Rino's Place, Boston MA

For my very last 3/4 day in Boston my agenda finally had nothing to do with the conference but rather with seeing the New England Aquarium – the last remaining “Top 10” aquarium left on my United States list – and visiting some of Boston’s more touristy, famous, and well-known spots. With an early run and morning visit to Mike’s Pastry already completed by 6am and 8am respectively my arrival at the Aquarium would precede the opening of the doors and with small children and tour busses arriving only after I’d been there for more than two hours (seriously, the little blue penguin exhibit and central tank alone justify the cost of admission) the visit was one of the best in recent memory…and at this point the day had only just begun.



With logistics conveniently planned and with Droid-based Googlemaps in hand a quick walk from the aquarium to the Blue Line toward Wonderland would lead me to East Boston, a place some had told me to avoid, but a place that nonetheless contained a restaurant I didn’t feel I could afford to miss – a restaurant featuring Zagat food ratings on par with O-Ya at a bill less than 1/8 the price and a restaurant that was often known to sport 2+ hour lines at dinner despite its location – Rino’s Place.



With the Blue Line surprisingly efficient compared to the Green or the Silver and maps thankfully accurate my departure from the aquarium at 10:30 and a quick walk would have me at the doors of the 25 year old family owned red sauce joint just moments after the doors opened and aside from a small sign outdoors and a large poster of Guy Fieri within the “Place” was about as unassuming as it gets. Watching Food Network and similar programs rarely (if ever) and having never seen Fieri’s show that made Rino’s the phenom it has become I surprisingly entered the small ~50 seat space with only one other couple already present and after being encouraged to sit wherever I like I was presented with the menu, wine list, and a glass of water by my server – a tall bald fellow who knew everyone (and was likewise known by everyone) who entered the restaurant that afternoon except for myself.



Asked if this was my first visit I affirmed the suspicions to which I was bid “Welcome – the specials menu is gonna take a bit, but if you need anything just give me a holler – bread will be up in a minute” and with that I sat and relaxed at my white tableclothed table sipping my water and listening to the kitchen while the specials menu was hand-written in great detail. With windows to my left and a large mural to my right it would be a good twenty minutes before the menu was completed and in the interim I placed an order for an appetizer while the restaurant slowly filled to capacity.



With tip-top service throughout the afternoon and water that never reached less than half empty the specials menu took a bit of time to navigate but once my full order was placed it would be mere seconds before the meal would begin – first with a simple house salad topped with zippy house made Italian vinaigrette (the alternative option being an enormous helping of rigatoni with red sauce that could have easily served two, as was ordered by my neighbors who opted against waiting on the specials menu and had their full meal in front of them before the hand written menu was complete.)



With the salad relatively straight forward and now knowing the rumor of Rino’s portion sizes to be true I slowly ate some greens while reading The Globe’s sports page when a warm basket of sliced house made Italian Bread arrived along with packets of butter. Asked if I’d like “some gravy for dipping” I declined (once again, worried about portion sizes as I’d ordered three different dishes) and with a pat of Land O’ Lakes Whipped Butter as the alternative condiment I will note that although slightly sweet with an ample crunch this is the sort of bread that is made for dipping – not that it was bad, but more that it was a sort of dense carbohydrate sponge that would prove useful as subsequent plates arrived.



Ordering half portions in order to maximize tasting while saving stomach capacity, my first dish to arrive would be a $6 plate of gnocchi described as “homemade potato dumplings sauteed in a fresh plum tomato sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella and baked.” With the dumplings clearly handmade and so light they seemed ready to float off the plate and the blend of slightly sweet yet subtly spiced tomato sauce and creamy cheese providing just the right amount of flavor this “half” portion was easily two-fold the size of an average plate of restaurant gnocchi and served piping hot without suffering from the sogginess that maligns lesser preparations it was substantially better than most, as well.



With the gnocchi plate mopped clean with a slice of bread my next course would arrive with bread of its own and a flavor profile somewhat similar to the gnocchi, but a lot more spice. Titled simply “Tripe” and described minimally as slowly simmered in Fresh Plum Tomato Sauce served with Toast Points I was told that this was one of the “chef’s favorites” and at $6.50 for what was easily half a stomach it again proved vastly better than its price would dictate. Savory, light, rustic, and flecked with spicy notes of black pepper plus pecorino, garlic, and notes of cumin and paprika this was tripe done right and thankfully light despite the significant portion size.




Realizing at this point that three half-portions was enough that dessert probably was not in the cards and unable to resist wiping up the tripe sauce with the crunchy garlic bread my final course arrived steaming hot from the salamander oven and as good as the first two courses was it proved to be the best of the night – and amongst the best rustic Italian dishes my Midwestern palate has ever encountered. Described simply as “Layered Eggplant” and ordered largely on the word of my server who called it his favorite “non-meat” dish on the menu this half-eggplant arrived in three thick rounds pan seared to a supple consistency supported by a fried panko crust and sandwiched around whole roasted tomatoes, layers of fresh mozzarella “from a store just down the street,” and topped with a thick garlicky basil pesto sauce. To say the least it was delicious, to say more would just be hyperbole – if it is on the menu it is a MUST order and at $6 I have no idea how they’re making money on this dish.


Nearly bursting at the mere suggestion of dessert (especially with an early dinner planned before hopping on a plane back to Ohio) my server asked me if there was anything else I’d like and with the restaurant now full with a couple of parties waiting I thanked him and said no, just the check. Full and happy the bill did not hurt my mood with a total of $24 after a nearly 25% tip and thanked as though he didn’t expect such generosity I made my way to the street and back to the Blue line where I managed to avoid falling asleep en route back to Boston knowing that a walk around the Freedom Trail remained on my agenda. Thankful for the weather and even moreso that I’d made the decision to travel over to East Boston for lunch I can wholeheartedly recommend Rino’s Place and given the quality to price ratio I can even say that it might be worth the hour-long waits.

Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston MA

…on Saturday the Boston Bruins by way of the Boston Red Sox unknowingly threw a big monkey wrench into my well planned trip to Boston. Having visited many of the most storied stadiums in baseball and the most fabled arenas in hockey I knew that the Garden would have to wait until another trip – tickets for game three were topping a thousand dollars and while I know it would have been a great experience I’d only spend that much if it were my Kings in the finals. With that noted, a trip to Fenway seemed like a must for my trip to Boston and with the Sox in town playing the A’s in a 7:05pm start and the last lecture of interest scheduled to end at 5:00pm I knew a quick trip on the Greenline would afford me a pre-game bite at Island Creek Oyster Bar and provided the game didn’t go too long (or if I left early) I could make it back to O-Ya for a late seating. With stubhub supplying the ticket and reservations made my plan seemed perfect…but you know what they say about best laid plans.

With the lecture proving less dynamic than hoped and myself departing early to hop the silverline to the greenline (breaking down only once on this trip) I found myself at Island Creek just after 4:40 and although my reservation was for 5:30 I was greeted pleasantly by the hostess in the bustling bar and within moments was led through the expansive room (easily eight fold the size of Neptine) to a great two top next to the banquet in the main dining room. Still early in the dinner hour there were perhaps three tables full when I arrived though the banquet would quickly contain a group of ten celebrating some sort of business financial success (platters of seafood, plenty of champagne, and clinking glasses abound) and the restaurant would slowly fill to 2/3 capacity by the time I departed fifty minutes later (the rush my decision.) With a wall of oyster shells to my left, the loud bar to my distant right, and plenty of leather, wood, and steel the place felt even more upscale casual than Neptune and the clientele mirrored that with most in buttoned shirts and some in ties and sports jackets.

Greeted by my waitress, a bubbly young woman with a great smile named Jillian, and deferring the cocktail list while she filled my water the daily menu (literally, printed daily, and stamped with the date) was presented and suggestions made regarding what was freshest on the raw bar. Left to decide with the note “I’ll go get you some bread” my decision process was relatively straight forward as I the two items most raved were on the standard daily menu – though I must admit the daily Johnny Cake dish and the lobster with uni stuffing sounded delectable. With my order in mind it was at this point that I became aware of something, however – the folks at the bar were cheering loudly as the Red Sox had apparently just gone up by four in the game…the game I was supposed to be going to in about two hours…the game that had (unbeknownst to me) been rescheduled to a 1:05pm start due to the Bruins.

With Jillian returning to the table with bread as promised and confirming that the game had indeed been rescheduled I explained my predicament to which she was sympathetic stating she’d understand if I wanted to run and see if I could at least use my ticket to get in and see the stadium, but with the game now in the 8th inning I decided to call it a loss and stay; I could always do one of the Fenway tours the following day. A bit disheartened my order was placed and with that Jillian promised to bring “milk and cookies – on the house” as a consolation prize and left me with bread – a basket of pillowy Honey whole wheat paired with salted almond honey butter that was nearly the flavor of sweetened peanut butter and just as creamy – the best table bread of the trip even compared to the impressive pretzel roll at L’Espalier.

With the kitchen upstairs and orders starting to appear for other tables in the restaurant I sat and listened to the light overhead music while checking for missed e-mails about the game’s time change on my phone but my browse was interrupted in less than ten minutes when Jillian returned with my appetizer course of Local Clam Chowder with Hand Dug Clams, Buttermilk Biscuit, and House Cured Bacon. Served piping hot and of medium thickness this creamy potage was everything Neptune’s was not – briny yet balanced, smoky yet subtle, and absolutely chock full of clams and less-so with potatoes. Decorated with three buttery ping-pong ball sized biscuits as opposed to generic oyster crackers this was a soup worthy of its $10 price tag and I was glad to have bread with which to soak up every bit of it.

With the soup sopped it was at this point that the bar groaned – according to my phone the Sox had miraculously managed to give up four in the top of the 9th and the game was headed to the bottom of the ninth and for the first time I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe there was a chance I might luck out and as good fortune would have it my main course arrived just as the game headed to extra innings. Having heard great things about ICOB’s Lobster Roe Noodles but somewhat skeptical given my cynicism for beef I’d decided to take the chance for two reasons – one was that my dining partners the day prior didn’t even remember short rib being included in the dish and the second was that both Jillian and one of the guys at the table across the way stated “you can barely taste it” and although they were wrong in that regard as I certainly coul taste it, the piled high plate was very impressive.

Titled officially as “Lobster Roe Noodles with Grilled Lobster, Braised Short Rib, Pecorino, Chanterelle Mushrooms” and featuring each ingredient in plethora plus sweet green peas the star of this dish was most certainly the house made noodles – briny and smooth, perfectly al dente and the very flavor of lobster roe – yet at the same time, the flavorful amalgam topping the noodles was not far behind in the flavor department with notes of sweet, savory, ocean, and earth all competing equally for palate space. With the lobster snappy, the short rib melting in the mouth, and the sauce somewhere between butter and smoky pan jus there was really nothing left to be desired and although pricey at $27 this was the sort of dish that could have easily served two as a lighter meal.

With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and the game still tied Jillian arrived at my table to collect my empty plate and asked if I was still interested in dessert – a difficult call as everything had been so excellent, but an option on which I deferred first of all because of the game, but also for the sake of my 9:00pm reservation at O-Ya. With the bill settled and a hefty tip left for the great service I made my way to the street and part jogging headed for the stadium where I would not only get in but would also watch one inning from the 6th row behind home plate and the next two from the top of the Green Monster until JD Drew ended it with a single to score Crawford in the bottom of the 14th…the crowd went crazy, I later went to O-Ya for one of my best stateside meals in recent memory, and if I ever come back to Boston I’ll most certainly return to Island Creek Oyster Bar.

Union Square Cafe, New York NY

If I had to make a list of what I love about New York it would include a number of things; the people, the art, the food, the overall “feel” of the city itself– those to start, plus the Union Squre Hospitality Group – a team that had provided me seven meals at six different locations in the past five visits over the course of four years. Rarely one to dine at the same place twice and generally not a fan of “restaurant groups” one might wonder what it is that USHG does that keeps me coming back over and over again and to that I will say it isn’t only what they do now, but what they did on my very first visit – they made me feel like they care and despite the many changes in my life over the past four years they continue to do so now. Taking that into consideration along with the city, the food, and my friends (plus a little bit of art as it turns out) it really only made sense to end my last trip to The Big Apple at Union Square Café, Danny Meyer’s very first restaurant.

Having admittedly dined very well during each of my visits to New York it actually seemed somewhat strange to me that I’d really never considered USC on my previous visits but as is the case with much of Gotham there always seemed to be something bigger, better, flashier, or newer – especially considering the relatively downscale “Italian-esque” (my words, not theirs) menu when compared to places like The Modern, EMP, or Gramercy Tavern. Always the bridesmaid despite the fact that the spot has essentially redefined New York dining since 1985 while remaining #1 on Zagat’s list of most popular restaurants in the city for the better part of ten years I will admit here that USC almost didn’t even make the cut for this trip either, but with a late change to the ABC Kitchen menu and some time restrictions due to my flight plus ready, willing, and able co-diners the stars finally aligned.

With reservations set for the middle of the lunch hour – a table for three in the main dining room – my arrival at Union Square Café would be perfectly in step with my friends despite the gloomy weather and exchanging pleasantries now for the fourth straight day our coats were checked and we were led through the loud bar area to a quiet and cozy table in the middle of the 3/4 dining room right away. Greeted promptly on seating by our server, a friendly middle-aged man who would keep beverages and bread basket full throughout the afternoon the menu was presented and we were left to our conversations and decisions.

With wooden chairs and white tableclothed tables atop the hardwood floors and light pastels adorning the walls the feel of Union Square Café was decidedly upscale – something like Café Boulud but not quite as tightly spaced – and with a large menu our decision process became one of capacity more so than what sounded best, a decision process helped along by not only our server but General Manager Sam Lipp, an absolutely wonderful host well known to my friends from his long tenure with the Union Square Hospitality Group.

With decisions finally made, essentially two appetizers to be shared as appetizers, two appetizers to serve as my main, and an entrée for each of my friends the first item to arrive from the kitchen was the bread basket and a sizable bowl of olives along with butter topped in celery salt. Having always been impressed by the USHG bread selections this offering would again prove quite good with a tasty Fennel-Seed flatbread and crusty whole wheat holding up their end while the baguette was somewhat flavorless and soft. In addition to the bread the olives were a nice touch while the butter was smooth, grassy, and slightly sweet.

Nibbling on bread while chatting amongst ourselves and again with Mr. Lipp who stopped by with Michael’s wine our first plates to arrive were a pair of dissimilar bedfellows – the first titled “Chinese 5 Spice Fried Duck Meatballs - French Fried Confit, Snow Pea-Cabbage Slaw” and featuring five succulent golf ball sized rounds of tender duck confit blended with ample notes of cinnamon and anise and fried to perfection. Paired with a mild slaw and topped with sweetened fermented soy sauce, soy seeds, and carrot vinaigrette the plate could have stood to be a little warmer in my opinion, but for a restaurant leaning toward Italy their take on Eastern flavors was quite good.

For the second shared appetizer of the afternoon we opted to go with the house specialty as recommended by our server and arriving with more than a dozen creamy dumplings the “Ricotta Gnocchi - Tomato-Basil Passatina, Pecorino Romano” was every bit as good as billed. Amongst my favorite foods whether in the form of potato, choux, spinach, or cheese these smooth balls of mild cheese could not have been lighter and adecorated sparsely with mildly sweet tomato sauce and a hefty grating of Pecorino the flavors were like a hint of spring – vegetal, fresh, and delicious.

Making short work of our appetizers it would be perhaps twenty minutes before our main courses would follow and with the business lunch crowd now heading back to their workplaces the pace of the restaurant as well as the volume in the bar became much more relaxed. With a second wine poured to go with my friend’s main course his choice was “Wild Striped Bass alla Barcaiola - Soft Polenta, Broccoli Rabe.” Featuring easily 12 ounces of nicely prepared fish alongside smooth yet textural polenta blended with aged cheese and tender broccoli rabe the most interesting aspect of this dish actually proved to be the sauce, a blend of anchovies, capers, and garlic that we were told came from a nearly quarter-century old recipe and the sort of flavors I’d have never thought to pair with such a mild protein, but flavors that none-the-less worked and brought out some of the heavier meaty tones of the fish.

Moving on to Rosalind’s selection this meal would once again see her order the Lamb Chops – and this time there was enough to go around and then some to take home. Titled “Lamb Chops "Scotta Dita" - Swiss Chard, Potato-Gruyère Gratin” and prepared just past medium these ample slices of young lamb were nicely charred on the grill and full of flavor on their own, but adding nuance was a glaze/sauce described as an admixture of mustard, balsamic, and garlic that simply made the flavors all the more savory and bold. With the protein’s flavor profile so pronounced, the plate mates in this case turned out to be largely overshadowed but tasty, on one hand bitter chard kissed with olive oil and balsamic and on the other a crispy au gratin potato with very mild cheese and a bit too little salt for my tastes.

Moving on to my selection – two half-portion appetizers actually – my first choice was described as a house favorite and on tasting the “Lasagna alla Bolognese - With Sunny Side Up Knoll Krest Egg” I instantly understood why. First off, beginning with the noodles and the sauce – the first perfectly al dente and the second zippy and slightly acidic with an almost chorizo smokiness to the pork – stopping there it would have been one of the better lasagnas I’ve ever tasted. Then add an egg – a smooth and runny one at that – let’s just say I mopped the plate clean.

Speaking of wiped the plate clean, as good as the lasagna and first plate of gnocchi may have been, my second entrée was perhaps the best pasta of the bunch; Potato Gnocchi - Gorgonzola Fonduta, Radicchio, Vin Cotto. Beginning first with the pasta, this time a potato based dumpling even lighter than the first, they were as good as any I’ve had in New York. Moving next to the toppings – the word “inspired” jumped to mind immediately as the saline cheese proved a perfect foil to the peppery flavors of the Radicchio while the sweet wine served to give everything a bit more pizzazz and a dusting of basil breadcrumbs added just a bit of crunch.

Full but not stuffed and having already scoped out the dessert menu on the way in our server returned to inquire if anyone wanted coffee and with a trip to the airport ahead of me I declined while Rosalind opted for decaf. Knowing for sure that USC’s signature Banana Tart was on our my list to try we inquired about the other options and when no concensus could be reached for which three sounded best we did the only logical thing we could and ordered four.

Beginning first with the aformentioned tart – a recipe that has apparently been being served since USC first opened – the Banana Tart, Macadamia Brittle, and Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream proved every bit worth its designation as a signature dish with the base formed of buttery shortbread studded with Macadamia nuts supporting what was likely an entire banana sliced and coated with a crackling caramel shell. Certainly not a dessert for those with loose teeth (or fillings) the intensely sweet tart was nicely complimented by the ice cream and five lovely caramel coated macadamia nuts who also joined the party.

With the first banana dessert a resounding success, the second would prove perhaps even better – a dessert described as Banana Pretzel Cream Pie with Calvados Caramel and Milk Chocolate Ice Cream and stacked top to bottom with sweet cream atop a layer of sliced bananas supported by soft yet crunchy cake comprised of rich dark chocolate and crushed salted pretzels. Again substantial in sweetness and in portion the dish was finished with a boozy and smoky caramel sauce plus mild chocolate ice cream – an ice cream that despite its great flavor actually proved to serve as a balance to the otherwise intense sweetness of the dish.

With no more bananas left on the menu another dessert we sampled was the Mascarpone Cheesecake with Fennel Shortbread, Meyer Lemon Confit, Grapefruit Sorbet, a dish that was clearly not my choice given my overall laissez-faire attitude about citrus, but a dessert that was none-the-less impressive particularly for the textural aspects of the cheesecake and the manner in which the mild fennel tones served to balance out the acidity of the lemon and grapefruit.

Moving on to our last dessert, my personal selection amongst the four, I opted for the Brioche French Toast with Roasted Apples and Brown Sugar Ice Cream – the least “wowing” of the four in terms of presentation, yet simple and delicious with an airy custard soaked brioche resting in a pool of cinnamon and sugar kissed roasted apples and a quenelle of maple-toned ice cream. It could have been breakfast were it five hours earlier or it could have been dessert five hours later; it was and would be delicious any time.

With desserts plates now vacant our server once again stopped by to see if there was anything else we needed and declining the bill was left to be paid at our leisure. With my friends near to their apartment and myself with time to kill before going to pick up my bags to head to LGA we spent the next twenty to thirty minutes again chatting about the many great meals of my last two trips to New York and once again Sam Lipp stopped by to make sure all had gone well and inviting us to return any time as most of the menu changes frequently – something I would definitely consider given the quality of the meal and the service, both of which were not the same as EMP, The Modern, or Gramercy Tavern but something very warm, familiar, welcoming, and exactly what I’ve come to expect from the Union Square Hospitality Group.

Ai Fiori, New York NY

Michael White has made quite a name for himself since I first ate his cuisine at Alto – a visit that was an unplanned walk-in when Anthos proved to be incapable of even the most basic aspects of running a restaurant. With little knowledge of White’s cuisine or style at that time the choice to visit Alto was largely based on location, convenience, and word of mouth(s) yet I was welcomed like an old friend and served some of the best Italian food I’d tasted to date; it was then that I vowed to frequent the White establishments and subsequent visits led me to Convivio, Marea, and Osteria Morini in short order. With mixed experiences at the various establishments but the food generally falling somewhere between good and great it was with excitement that I heard about his new venture entitled Ai Fiori – a return to the “fine dining” stylings of Alto featuring cuisine described as “Frenchified Italian” – and on discussion with New York friends both old and new a table for four was my reward for a day full of presentations at the conference for which I was in town.

Located in the recently renovated Setai Hotel in the heart of Manhattan the setting for Ai Fiori could not have been more convenient and my arrival for our 8:30 reservation was timed perfectly. Welcomed by a friendly doorman and pointed to the spiral staircase ascending to the restaurant I was struck by the modern décor and unique design of the building first and then by that of the restaurant’s bar and lobby – a long space with dark woods, brilliant whites, soft lighting, low seating, and fascinating art throughout. Checked in to the hostess stand I was informed that I was the first in my party to arrive and was welcomed to either wait at the table or in the bar area and after opting for the later I picked up a copy of Chef White’s magazine to peruse while awaiting others. With the intriguing cocktail list and bar menu in hand I declined alcohol instead opting for water and within fifteen minutes our party was whole and we were led to our table.

With introductions made as two of us had never met it would be mere moments before our server arrived – a familiar face to two of my co-diners who would help guide us through the menu-structure and assist in pairing wines for the connoisseur of the table. With mixed feelings about the service at most of White’s restaurants I will note here that Ai Fiori was quite adequate overall but certainly not without its faults as water often sat unfilled, wines occasionally arrived subsequent to their plates, and timing was a bit off during a number of courses. That said, taking into consideration the size of the dining room and the sheer number of covers on that particular evening (including EMP General Manager Will Guidara who happened to be seated right next to us) we should also bear our part of the blame for the timing issues as we eschewed the “standard” menu format instead opting to add at least one (and in some cases two) courses each to the prix fixe structure in order to sample as much of the menu as possible.

With orders placed and conversation flowing as I browsed the pleasant yet bland room bolstered by bright flowers and dynamic views Fifth Avenue it would be mere moments before our first bites of the evening would arrive – in this case three types of bread including Olive, Whole Grain Oatmeal, and Semolina Baguette along with grassy salted cow’s milk butter. With the breads baked in house and served warm all were good while the Olive was truly exemplary and with the bread man truly on his game I will note that there was rarely a time when anyone’s bread plate was empty.

After the bread our second taste of the evening was the nightly amuse – in this case a seasonal shot described as Warm Parsnip Purée with honey foam. Served in a double shot glass but in fact less than a mouthful this flavorful sip was earthy yet sweet and light – a nice opener, but nothing terribly memorable.

Having already mentioned our manner of ordering – all opting for the prix fixe plus a dish or two with some duplicates – I feel the cuisine is best served by describing the dishes themselves as opposed to who ordered what and in what order they arrived, particularly as everyone was opened to sharing and there was not a dish on the table anyone to sample. Beginning first with the simple – a dish titled “Insalata” featured Italian Winter Greens, Pickled Delicata Squash, Manchego, Aged Sherry – everything was fresh, everything vegetal was crisp, and the balance of bitter, sweet, and savory was nicely done. It was a good salad, the result of good ingredients largely unaltered.

Moving on to more interesting antipasti, “Torchon” was one of the favored dishes by many tables that evening, and for good reason. Described as Foie Gras au Naturel, Seckel Pear, Ormeasco Mostarda, Pistachios, with Brioche Toast this creamy round of largely unadorned duck liver was creamy and unctuous though it’s cold service temperature required a bit of time to warm enough to spread on the brioche. With crunchy pistachios and fleur de sel atop and a salad of spinach, pear, and more pistachio alongside the dish found a pleasant balance, but considering the price tag the portion size was rather anemic compared to other highly regarded Manhattan restaurants.

Another antipasti ordered by two at our table would be “Uovo,” a foamy deep bowl containing a slow poached farm egg, lobster knuckle, crispy sweetbreads, and “nuage layon.” Perhaps the most intriguing of the night’s dishes and invariably my favorite this delicate potage was complex, rich, and balanced with the crispy offal, snappy lobster, and creamy egg all blending marvelously and ample notes of butter and notes of dry wine and sweetness permeating the palate. Amazed that something so rich could be so delicate it should also be noted that unlike many restaurant soups this dish was served piping hot – a great decision as the egg seemed almost to have been added raw prior to service allowing it to cook as minimally as possible by the time it arrived tableside.

The final antipasti of the evening was “Piccione” – an impressive half Squab with crispy lacquered skin overlying the tender breast and leg. With the squab itself tasty and nicely prepared the plate-mates were equally impressive with a creamy parsnip puree juxtaposing the crispy skin and sweet Madeira sauce with mushrooms highlighting the nutty tones of the bird. Finally, to finish the dish there were two small nuggets described as “Liquid Foie Gras Croquettes” that added a whimsical (and delicious) note to the otherwise classic plate; all in all a fantastic composition.

Moving on towards the pastas we selected a total of four and each expectedly showed off White’s keen eye for matching tastes and textures plus chef de cuisine Chris Jaeckle’s admirable skills in executing White’s vision (as a side note we overheard a conversation between Chris and EMP GM Will Guidara that although the pastas are still entirely White’s creation, many of the Secondi were Chris’ originals.) Beginning first with the Agnolotti I will note that my taste was quite small given my overall distaste for veal, but what I did taste of these stuffed Braised Veal Parcels paired with Butternut Squash and Winter Black Truffle Sugo displayed a lovely springy texture while the sweet squash and aromatic truffles rendered the veal a mere note on the tongue more-so than the predominant flavor.

For our second pasta Trofie Nero proved to be my favorite of the group not because it reinvented the wheel but simply because it was a flawless preparation of outstanding ingredients with perfectly al dente trofie pasta and a briny sweet sea creatures (Ligurian Crustascean Ragout, Seppia, Scallops, Spiced Mollica) existing in harmony with crunchy buttered bread crumbs adding texture.

With “Gnocchetti” we would see a revisit to a dish previously served at Convivio and once again it was excellent, this time perhaps even better than the first. With dainty yet toothsome Semolina Gnocchi tinted with saffron at its base and an admixture of chopped crab, uni, tomatoes, and butter making up the sauce each bite was an exposure to different nuances of the dish – sometimes sweet and sometimes acidic, sometimes vegetal and sometimes unmistakably “urchin-y.” Again with herbs and buttered bread crumbs adding nuance and texture there is a reason White carried this over from Tudor City.

For our last pasta – really, it had no chance to fail. Titled “Risotto” and featuring Acquarello rice simmered to a nearly rice-pudding texture this dish was subsequently studded with chunks of butter poached lobster, pools of melting bone marrow, notes of saffron and salinity from what was described as “shellfish jus.” Intensely rich and the incredibly decadent this dish reminded me much of a similar option at Chicago’s Spiaggia with the lobster replacing Octopus and the price-tag at about 2/3 what Montuano charged for a smaller portion – in other words, this risotto was not only delicious, but a sizeable portion at a bargain price.

Moving on to the main courses a total of three were ordered and while each was substantial in size none were more so than “Agnello - Rack of Lamb en Crepinette, Swiss Chard Crochetta, Sariette.” Featuring at least twelve ounces of medium rare lamb still on the bone resting atop a bed of melting bitter Swiss Chard and topped with a sauce of game jus, vinegar, and peppery savory this dish was an overhead smash of flavors and a portion enough for two. With additional meat from the rack confited and housed in the Crepinette I will say that although I found the texture to be a bit too tough in parts another member of my party was so happy with this dish that he chewed the bones clean.

Next amongst the mains was the oft raved “Astice” of Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster, Root Vegetable Fondant, and Chateau Chalon Sauce…but to be perfectly honest I was not all that impressed. Sure the lobster tail was snappy, sweet, and loaded with butter and of course the “fondant” exhibited tender carrots, parsnips, and potatoes while the vin jaune perfumed everything with it’s warm notes but the way people had talked about this dish I guess I’d expected something “transcendent” when in fact it was simply a classic sauce over quality ingredients – there was nothing wrong with it, just a case of too much hype leading to unrealistic expectations.

Our final secondi was again a classic preparation slightly updated, but in this case featuring something not seen nearly as frequently as the ubiquitous “lobster” dish. Titled “Sogliola” and featuring wild caught Holland Dover Sole with crispy salsify, beurre noisette, lemon, and parsley this whole fish preparation carried a supplemental fee that was entirely worth it and then some. Another enormous preparation with each filet eclipsing a foot in length the protein itself expertly cleaned and prepared to be flaky and moist while the salsify added a textural juxtaposition and the mild nutty tones of the sauce brought out the sweetness of the fish in full effect.

Quite satisfied with the meal thus far desserts were requisite and after description of the daily gelato flavors we opted for four desserts plus a sampling of three gelati – Vanilla, Stracchiatella, and Rum. Reportedly hand made in house and served with a polenta cookie each were good but most impressive by far was the rum, a full bodied buttery interpretation that I personally think would have been even more exemplary as in the coffee I ordered to go with dessert.

Never one to fancy fruity flavors for dessert I have to say that the first of the composed desserts that we sampled. “Vacherin” with Basil Cream, Walnut, and Meyer Lemon Sorbetto was actually quite tasty. More vegetal or “savory” than a true sweet the flavors and textures of this dish were on-point with the basil cream served studded with crumbled almond meringue and candied walnuts beneath the more-sweet-than-sour lemon sorbet. Attractive and light I’d say this would have made an excellent palate cleanser or for someone with more affinity for citrus and a smaller appetite than mine (as the case were,) a clean finish to a heavy meal.

Continuing with the fruity flavors but moving more into my range by including a buttery cake and a shot of rum, “Baba al Rhum” with Tropical Fruit, Passion Fruit Coulis, and Crema di Coco was actually served as two separate plates, one with the baba and the other with the ornately composed fruits. With the cake itself buttery and dense topped with a shot of rum plus a quenelle of rum gelato this portion of the dish was simple, tasty, and exemplary – an excellent baba. Regarding the second plate – well, it was pretty and I like banana and pineapple a lot but overall I could have done without the kiwi and passion fruit.

Dessert three would be our first venture into chocolate and although I’d personally passed on this choice due to the citrus I ended up glad someone else selected it as it turned out to be perhaps the best of the quartet. Titled “Sformata di Cioccolato” and delivered as a tall cylinder of airy chocolate Mousse coated in cocoa powder and topped with candied pine nuts this dessert was shockingly light and creamy yet at the same time rich and complex. With a small smear of lightly lemon tinged honey serving largely as decoration and a ball of Stracciatella gelato atop more of the pine nut crumble this was “cake and ice cream” done well.

Our final dessert, my selection, was the “Chocolate Budino" with Pedro Ximénez, Amarena Cherry, Yogurt, and Vanilla Gelato and although it was about as far from a traditional pudding “budino” as possible, it was absolutely delightful. Served as a large chocolate wafer dusted with cherry powder atop thickened Greek yogurt, chocolate sponge cake, and crunchy chocolate cookies soaked in sherry the best way to describe this dish would be a more grown up, more nuanced, and more elaborate black forest cake. Again served with ice cream, this time vanilla gelato, it turned out that in the end we probably didn’t need the trio to begin with as each was featured with one of our desserts but then again, who is going to complain about extra gelato?

With all of us quite full and food going home with some our final tastes of the evening would be four house made mignardises – first served one tray to two persons but later served one tray to each on request as we all wanted to sample each option. Featuring a Meyer Lemon Pate a Fruit, Olive Oil Dark Chocolate, Brown Butter Dark Chocolate, and a Pistachio Almond Cake with Salty Caramel each bite was tasty and the Brown Butter Chocolate especially one of the best restaurant chocolates I’ve ever tasted either stateside or in Paris.

With the bill split and paid with minimal difficulty despite the complexity of our order we spent some time lingering and chatting before heading out and with the restaurant now mostly empty I noted that even when it was full it was a surprisingly serene space and even now I don’t recall a bit of noise coming from the other tables. Bidding each other farewell as we made our way out to 5th Avenue I have to say that aside from a couple small service issues that were quickly remedied I really enjoyed the evening and despite the rather dull room the food itself was at worst common and at best exemplary – an feeling best surmised when a member of our party stated “there wasn’t a single weak dish” and given the number of things we tasted I think that says a lot.