Last Post (Until Next Fall) COMMERCE!

(My view from our booth, the Cherry Lane Theatre, how fitting!)

Alex and I spent our celebratory dinner at Commerce, 50 Commerce Street! 

It is an upscale "contemporary restaurant in a historic space."

Personally, one of the best restaurants I've been to in my time here at NYC. Which is why I am saving the best for last!

I have been here twice with one of my dear friends Emma, but I never took pictures! Until now...

So the inside is very nice:

(Cute Bartender)

We began with "Bleeding Heart" Pinot Noir from Oregon. 

One of the best glasses of wine I've ever tasted. It starts smooth then has a kick and is beautifully complementary to any dish. Not too intense, but great flavor! 

The BREAD basket is the best bread basket I have ever encountered, and yes, encountered is the right word:

First of all, every single roll in that basket is homemade and DIFFERENT! Each bread had a different flavor or filling. Even the butter is homemade.

Here is a look at the bread with ham:

Gorgeous!

Then we shared the "Cauliflower Gratin with Bacon, Almonds, and Chives"

Incredible. 

Rich, yet a great side dish. 

The crunchiness of the almonds were a perfect match to the bacon and cauliflower. 

Now, on to the main course:

 This is not the best picture, but Alex had the Ricotta Gnocchi with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes and Scallions. 

It was impeccible. The light and softness of the Gnocchi paired with the sausage and sauce was a perfect mix!

 I had the fettuccine with "1 hour Tomato Sauce" and Ricotta.

It is honestly the best spaghetti I have had in my entire life. Big statement, especially since my mom lives in Little Italy, San Diego. 

 (Closeup of the goodness)

This dish is PERFECT: the homemade fettuccine, the sauce, the ricotta, everything melted together perfectly and the Parmesan added the perfect touch. I didn't waste one bite!

I was too full for dessert, so Alex opted for his favorite vanilla ice cream:

House made of course.

It was creamy, smooth, rich, flavorful.

Almost gelato like. 

Overall:

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC. Hands down. A great place to bring the family or friends or a date for a very special occasion. Excellent wine and food. Expect to spend some "dough."

Website:

http://www.commercerestaurant.com/main.html#/Menu/

See you in the fall! Thank you for reading!

Bianca!

  

On a windy Saturday in New York City, Alex, his beautiful girlfriend Parrish and I went to a cozy hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, Bianca.

Bianca is on Bleeker and Bowery. CUTE place.

This place is special, not only because there is a small seating capacity, but it feels like you are in a cute little Italian cottage. The decor is adorable!

 We started with the wine, that inevitably got Parrish and I a little sloshed, to say the least.

Then we tried the Gnocco Fritto which were puff pastries that you dip in Stracchino Cheese. 

Sadly we were disappointed with the cheese taste, so we ended up dipping the puffs in olive oil!

For dinner, Parrish had the VERY tasty Spaghettini Al Pomodoro. It was homemade spaghetti with tomatoes and basil. Simple, but extremely delectable. Did I say HOMEMADE spaghetti?!

Alex had Gramigna Con Salciccia which was pasta with sausage and peppers. He loved it and it had a spicy kick to it!

I had the BEST LASAGNA of my life!!!! Look at the layers! Look at the hearty meat sauce! Look at the basil! Look at the HOMEMADE pasta!!! I died and went to heaven, if there is one! This was a huge deal. I am still in awe over this lasagna.

By the time we stumbled upon dessert I had to pass. Alex had some boring Hazelnut ice cream (he wanted vanilla) and Parrish ordered her usual Tartufo which was chocolate ice cream (and vanilla?) and other great tasting things! 

Overall:

Best Italian I have had in the city. HANDS DOWN. Best lasagna.

Expect to wait at least 40 minutes on a weekend night. If you wait, you can go to the bar next door and George will come get you! 

Website:

biancanyc.com

Vapiano!

This place was amazing!!!

Vipiano is an Italian chain but it's so fun!

Here is what you do:

1. When you walk in, the hostess gives you a card.

2. You find a seat yourself.

3. You go up to the kitchen area labeled "Salad" or "Pizza" or "Pasta" and you order. If you order pasta you get to choose your noodles! AHA!

4. The chef has you tap your card on the machine.

5. Then you go eat.

6. When you leave, the hostess swipes your card and the total amount of $ is on there for you to pay.
6. You leave with a mini container of GUMMY BEARS! WIN.

SO FUN!

It is do it yourself style dining which is good for many reasons but a big one is that you have your own tab and you pay for your own food.

A plus for big groups!

So I started with the Strawberry Spinach Salad with goat cheese and berry vinaigrette.

Perfect.

Alex had the Ceasar! Not the best pic but you can see the card below and some olive oil for the amazing bread!

Then I had the alfredo with chicken and broccoli. Perfect. Not too creamy, not too light. 

Alex had the pasta with sausage and sauce. Somehow the pic doesn't show off the food, but Alex's reaction to it.

ha.

Somehow I managed to MATCH the color of my food. I didn't plan it.

The place looked cool.

We shared the cheesecake dessert. It was FREE because I signed up for the club online and I got a coupon emailed to me! woohoo!

And even the to-go containers were trendy

Overall:

I am DEFINITELY going back to Vipiano!! Affordable, yummy, and fun!

Website:

http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/

Restaurant Week February 2011!

 

I went to Mezzogiorno with Emma, one of my best friends! 

We wanted to experience restaurant week in NYC! 

Cute place in Soho! 

 

We started with the
Polpettine di melanzane al caprino con insalatina di campo
eggplant croquettes with goat cheese and field greens

GREAT CHOICE!!

Main Course:

We both ordered the
Fiocchetti ai tre formaggi e pera
small pasta pouches filled with cheese and pear (below)

AMAZING!!! LIFE CHANGING!!! 

 

 For dessert, I opted for the Italian Cheesecake. 

Not the best, sadly. It was almost too ricotta-y. I should have chosen something else. By this time, it was too much cheese throughout the dinner. Oh well!

         

OVERALL:

I would give Mezzogiorno a 7/10. 

The main course was the best part!

Website:

http://www.mezzogiorno.com/index.html

My Version of Italian Wedding Soup

So I am on vacation in San Diego and lately, all I've been wanting to eat is soup and stew. 

I found this recipe and I made it! 

Not only is this soup healthy, but it is filling and REALLY good!

Here is the recipe:

2 Cartons of Chicken Broth 

1 Zucchini 

Head of Broccoli 

Spinach, A LOT OF SPINACH

Carrots

Onion

Garlic 

Cooked Little Macaroni (I used Ditalini)

Ground Low-Fat Turkey

Salt and Pepper

Basil

Parmesan Cheese for Garnish!

*Put all of the above together in one pot and shazam! Soup! 

Now, the recipe in pictures!

First, the broth

 Then the veggies!

Then the meat!

 Macaroni Time!

 One happy family!

Viola! 

If you make this, please let me know anything you added or took out! Make it your own style!

Enjoy!

Pasta! (November 2010)

On a chilly Thursday night, a week before Thanksgiving, my friend Emma and I decided to grab a bite after class...

We went to Bueno Sera Italian Restaurant in Union Square.

We started with an amazing salad with a strawberry vinaigrette sadly, I forgot to take a picture. 

But the main course was photo-worthy. (See above)

This dish consisted of homemade tube pasta, tomato basil sauce, cold ricotta, and fresh mozzarella and some parmesan. 

It  was absolutely perfect. 

The cold ricotta mixing with the warm tomato sauce was simply perfecto!

Overall:

A great little gem in the middle of Union Square.

Great place for people watching (we sat next to the window) and a great plate of pasta!

Website:

No website available, google it!

Authentic Italian Cuisine (August 28th, 2010)

One night we decided to dress up and go out to eat to this hole-in-the-wall place called 

Mercato 

Mercato is 252 West 39th St. in Hells Kitchen

This is us in the same place where the people in the above picture are eating.

We had the SALMONE ALLA GRIGLIA IN SALSA DI MOSTARDA E ROSMARINO 

       grilled salmon in mustard and rosemary vinaigrette 

AND

SPAGHETTI FATTI IN CASA AL POMODORO FRESCO 

home made spaghetti with fresh tomato, garlic & basil

(No pictures available yet...)

The spaghetti was some of the best we had EVER eaten. Perfect texture and amazing sauce to spaghetti ratio. The salmon was okay, nothing too special.

The bar was pretty old school and very charming.

The waiters were authentic Italians from Tuscany who spent about 30 minutes talking to us, but then again, my mother does like to talk.

Overall:

Best bet for homemade spaghetti in NYC. 

Very rustic, small, and simple.

I truly felt like I was eating in New York for the first time at Mercato.

It is open LATE which is a plus!

Website:

http://www.mercatonyc.com/

Pizza Time! (August 27th, 2010)

We decided to walk around 8th Street (Basically NYU's playground for GOOD food) and we got a slice of pizza from...

On 8th Street at Broadway

This is a 1/2 of a slice of the Cheese Pizza. If you know my family, then you'll understand why it is cut in 1/2. 

My sister Rebecca, a fan of Famiglia. 

Overall:

This was EXCELLENT pizza. We favor Famiglia over Ray's (both are NYC chains). Pizza has thin crust, sweet sauce, and the perfect amount of cheese. Plus, the guys who work there are very kind and you can tell they love their job! Also, it is fun to eat there for people watching and looking at the pictures of famous people on the walls eating some 'za. 

Website:

http://www.famousfamiglia.com/