and right out of a fairy tale with little birds darting in and out of the rafters just above our heads. We took our seats and the first thing we noticed was the menu. Not your typical wedding menu, mind you, but a menu that only could have been prepared by someone obsessed with food and wine. Our night was spelled out in front of us, and as Liz and Brian had their first dance to the tunes of a rockin’ 80’s cover-band, I braced myself for the arrival of the first course.

SARA
After the first dance, and the parent-son/daughter dances, I took my seat with the rest of the party. Everyone was halfway through the first white of the evening, a Parmelee-Hill Darcy Marsanne-Rousanne. I was quick to get the waitress's attention so that I could have my glass filled. Though I wanted an American pour, I knew what else was coming, so I held back (for now).

Luckily we were at a prime table, so we were among the first to be served (thanks Liz!). I think the general feeling around our table was amazement. There was more food than just a beef/chicken option? Is this a wedding or a Michelin-starred restaurant?

Our first course, an appetizer (or amuse), was a hand-filled ravioli with spring peas and potatoes. The very friendly and precise wait staff didn't plop down our dishes. Instead, they waited until all plates were available to serve. What class! The ravioli was a great start to the dinner. It was light and delicious, accompanied by a pea puree, lemon and shaved grana. It whet my palate for things to come.

GREG
Fortunately, the next course came fast. Pan roasted Alaskan halibut gently resting on a fennel potato puree with a lemon herb & cerignola olive relish. The halibut was light and came apart at the touch of the fork. The puree was fluffy and airy, appropriate for the warm California temperatures, and the combination really brought out the halibut's flavors.

I was surprised, however, to be then poured a red, specifically Cali Pinot Noir (Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee, Willamette Valley 2006.) Pulling Liz aside, because this is an important question to ask no matter how monumental the occasion, I told her I had expected a white with my halibut. Ah hah! Liz replied with an impish grin. So you would think! But the red is actually the perfect compliment to the puree, especially with the olive relish on the plate, and red is fine with fish as long as it's a lighter red. I bowed in acceptance, since no one knows her wine pairings like the former Ms. Burton,and as beams of California sunset began to stream through the barn towards our table, I quickly polished off the course and stole a little extra off Libby's plate as well.

SARA
The band was getting ready to start playing again, and the only thing that could keep me from grabbing a prime spot on the dance floor was the upcoming course. I LOVE lamb chops. The dish is usually my first pick at any restaurant. When they arrived I was very pleased to see that they were perfectly cooked! Overcooked lamb is a sin, but these crusted goodies were heavenly. The cute, little tomato confit that accompanied looked like candy, but tasted juicy and tart. I'm not usually a bean fan, but I cleaned my plate of the cannellini beans which were perfectly seasoned. The whole dish fit the barn atmosphere in it's rustic, but perfectly designed charm.

The lamb was paired perfectly with the Parmelee-Hill Syrah, which came ALL the way from Sonoma Valley. I loved this wine. I've been searching wine stores all over New York City for a bottle! Any suggestions?

GREG
And then, of course, there was wedding cake and assorted sweets. If I had a bite, I can't remember. I'm sure it was great. And the sweets...well, it was like walking into a Willy Wonka's factory, had Willy Wonka lived in a barn instead of a factory and his Oompa Loompas were actually drunk New Yorkers (were they?) Pastries, chocolate puffs, cookies, custards, towering above the dessert table and beckoning me to stuff my face. And what goes best with dessert? Muscato, clearly, from Imagery Estate winery, which we had just visited the day before (and bought multiple bottles from). Something sweet to compliment all the other sweets, and the perfect conclusion to our journey d'Oenophilia.

At this point I was quite drunk, which made me an infinitely better dancer. With the 80's band jamming all the hits I pretend to know every word to (what's Jenny's number again?), I wisely switched from wine to water and worked off the incredible meal by doing my best Kevin Bacon impression for another couple of hours. Finally, as the stars twinkled on this perfect California night, Brian sent us Motorin' home, exhausted, stuffed, and oh so satisfied.

SARA
One of my happiest moments during the wedding occurred when the ice-cream sandwich trays arrived. The gingerbread cookies with vanilla ice-cream erupted memories of my childhood. One Christmas, I ate an entire box of gingerbread men ice-cream sandwiches, and got into a lot of trouble. I don't think my brother ever forgave me. This night, I could eat as many as I liked without worrying about Brad's wrath. Unfortunately, I also wanted to dive into the delicious carrot cake, cookies, shots of milk and Muscato; so I opted for two sandwiches instead of eight. I hope I worked off at least a portion of the calories I consumed while I was sweatin' to the 80's on the dance floor.

As I looked around at my fellow reception-goers, I was amazed at the number of people dancing. Not only was the younger crowd cutting a rug, but all the parents were getting down as well (most of the older women were busy dancing with Matt Mager). Keeping a crowd on the dance floor, happily fed and boozed is an amazing feat for a wedding. However, Liz and Brian pulled it off seamlessly. The perfect evening, full of carefree dancing, limbo dipping, cowboy-hat wearing, photobooth debauchery and amazing food ended with a puff of a stogy by the fire, under the stars, in a blissful haze. Can we do it again?

GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: A+
Service: A+
Bread: A+
Appetizer: A+
Main Course: A+
Wine/Drinks: A+
Desserts: A+
Value: A+

SARA:
Ambiance: A+
Service: A+
Bread: A+
Appetizer: A+
Main Course: A+
Wine/Drinks: A+
Desserts: A+
Value: A+

LIBBY
Ambiance: A+
Service: A+
Bread: A+
Appetizer: A+
Main Course: A+
Wine/Drinks: A+
Desserts: A+
Value: A+

LIZ
Well, Liz? What are your grades?

Not Soy Good

BROADWAY EAST

GREG:

Broadway East is a macrobiotic vegetarian-style restaurant in Chinatown that wouldn't normally have come up on my radar, but their original executive chef is a childhood friend of mine. So why not venture below Canal Street and taste some plant life? Can't kill us! And besides, we've been very safe with our Supper Club selections lately. Great meals, great experiences, but we know going in that we're going to love them. I've decided to take it upon myself to make more challenging choices when it's my month, tempting fate by trying cuisines we hadn't really thought about before. If it's not a hit, so be it. We may find some gems in the process.
Broadway East's nondescript facade gives way to a dimly lit, surprisingly spacious interior. I'd say a half dozen tables were occupied when we got there on Wednesday night, and the place didn't fill up much more after that. After a quick trip to restroom to wash up in their Japanese style wall sinks (or were they just water fountains?), we ordered our usual round of fancy cocktails. I started with a Cucumber Mint Mojito, a thematic choice indeed, and I believe Libby ordered one of the same.

SARA:
This place was a challenging choice Greg. Challenging to eat.

Broadway Least is more like costume jewelry than a gem...actually, make that a hippy-endorsed mood ring. It's atmosphere reminded me of that crunchy kid in high school being forced to dress up for a special occasion...made to find a tie to match his hemp blazer.

The cucumber mojito was tasty, and the bar-food appetizer was sufficient. We tried the yuba cracklin's (a tofu take on pork rinds), crispy lotus root chips (which tasted a lot like a bag of Taro Chips), and some pickled vegetables (which I found inedible, but Libby and Greg liked.) However, it took about seven hours for the waitress (who reminded me of Luna Lovegood with tattoos) to bring over each course. I would have accepted this if it was 4:20, not 8:30.

Please keep in mind that my negative opinion of the place isn't because its vegetarian. I happen to really like tofu, and love Blossom Gourmet Vegan on 9th Ave.

GREG:
Look, I’m not saying this was Perry Street, but I found the place enjoyable enough. And they just lost their executive chef, so I’m sure there’s a learning curve in the kitchen. So the waitress took a while with our drinks and apps, yes, but from that point on the service was just fine. And were we in a rush?

I did like the little sampler platter we got with our drinks, and I also liked the Cauliflower Frito Misto with arugula and some citrus sauce that I had as an appetizer. Granted, they could have called it Cauliflower Tempura because that’s basically what it was, but the cauliflower was fresh, the fried breading around it had a nice crunch, and the sauce added some good flavor to it. My biggest concern with the dish wasn’t the taste, it was the portion size--since it was fried, I didn’t need quite so much of it, especially since Libby ordered it too.

SARA:
The service was fine? She was slow all night. She also kept forgetting to bring out our bottle of wine. Also, my oyster appetizer came out about ten minutes after everyone else's course. I know ordering oysters at a "health food joint" in June is not the best idea. But honestly, they were the best things I ate the entire evening. I enjoyed the little salsa that came with them.

By the way, expecting polite and prompt service has nothing to do with "being in a rush." If I wanted fast food, I would go to Wendy's. But, I didn't feel like a place that charges that much money for taro chips and tofu skin should have the option of taking their sweet ass time in getting us our alcohol (we even had to ask an entirely different waiter about it). Plus, I needed booze to flush down my main course (which will be discussed later).

Your cauliflower fritter was fine, though it was basically a vegetable dunked in funnel cake batter.

GREG:
Wow...remind me not to invite you to my child’s first piano recital.

On to the entrees. I ordered the Crispy Coconut Tempeh, not really knowing what the heck Tempeh is. What I was served was a fried triangle and fried circle of something I’m not sure...but still liked a lot. The coconut flavor wasn’t overwhelming and it was actually on the light side as far as fried food goes. I kinda wish I hadn’t ordered two fried dishes, especially when I was in the mood for refreshing vegetarian fare, but I have to say it was quite delicious, crunchy, juicy on the inside, and satisfying. So there.

Libby’s entrée was also very good. She had the Chickpea And Butternut "B'steeya" with fire roasted tahini, pomegranate and wild
arugula. The butternut was definitely the most present of anything on that list, which in my opinion makes this more of an autumn dish than a hot summer night’s meal, and Libby said she would have much preferred it as an appetizer since it was so sweet. But our side of the table certainly seems to have won the entrée battle this evening.

SARA:
Don't worry...I won't boo your child unless she serves me food from Broadway East after she's done playing.....

Your main course was the only one I liked. Libby's was fine, but should have been a side dish. As a main dish it was overwhelming and sweet. But yes, even her sugary butternut squash was better than Liz's dish, or my monstrosity.

We both ordered the specials. Liz got the scallops, which were cooked fine, but topped with a pea puree of some sort that looked and tasted like baby food. She pushed the sauce aside and politely finished the scallops. I ordered the pasta with morels, feeling that I had made a safe bet. If you remember from our Dovetail review, I adore morels because of their rich earthy flavors. I was excited for that mushroom taste to fill my mouth, but instead I got.....nothing. NOTHING. The dish had absolutely no flavor. How this restaurant sucked the flavor out of the morels I will never know. But whoever did that to them should be locked up and shipped to Staten Island.

GREG:
SHE??? Are you suggesting my male offspring will have tonal deficiencies?

Okay, whatever. I’m not going to harp on this one. Obviously the kitchen is still adapting to it’s lack of an executive chef, and we probably chose the wrong time to go there. My meal was fine, sorry you were disappointed, and I don’t have much else to add. Chalk this month up to experience and we’ll return to our regularly scheduled carnivorous gluttony in July. And since writing this blog entry seems to have been as tedious for you as the meal itself, let’s just skip right to the grades.

GREG:
Ambiance: C+
Service: C
Appetizer: B-
Main Course: B-
Wine/Drinks: B
Desserts: B-
Value: B
Bread: B-

SARA:
Ambiance: C
Service: C-
Appetizer: B
Main Course: D
Wine/Drinks: B
Desserts: B-
Value: C-
Bread: B-

LIBBY:
Ambiance: B
Service: C
Appetizer: B-
Main Course: B-
Wine/Drinks: B
Desserts: B+
Value: B-
Bread: C

LIZ:
Ambiance: B(would have been nicer if more people were actually eating there)
Service: C
Appetizer: B (the ravioli was the best thing I ate all night but it was nothing special - looking back I should have eaten more of it rather than pass it around because it was definitely a million times better than my entree)
Main Course: D- (bland baby food - the "green" mash that was supposed to be some sort of sweet pea foam can be found under the dictionary.com definition for "nasty")
Wine/Drinks:B/B+
Desserts:B
Value:C
Bread:B

Uptown Joint

DOVETAIL


GREG:
Morning Sara. Let's chat about Dovetail, shall we?

May was Liz's month to pick a place, and for the first time in the
illustrious history of Supper Club, someone chose...the Upper West Side. I'm going to pause now so our readers can gasp. (5...4...3...2...1...and
breathe.)

I'd never heard of Dovetail, and for good reason, being that they just opened up this past December 31st. The restaurant is located catty-corner to the Museum of Natural History, and what goes better with Stegosaurus bones than lamb's tongue muffaletta and beef check lasagna? Not much, I tell ya.
Not much.

SARA:
My sister had been to Dovetail, and while Liz was thinking of places to go I threw in her recommendation. (shout out to Ms. K!)

Truth be told, I had no idea what a dovetail actually was (besides the obvious posterior plumage of the bird of peace). So, before hitting up the Upper West, I googled the word. Wikipedia gave me a long explanation based around carpentry and wood joints. Thus, I expected to enter into a world of wooden tiers. Instead, after climbing a few short stairs, I felt like I had accidentally walked into someone's townhouse. The brick walls showed obvious remains of old fireplaces, probably as aged (and eclectic) as the clientele. Greg noticed that the table next to us were definitely museum curators in all of their stereotypical glory.

We started out with our normal round of cocktails, and I took a chance with a carrot juice concoction. It was light and refreshing. The corn bread was simply amazing. It was warm and sweet and we all couldn't pass up seconds.

GREG:
Don't you remember the Beatles lyrics "trying to make a dovetail joint" from Glass Onion? Come on, Sara!

Amuse Bouche - we got two each. The first was a radish lollipop dipped in some sort of shaved cheese. I kind of wish the radish had been chilled, because it would have made a very refreshing snack, but it was pretty good nonetheless. I got stuck with the smallest one, which was too bad, because Libby didn't really like hers. I think in general I should always get the largest whatever, cuz I'm the dude! It takes more to fill me up! The other portion was a spoonful of fish roe with a crème fraiche. It's nice to have this fresh and not three days old sitting on a stale piece of sushi...the little eggs exploded with juicy goodness in the mouth, a little tart and tangy but still relatively mild. And while these alone aren't a reason to recommend the restaurant, they definitely set the tone for some adventurous dining to come.

SARA:
I never really knew what the Beatles were saying in that song...I just figured it was drug related.

You should have taken my big radish. I wasn't a fan of it...not because of the preparation, but because I don't like the veggie. As a child, it always bothered me that the Fraggles' favorite food was radishes (and doozer buildings). How could something so awesome like something so disgusting? The salmon roe was fantastic however.

The wait service was very quick and attentive. I'd turn away for a second and my wine glass would be refilled, or my silverware would be magically changed. Though they were quick, I never felt rushed.

On recommendation from our waiter I ordered the chopped liver for an appetizer. I am a huge fan of innards so this hit the spot. I usually opt for seared foie, but the spreadable kind they served me was some of the best I've ever had (not too salty or sour). To compliment the goose, a duck mousse with a quail egg and fig compote evened out the meal. All components worked perfectly apart or together.

Liz kept going back and forth between the sweetbreads and the scallops. She choose the sweetbreads, which were delightfully crisp and tasty.

GREG:
I went with the appetizer that to me had the oddest description: lamb’s tongue muffalatta. It was a fried piece of lamb’s tongue with an olive and caper “roll” that was probably meant to elicit thoughts of a New Orlean's style muffaletta, but with a shmancy culinary twist. I think overall it was everyone’s least favorite starter, and had I known it was fried, I may have gone in a different direction. But I did like how lamb’s tongue had a cold-cutty taste without seeming like deli food, and the muffalatta portion (too small!) offered a nice counterpart in flavor and texture.

Libby went with the Crab Ravioli with chorizo and snowpeas to start, and the dish was as awesome as it’s description. That easily could have been a main course...fresh crab, savory sausage, and some greens for crunch. WORD.

SARA:
Word? HA!

After licking the plate my appetizer came on, I didn't wait long until my roasted sirloin and beef cheek lasagna arrived. I like my meat still mooing, and the enormous hunk of meat was perfectly cooked, medium rare (on the more rare side). Though it didn't stand up to Perry's Street's meat, it was still very tender, veinless, and tasty, and I scooped it up with the basil, king trumpet mushroom, and light buttery sauce. Honestly, I ordered the dish more for the beef cheek lasagna (which I heard rave reviews about). It was pretty good, however, it was a tad bit over salted. The first few bites were terrific, but I had to grab my water after eating more than that. I should stick to eating Italian food at Italian restaurants.

Liz had my favorite dish of the night (though she found the morels too strong). She ordered the confit of halibut with morels, peas, and onions. I ADORE morels, and luckily Liz was happy to give me a bunch of them.

GREG:
I wish you wouldn’t use “veinless” as an adjective, especially in praise. Ick. (I briefly considered going with the “you have no morels” joke here.)

I chose the Poached Lobster served with a dill sauce. Perfect summer meal, though it might have been even more perfect served cold. No matter though...each bite of lobster melted in my mouth, juicy and fresh, just the right zip of dill, and not too filling. I got the feeling that, once again, I had the least popular plate on the table, but to heck with y’all. I loved it and wanted to ask for seconds.
Libby had the Buffalo, cut like a filet and served with sunchokes and ginger bernaise. To me, this was the crowning achievement of the meal. The buffalo was cooked to absolute perfection and the meat absorbed the ginger in such a way that every bite was a medley of flavor. How’s that for foodie talk! She’s lucky I didn’t steal the whole thing off her plate when she wasn’t looking. Its fair to say we were all in love with our entrees, because I don’t remember there being a word spoken for a good ten minutes while we dug in.

SARA:
VEIN VEIN VEIN!

Libby's dish was very good, I like ginger, I'm not a HUGE fan of it (unless its in the shape of a little man and has red-hots for buttons), and I felt that it had too much presence in the dish. Liz's dish was by far my favorite, and I would probably order it the next time I'm there.

The dessert was one of my favorites (Peasant's bread pudding still tops the chart). We ordered a peanut butter tart with pretzels and beer ice cream. This dish was perfect. It mixed the salty and sweet aspects supremely well. The beer ice cream wasn't bitter and came without a hangover.

The other dish we ordered for dessert was satisfying, but forgettable. We're on a bread pudding kick, so we ordered it with bananas, bacon brittle, and rum vanilla ice cream. Honestly, it was good, but it sounds better than it actually was. I for one, ate around the bananas (I might be the only person on earth who can't stand the things).

Liz, Libby and I also wrongly ordered an Australian muscat that was overly sweet and kinda nasty-ass. Thankfully they gave us little macaroons to get rid of the taste, and nifty little boxes of peanut butter granola to take home (which I happily found on the bottom of the purse the next day!)

Overall, I would return to Dovetail. The service was prompt, the food was delicious, but the price tag was a bit hefty.

After my meal, I headed back to the internet (this time to dictionary.com), and discovered that the website's definition of "dovetail" is as follows:

dove·tail
4. to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously.

Metaphorically speaking, the name fits.

FINAL GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: B
Service: A-
Appetizer: B+
Main Course: B+
Wine/Drinks: B
Desserts: B
Value: B
Bread: A-

SARA:
Ambiance: B
Service: A-
Appetizer: A
Main Course: B+
Wine/Drinks: B+
Desserts: A-
Value: B-
Bread: A

LIBBY:

Ambiance: B
Service: A
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A
Wine/Drinks: A
Desserts: A-
Value: A-
Bread:B+

LIZ:

Ambiance: B+
Service: A
Appetizer: A-/B+: The sweetbreads were like a fancy deconstructed Egg McMuffin - but they were a little heavy. Greg was my plate cleaner!

Main Course: B: The fish sounded good but it was not light at all - the morels were way too flavorful (I can still taste them). I definitely wished I had ordered Libby's entree - that buffalo was tasty.

Wine/Drinks: B+: You can't go wrong with a Ridge but the markup as usual was annoying

Desserts: B+: I always wish the desserts were bigger and Dovetail's plating was no exception. I don't need a super fancy design on my plate.....just fill it with ice cream...beer ice cream that is!

Value: B: would have been higher if I ordered different things

Bread: A+: Yummy Yummy corn bread and it was never-ending!

Perry-YAY!

PERRY STREET


SARA:
I like the way Jean George thinks. Outwardly Perry Street was funky, yet simplistic (though a bit like the AMEX waiting room in the airport). Clean solids and straight lines fill the interior of the restaurant, much like my choice in style (mostly solids with stripes or polka dots being the limit to my pattern choices). I dislike clutter, and enjoy trying to make the most out of space (the closet I rent in Chelsea). However, internally, I'm much more jumbled; a blend of normal and wacky with a bit of downright odd thrown in there. Perry Street's food is much the same. The restaurant's exterior promises traditional french with a hint of control freak, yet what arrived on our plates was amazingly inventive and eclectic. We had a minor hitch at the start of our evening, when our group was seated next to the bathroom AND the air condition ducts. I'm a wimp and was cold, so Liz asked for us to be seated somewhere else. The staff was very hospitable and though we had to wait at the bar for an additional half hour, it only gave us more time to drink a delicious and refreshing cucumber martini. The whole time, the hostesses treated with a very un-french grace.


GREG:
My first impression walking into Perry Street was “hey, nice hotel lobby.” And yeah, when they seated us out in no man’s land (don’t forget the scale model of the building for prospective condo buyers we shared a space with!), I had my concerns. But cucumber martinis have an amazing ability to make all seem well. And the staff really threw no attitude our way, even though a table change request is probably their least favorite pastime.
We sat at our NEW table where our highly caffeinated (yeah, right...) waiter told us his favorites from the menu. Since everything sounded exciting, his suggestions were very helpful, although he did kind of steer us towards the pricier selections. Perhaps he was influenced by air of sophistication we exude? That or he was jockeying for a bigger tip...
Within moments, our amuse bouche arrived: sweat pea soup with a parmesan foam. It came in a small coffee-ish cup, but I would have preferred a vat...it was AMAZING. Light and frothy, bursting with sharp flavors, flowing down my throat like a pungent hot chocolate on a wintry day. And it was SO much better than that metaphor!

SARA:
That sip of pea soup had more flavor in it than my entire meal at Extra Virgin (not a huge fan). In fact, every bite of food that passed through my mouth was shockingly flavorful, in a VERY good way. Every appetizer had very distinct flavors. I decided to go with the sauteed shrimp with fried baby artichokes and lemon fennel emulsion after our yappy waiter told me it was something unlike anything I had ever tasted. I was expecting lemon zest, but surprisingly the sauce was thick and creamy. The dish was intense, smoky yet tangy with a hint of spice. I wanted more. Liz went with the Japanese snapper sashimi with lemon, olive oil, crispy skin and little red peppers. It was fresh and light however, some bites were delightfully rich (from the high-grade olive oil). The mini red peppers also made it pleasantly spicy. Jean George definitely likes to play up his Asian/French fusion.

GREG:
Mr. Sniffles sold me on the Crab and Champagne Mango Salad with Chili Sabayon. HUH? Yes, served in a bowl, we have fresh crab meat, juicy, lightly seasoned mango slices, and a spicy, egg-based sauce. Individually, each bite was superb. Mixed together on my fork? Perfection.
Libby had the asparagus and grilled shitake vinaigrette with a crispy poached egg. If I had to pick a least favorite app, I guess that was the one, because it didn’t cause the same intense reaction in my mouth as the others. But it was still really freakin’ good, and, had we been at brunch, would have been my first choice.
At this point they also brought out our wine of the evening, a Pinot Noir from Cotes du Rhone. Not sure how well that follows a cucumber martini, but it was reasonably priced and worked for our various upcoming entrees. Besides, this was not a meal to celebrate the wine. The food was just too damn delicious.

SARA:
I'm kinda happy Perry Street is all the way on the Westside Highway, because if it were any closer to me I would probably be spending my government stimulus on eating there weekly instead of on that new Wii I just bought.
However, the amazing beef tenderloin with herbal spinach, liquid gruyere, and jalapenos was almost as stimulating as Mario Kart. Libby and I both ordered it medium rare, and it came out perfectly prepared. The liquid gruyere was added table-side, and I was amazed that the cheese never hardened, even after all the meat had been stuffed into my face. The beef was so tender you could cut it with the side of your fork. I ate a few pieces with just the cheese and spinach, until I discovered that eating the meat with the jalapenos (a food I'm not a huge fan of), added the perfect amount of flavor. The dish was harmonious until the last bite.

GREG:
Liquid Gruyere...I could bathe in that.
My entrée was the Steamed Red Snapped over Purple Potato Butter with a Charred Poblano Pepper. Aside from the brilliant alliterative qualities of this dish, I was a little nervous I ordered too conservatively. I often get fish for Supper Club since I almost never order it anywhere else, but some of the meat options sounded much more exciting. But I’m glad I stuck to my guns. The fish was light, delicately seasoned and just the right temperature, and the potato butter propped it up well with flavor and texture. But once I got some of that Poblano onto my fork with it, it was game on. The kick from the pepper added the PERFECT level of acidity to the fish, giving it a little tanginess to supplement the light fish flavor. Oh so good.
To round out the meal, Liz had the Sweet and Sour Glazed Short Ribs with Ginger Puree and Bok Choi. The meat came off the bone like it wasn’t even attached and the flavor was rich and complex (unlike our simple yet tasty wine!) I’m sure Liz will throw a comment into her grades to paint the picture further.

SARA:
I didn't think Liz's short ribs had bones in them! That hunk of meat was so tender it must have been marinating for days. Everyone's main courses were exceptional.

Then we ordered dessert.

Frank Bruni (New York Times) raved about Perry Street's chocolate pudding with crystallized lavenders and chocolate cookies that I couldn't wait to eat it. BIG disappointment. It was completely unnecessary to our meal. The pudding tasted like something I could make from a box and a cup of milk. All I needed were Nilla wafers, a spork and a nap mat and I could be back at daycare.

We ate something else for dessert, but I forget what it was. Greg?


GREG:
Oh, maybe the short ribs didn’t have bones. But then how can they be ribs?
For dessert, we also had a Rhubarb Tart, which was fine but nothing special. Then, they brought us out some “s’mores,” which were on the house. Nice touch, but they were really just Mallomars. We also ordered Muscats for you, me and Liz (Libby had coffee), but the whole dessert aspect of the meal fell flat. How do you follow a meal like that anyway?
So I’m not going to let the sub par dessert affect my overall opinion. Once we dealt with the early table annoyance, it ended up being one of my favorite dining experiences ever. And as we left the restaurant, we all agreed that we were totally satisfied without being overly full. This place simply ruled and immediately rockets to the top of my supper club list. It wasn’t painfully expensive, it was in a great location (if it were raining, however, it would be a nightmare,) and the food was out of this world. Word up to Perry Street, yo.

SARA:
Those mallomar things were gross. They were soggy little nasties.
Overall, my meal at Perry Street was incredible. The seating problem was a minor glitch, which was overshadowed by amazing food. This is definitely a place to go for a special night out, and I'll recommend it to anyone who is looking for such an evening. Each dish was inventive and flavorful. I can't wait to go back.


FINAL GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: B
Service: A-
Amuse Bouche: A+++!!!
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A-
Wine: B
Desserts: C
Value: B
BREAD: B

SARA:
Ambiance: B
Service: A
Amuse Bouche: A+
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A+
Wine: B+
Desserts: C-
Value: B
Bread: B

LIBBY:
Ambiance: B+
Service: B+
Amuse Bouche: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: A+
Wine: B+
Desserts: C+
Value: A-
Bread: B

LIZ:
Ambiance: C-: Trust me, I'm not gonna buy a loft at Perry St. so why bother sitting me in siberia next to the real estate model. I felt like I was in a Corcoran office....a freezing cold Corcoran office
Service: B
Amuse Bouche: A: I wish I had a bowl rather than a tiny cup
Appetizer: A- My sashimi was simple and flavorful with a kick but I wish I had ordered Greg's mango champagne thing - that was awesome
Main Course: A- / B-: A- for the tastiness and the large portion size - B- for how I felt later that night!
Wine: B: A little too "au natural" for my taste but of course I drank it anyway!
Desserts: D: I kept eating the chocolate thing hoping it would taste better but using a word from Padma's vocabulary it was "disgusting"
Value: B - Maybe I'll go again when the parents are in town to pay the bill
and last but not least:
BREAD: B not as tasty as the blue hill bread sticks

Roses are Red, Flashlights are Blue

BLUE HILL

GREG:
Blue Hill is a restaurant known for using locally grown ingredients on its menu. It's also literally around the corner from my apartment...local in another sense. In fact, I'd walked past Blue Hill dozens of times without noticing, since its unpretentious entrance sits down a short flight of stairs from street level under a simple blue canopy. Libby and I arrived to find you nursing a glass of champagne at their small bar in the front of the main room. The restaurant smelled strongly like flowers, a huge bouquet of fresh cuts sitting on the bar top. Pleasant, but didn't we just learn from Top Chef not to overwhelm your guests with scents not originating from the kitchen? We immediately broke into "supper club" mode by ordering two different types of Champagne and having a mini tasting. I liked the drier Spumante. I think you and Libby preferred the sweeter Cava, right? The bartender wasn't particularly attentive, but we weren't in any rush, so it wasn't the end of the world.

SARA:

Actually, I liked the Spumante too. I'm not big on sweet drinks unless they are served with dessert. I'm really happy they sat us in the back room instead of the front. The other tables that were back with us were empty by the time we finished our appetizers, making it feel like we had our own private patio. Plus, it didn't reek of gardenia, we didn't have to "watch our manners", AND they played jazz versions of Beatles songs. It was almost as if they did a case study on us before we arrived. All they were missing was guitar hero and the cast from Lost. Maybe they've heard of our blog and decided we were celebrity status? HA!
The waitress seemed almost a little nervous, perhaps she was tipped off from US Weekly. But she brought over my appetizer of sweet potato tortellini promptly and sweetly. The plate was deliciously paired with spinach and apples. It was a bit small though and I didn't want it to end.

GREG:

I also had the sweet potato tortellini, even though we’re supposed to order different things so this blog doesn’t get BORING. Oh well. We did our usual “pass-the-portion” game so I got to taste Libby’s crab cake and Liz’s fennel soup, both very fresh and flavorful. The crab cakes came with a mustard broth that I thought Libby would have since she’s anti-mustard, but it fortunately wasn’t too sharp or overwhelming. I thought the fennel soup could have been a bit more exciting, but the fact that it tasted like it had been farmed that morning made up for it.

SARA:

You're forgetting one of the best parts of the meal; the mini key-chain flashlights we got to take home. Luckily we were sitting in the back by ourselves, our neighbors would have hated us as we had mini-light wars while we waited for our entrees. I ate the berkshire pork, which was prepared perfectly. Honestly though, I could have used a little more sauce. However, scooping up the pork and eating it together with the brussels sprout leaves and pistachios added a lot of flavor. My favorite part of the dish was the lardo that came with it. A big ol' slab of pig fat and skin crisped wonderfully helped clog up my arteries. The side of beets we shared added some health to the meal, but the pureed squash packed on the calories and sweetness. It was my least favorite part of the meal because I could only eat small bites of it without feeling like I was sucking down a squash pixie stick.

GREG:

Well, you’re forgetting the second best part...the little carrots they brought us on a wooden block. I’m actually slightly allergic to carrots, so I probably shouldn’t have tried mine, but they looked so cute lined up like that, all crisp and crunchy, so I took a nibble, another nibble...another nibble. Yup...ate the whole thing. It’s the first time I’ve had a raw carrot in years, but it’s gourmet, so what’s a little asthma attack for the sake of culinary adventure? I mean, they picked it that morning!
Then I had the lamb and so did Liz. We both ordered medium rare, but for some reason, mine came out much redder than hers. I guess it was nice to have some variety between us, but hey, when we order medium rare, make it medium rare, no? And even though mine was prepared properly, I wasn’t blown away. It could have used more seasoning or something to enhance the flavors. I realize this was a more organic way to serve it, but I wasn’t jumping out of my seat.

SARA:

I definitely liked my meal more than you. The dessert was great, but still didn't measure up to the bread pudding at Peasant. The cheesecake came out in a cute little jam jar, but I didn't think it was creamy enough, and had an odd after-taste. Libby seemed to like it a lot, but I passed after a few bites. The chocolate bread pudding (bread pudding is now a prerequisite to us picking restaurants), was very tasty but still a little too sweet. I really enjoyed the apple cobbler. It came out sizzling warm, and smelled like it had been cooked over an open fire (it totally reminded me of Girl Scout camp).

GREG:

Thanks a lot, Sara. I can’t believe you’d choose a slice of pork over your dear old friend.

And hey, it was a very good meal and good dining experience. The ambiance was great, particularly the Beatles jazz, and the private room in the back made for some rowdiness as the night progressed. I liked the fact that the food was farm fresh and not overly prepared, but it didn’t blow me away, especially not after some of our recent meals. The service was very good, being that we were out of sight and could have easily been out of mind, and you can’t beat the convenience of a restaurant that’s literally 2 blocks from my apartment. We got home in time to watch Top Chef AND play some Guitar Hero. So yes, I’d recommend Blue Hill, but it’s not the first place I’d send an out of towner.

SARA:

But its PORK! (Thanks for pointing out my grammar mishaps Greg!)

I enjoyed Blue Hill, but in comparison to Applewood (another organic restaurant), it wasn't as inventive. The food needed a little more sauce, but everything tasted freshly killed/picked/plucked. Having a private room was a definite perk, as I would have been annoyed by the flower scent which was overwhelming. I really liked the ambiance (minus the flowers), it was homey and flowing, but clean with straight lines and offsetting whites (as if a west elm and pier one catalog had babies).

GRADES:

SARA:
Ambiance: A- (would have been A if no flowers)
Service: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: B+
Wine: B+
Desserts: B
Value: B

GREG:
Ambiance: A-
Service: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: B
Wine: B
Desserts: B+
Value: B+

LIZ:
Ambiance: A- (I agree about the flowers - but the back room was a nice little nook in the city and the music selections were great.)
Service: A
Appetizer: B+
Main Course: A- (my dish was very good but I thought the meat was a little cold by the time it was served - I still ate it all though! I wiped the plate clean with those yummy bread sticks.)
Wine: B (Pretty decent, but I wish they had a few more selections at reasonable prices)
Desserts: A+++ (Any restaurant that has banana ice cream on the menu automatically gets an A from me!)
Value: B+ (Yes it was pricey but we got little flash light key chains!)

LIBBY:
Ambiance: A
Service: A-
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: A-
Wine: B+
Desserts: B
Value: A-

Next up: Perry Street

Peasantly Surprised

PEASANT

SARA:
For some reason I'm usually the first to arrive at our supper club meals. However, the combination of drizzling rain and newbie taxi driver (who relied on me to get him through nolita...big mistake) had me at the restaurant a few minutes after our reservation, instead of my usual ten minutes before. I had left my umbrella at home, and had to back-track two blocks because my driver had missed Elizabeth Street. I was grumpy and damp, and my hair had already frizzed its way into a Carrot Top-esque do. I ducked into Peasant expecting the usual cramp of most downtown joints, but was surprised to find a large open space, rustic decor, earthy tones, and a large hearth wafting the smell of fresh pizza and happiness. The outside world was forgotten. The place was a mix of down-home comfort and sophisticated attitude; the stuff that makes up a great "go-to" restaurant.

GREG:
This sounds like the opening scene to a Sex in the City, rather than an intro to our Supper Club recap. And no, Sex in the City the Movie is not advertising on our blog...yet.
My pops actually recommended Peasant to me, and since none of my choices so far have been big hits (Extra Virgin, Chinatown Brasserie,) I was anxious to finally get a pat on the back over my selection. Not to jump right to a summary, but mission accomplished. The place looked and smelled great, and the clientele didn’t seem overly obnoxious like they often do in that part of town.
They sat us almost immediately and we ordered up four glasses of Prosecco (no wine pairings this month!) Then came the menus. Ah, the menus...they might as well have brought us four copies of The Brothers Karamazov in Russian. I couldn’t understand a SINGLE word. Was it in Italian? Was it from some archaic culinary dictionary? Was I holding my menu upside down? No clue. So the waitress had to explain every single item on the menu, top to bottom. I know, it’s what they do there, but it was a lot to digest (awful pun intended) and by the time she was explaining the segundi, I had completely forgotten the primeri. Good thing there were four of us paying attention.

SARA:
Sex and the City? What can I say...I'm a chick...
Anyway, while our waitress was translating every dish on the menu, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have to what she was saying. Instead I was amazed that the girl had to plow through the list for every table. The only word I knew was capretto = baby goat (only because my sister's friend's last name is this). Nevertheless, the waitress remained sweet and attentive, not bitter that we kept asking what anatra, cannolichi, or Pavarotti was. I thought back to when I was a tour guide at Disney. I had to give the same spiel everyday. By the end of the summer I was making stuff up, speaking in fake accents, and referencing inappropriate things. If I were this waitress I would most likely tell everyone they were ordering monkey's brains and snake surprise.

After snacking on delicious bread with ricotta spread, I decided to order the beet salad with gorgonzola. The beets were very fresh, and the gorgonzola was ripe, potent, but not overpowering. Liz had the mozzarella and tomato (the tomatoes were roasted). I kept sneaking bites.

GREG:
We really ought to devote more time to the bread at these restaurants. It’s the one constant from place to place, and I actually think it does set the tone for the rest of the meal. Sure, it’s just bread. But that’s why good bread stands out, especially with interesting butters/oils/chutneys. So yes, delicious bread.
My starter was the Beef Carpaccio with Artichokes and Ricotta. I thought the Carpaccio could have been spicier, but the artichokes were fresh, as was the ricotta, so overall I enjoyed the dish. Libby had Pears and Prosciutto, which I LOVED, the salty and sweet working perfectly together.

SARA:
Amazingly, by time our main courses were served, we were actually sober enough to taste them! We stuck to one bottle of yummy italian red (not including the glass of prosecco to start and the glass of moscato to end). However, I wish I was a little more buzzed so that I wouldn't have been a bit grossed out by my cornish hen's feet, which were hanging out on my plate in their full and scaly glory. The hen was juicy and the skin was delightfully crispy. I'm one of those nasty people who think the skin is the best part of the poultry. The stuffing inside the bird was a bit salty, so I pushed it away and ate the other side, some delightful polenta, which went great scooped on top of the meat.


GREG:
We should clarify something here. They weren’t looking to freak you out with the full hen. This place specializes in simple dishes, and part of that simplicity is serving food without much fanfare. I ordered a whole bass, and my concern was that it was TOO simple. Just a bass over some rosemary. And yes, it came out as a whole fish (as advertised), eyes and tail and the works. Fortunately, the waitress took care of filleting the fish for me, being that I was way to skittish for the task. And the fish was DELISH! The meat was full of the rosemary flavor, perfectly cooked through, with a nice crispy skin for a little crunch. Simple. Elegant. Fantastic.


SARA:
Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying I was overwhelmed or dissuaded from eating the hen. I ate the hen and it was delicious. I'll usually eat anything...a crockpot of sweetbreads and other innards, whole frogs, gator on a stick, tripe and haggis, jellied pig's feet, a year-old pickled egg in a dusty jar sitting in a bar on Avenue C (I won $100 for eating that!) I adore bone marrow, liver, tongue, even slim jims! I know that some people like feet (Andrew Zimmerman), but maybe it came from growing up with pet parakeets and having their little feet wrapped around my finger that turned me off.

Before reading on, please be aware that I really did like the food and atmosphere of Peasant. HOWEVER, as a rebuttal ....Peasant was so intentionally "simple" that it became fashionable (much like wearing all black). In haute cuisine there is a turn toward organic prep, straight lines, and simple sauces. Regional and straightforward is the new trend..the new "fad", even battling Wylie's gastric chemistry, or Anita Lo's fusion. Therefore, I DO think the feet were fanfare-ish (not trying to freak out people, but VERY intentionally trying to make a point), as was writing the entire menu in Italian or naming the place Peasant..further slapping us in the face with its "authenticity" of regional fare. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but its simplicity does give it "show".

GREG:
Here you go again with references I have NO knowledge of. Is Andrew Zimmerman related to Bob Dylan?
Anyway, Libby had the Venison, cooked medium rare, w/ red cabbage and pancetta (thank you notes!), and Liz had gnocchi with rabbit ragu. Jeez, it’s like we were eating the entire cast of a Disney movie. But they both seemed quite happy with their meals, since most of the table conversation revolved around how tasty everything was. Personally, I thought the gnocchi was good but nothing special, but the venison was wonderful. Libby was only willing to give me a tiny piece to taste.

Have you noticed we have a little system going now? The moment the food comes out, we all start preparing bite size samples to pass around the table. It must look pretty odd to the rest of the patrons, not because we’re sharing, but because of the efficiency with which we distribute the portions. I almost feel like we should turn around and say “don’t worry...we’re bloggers.” Would that be weird?

SARA:
Andrew Zimmerman...Bizarre Foods! I watch too much of the Food and Travel Channels.
We did manage to wipe out many of the woodland critters in our feast! Maybe I was trying to hone my Disney Princess past (in a perverse, "Sleeping Beauty dances with, then eats her pals" sort of way.) I enjoyed my taste of all the main courses, however, my favorite part of the meal was the dessert. I'm not usually a dessert freak, but the bread pudding with white chocolate ice cream was INSANELY good. Next
time I go to Peasant, I'm getting my own! Our free panna cotta (a mistake of the waitress) was also very tasty, though I'm not a huge fan of puddings, flans, and other foods that jiggle (except for my mom's striped jello salad). I would have liked the cooked apples if they weren't paired with hazelnut ice cream. I like apples, and I like hazelnut ice cream, but they didn't click together.

GREG:
Overall, Peasant goes down as one of my Supper Club faves . I hope I haven't
said that about every place, but the food, the ambience, and the cool
location all made for a superb dining experience. Plus, I wasn't too drunk
to remember what we ate. We're learning!
Peasant is the kind of place I can't wait to show off to out of town guests.
Sure, the cryptic menu and the excess anatomy give the restaurant an air of
pretension, but I didn't think the place felt obnoxious at all. The service
was fast, the food was mouth wateringly good, and the Lower East side is
STILL hip, damn it. They may call it Peasant, but that was a kingly meal.


SARA:
This is definitely Greg's best restaurant pick (he had to redeem himself after Chinatown Brasserie). I loved the comfort factor of the ambiance, and its fantastic wood burning oven smell. The crowd got a little "fancy" towards the end, but definitely not anything that was too obnoxious to handle (aka Le Bilbo-trash). I feel bad for the waiters and am still amazed they can keep a smile throughout service
after rehashing the menu over and over. The food was fresh and delicious. Overall, I think Peasant is a place you could introduce anyone to; your rich Uncle with a primed palate or your cautious cousin whose staple is Friendly's will both enjoy their meals and be treated exactly the same.

FINAL GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: A-
Service: B+
Appetizer: B-
Main Course: A
Wine: B
Desserts: A-
Value: A-


SARA:
Ambiance: A
Service: A-
Appetizer: B+
Main Course: B+
Wine: B
Desserts: A (bread pudding), B (panna cotta) C- (apples)
Value: B


LIZ:
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: B+
Wine: ? Wine with dinner I don't remember - the dessert wine was top
notch though - A
Desserts: A+ (bread pudding), n/a (panna cotta - I passed and instead
ate all the bread pudding) C- (apples - yucky ice cream)
Value: B+


LIBBY:
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A-
Wine: B+
Desserts: B
Value: A-

Del Drunko

DEL POSTO


GREG:
Okay, here goes.

Given that I live upstairs from Otto Enoteca, I’ve become something of a Mario Batali groupie. So when Liz chose Del Posto as our January supper club offering, my heart leapt. Then I recalled our paycheck-for-an-appetizer experience the month before at Le Bernadin, and my heart sunk...here we go again with an overpriced restaurant none of us could really afford.
Fear not, said Liz! We’re eating in the Enoteca section of Del Posto. It’s cheaper! Basically, it was a pared down version of the menu, but you wouldn’t have noticed and/or minded. Plenty of options, plenty of wines (we’ll get to that...), and plenty of good eats ahead. And one thing always guaranteed at a Batali joint...There Will Be Pork.

SARA:
There will also be drunkenness. Since we started off the evening with a pre-dinner beverage at my apartment (its freakin' sweet that I live down the street from the place), I was already buzzing with anticipation...and inebriation.
The restaurant was enormous! The first thing I thought, being the socialite that I am, was that once I win big in scratch-off lottery tickets I was going to have a massive party in the ginormous wine cellar/basement. And just like you Greg...I was a little wary of the bill. It was a fancy-smancy, "PBS-host" looking place. However, when the waiter sat us down and started telling us stories of drunken ski parties, I knew we weren't in Michelin land anymore.

GREG:
Well, we were in the day care corner of Michelin land. And about that drunkenness...that’s twice now that I could barely see my plate by the end of the meal. No more wine pairings for a while!
On to the tastiness. Liz and I couldn’t decide between the Octopus and the Squid (isn’t that the name of some terrible art-house flick?) so we got both. Calamari: amazing. I was nervous it was a wasted pick, since every damn restaurant serves it, but there’s a big difference between gourmet Calamari, where it’s cooked to the perfect tenderness and the crust is crispy throughout, and diner calamari which is soggy and bland. The octopus was superb as well, except the jalapenos they prepared it with overwhelmed the flavor and forced me to drink even MORE to calm the burning.

SARA:
I loved my octopus antipasti, but I was hugely jealous of the calamari after tasting it. Libby's cabbage salad was also very tasty, though I thought the speck was mildly over salted. I agree with your jalapeno comment. The tentacles were a little too spicy. In fact, I kept quenching the burn with wine throughout the primi . The two pasta dishes we had, were for me, a hit and a miss. The pappardelle was drowned in red pepper, and some bites were almost unbearably spicy. (More wine!). However, the garganelli with bolognese sauce was incredible. The sauce brought back fond memories of the sweet, savory, and succulent gnocchi bolognese I had at Lupa. The garganelli was perfectly thin and tender. I could have made an entire meal out of this dish.

GREG:
I have to second that emotion. The bolognese was AWESOME. Hit of the meal.
So where were we? More wine? More snow-boarding stories from the waiter? Oh, wait, it’s obvious. PORK. No trip to Mario’s would be complete without the other white meat, and to solidify that point, Libby and I both order the pork wrapped in pork. Okay, actually, it was pork wrapped in proscuitto (aka Pork Saltimbocca). Even though I was having trouble digesting at this point, I didn’t want that savory goodness to end. And the leftovers tasted great the next night. Seriously, what was God thinking in outlawing pork for Jews? Would they amend the Torah if 2/3 of all Jews voted for pork? Do I make too many Jew references?

SARA:
You make FAR more Jewish references than I make Slovakian references. But then again, we "hunkies" will eat anything we can get our hands on and boil or pickle. Plus, only the rich folk had pigs, my ancestors ate cabbage (boiled or pickled). Maybe my humble heritage lead me to order the Beef Brasato. It is technically the rump roast (not the leanest piece of meat on the block), braised in hearty Italian wine. Ironically, (and misplaced geographically) it tasted like the salty, tenderized beef stew my grandma used to make. It was very tasty and appealed to me for its homestyle attitude. However, at the same time, I was a little unsettled that I paid a good deal of cash, for the butt (but VERY well braised and therefore tenderized) side of the cow dipped in tannins. It was good, but it didn't compare to Grandma Hritz's Sunday special over egg noodles.

GREG:
Hritz? Is that a Pittsburgh thing?
Honestly, Sara, you'll have to write about dessert. All I remember at this point is trying desperately to not kick over the candles lining the staircase to the restrooms. I think the snowboard waiter dude ruffied my 4th pairing.

SARA:
Its Eastern Europeon...I think there are some Hritz's based around other US coal-mining towns.
As for dessert....Potrebujem pomoc!! (I need help) We ALWAYS get to this point and tend to trail off. We ate some yummy gelato..I think..and some sorbet. There was some chocolate thing thrown in there too. And there was wine...more wine. You would think we had learned our lesson! I plan on remembering all the courses at our next restaurant (Peasant).

As for Del Posto, I loved some things, and disliked others. I didn't find any of my wine pairings to be given with much consideration (though there isn't a sommelier, so the stoned snowboarder did the best he could). The ambiance is decorative and fun, but not warm or homey. The pastas are hits or misses (as are the entrees). Overall, Del Posto is a place to try if you're in the neighborhood, or planning a big event (get the gargenelli!). However, I'd rather wait the two hours to eat at Lupa. Ucet, prosim! (The bill please!)

GREG:
Gesundheit.

I definitely liked D.P. more than you did. I liked the relaxed vibe, I liked the western location, I liked the cavernous interior, I liked the reasonable menu. And the flavors were nothing but memorable. I'd be curious to try some of the things we missed--SOBER next time--and I'm sure there are some pastas that would blow our collective minds. The waiters were your typical up and coming food scholars who love to make their budding expertise known, but I enjoy that.
But no fair comparing it to Lupa.


FINAL GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: B+
Service: B
Appetizer: B+
Pasta: A-
Main Course: B
Wine: B quality, A+ quantity (not that that's a good thing)
Desserts: C+
Value: B+

SARA:
Ambiance: B
Service: B
Appetizer: A-
Pasta: C- for Spicy one, A+ for the bolognese
Main Course: B
Wine: B-
Desserts: Ummmm. B?
Value: B-

LIBBY:
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Appetizer: A
Pasta: A
Main Course: A
Wine: B
Desserts: B
Value: A

LIZ:
Ambiance: B
Service: B+ the guys were nice but they seemed to hate each other
Appetizer: A- my calamari was pretty tasty and not too oily or fishy
Pasta: C- for that freakishly jalapeno one - A for the bolognese (I
wish there was more) A- for the one bite of the gnocci
Main Course: I honestly don't remember what I had - B? (only because it
was forgettable)
Wine: uhm? B+/A- - again I don't really remember. I did like though
how they poured different types for each person. Oh yeah I think my
main course was a fish because I had a nice white wine.
Desserts: A- - that cinnamon gelato was awesome!
Value: B - The pasta courses were a bit small and even though it was a
decent cost for a prix-fix it did add up



UP NEXT: Peasant!