Barchetta
I was invited to dinner last month by the wonderful Tabelog folks over at Chef Dave Pasternack's (Esca) newest restaurant Barchetta.
Barchetta translates to"little boat" in Italian; a proper name for a restaurant focused on flavors of the Mediterranean seaside.
The meal began with a small bowl of Castelvetrano olives, one of my absolute favorites. They have thick, meaty flesh with a delicious buttery flavor and such a bright green color they almost seem like they're glowing.
Pumpkin Swordfish Crudo followed dressed with olive oil and crushed pistachio. There was a wonderful sweet nutty taste but I was terribly disappointed with the slicing of the fish. Chef Pasternack is known for impeccable seafood so receiving three insanely small jagged pieces, two of which were barely a full bite, was a total letdown and quite frankly a rip off for the price point.
The meal began with a small bowl of Castelvetrano olives, one of my absolute favorites. They have thick, meaty flesh with a delicious buttery flavor and such a bright green color they almost seem like they're glowing.
Pumpkin Swordfish Crudo followed dressed with olive oil and crushed pistachio. There was a wonderful sweet nutty taste but I was terribly disappointed with the slicing of the fish. Chef Pasternack is known for impeccable seafood so receiving three insanely small jagged pieces, two of which were barely a full bite, was a total letdown and quite frankly a rip off for the price point.
Calamari with Squid Ink was much healthier in size with a soft creamy texture that was quite exquisite.
The waiter warned us the Fusilli with Atlantic Surf Clam and Calabrian Chilies would be spicy, but the chilies actually added a smoky flavor that balanced the dish perfectly.
Local Sea Scallops with crispy English pea pods and mint were decent but a tad boring.
Black Cod with roasted mushroom was a much better choice, prepared simply so the sweetness of the fish and roasted mushroom would truly shine.
For dessert an insanely delicious Butterscotch Affogato complete with crunchy pieces of toasted praline on top. I've seriously been dreaming of this dessert ever since...
There were hits and misses at the new Barchetta; hopefully the misses are just some opening jitters. I had such a lovely time getting to know Lord of the Forks and Cutie Patroller a bit more. Thanks to Tabelog for a wonderful dinner:)
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