NYC Tastes

It was a fabulous night of all things pork, wine and food chatting at Osteria del Principe this week hosted by the wonderful folks at  Tabelog  and  Joios!  Principe is actually the flagship store and first restaurant opened by world class prosciutto manufacturer Principi di San Daniele; making this the place to be for Italian meat, cheese and wine. The main attraction of course is the San Daniele prosciutto aged for 14, 16 or 20 months.  I highly recommend the 20 month "Secolo" for its gorgeous red ribbons and silky smooth texture. There's also Parma prosciutto wrapped around thick chunks of ripe cantaloupe and a bright summery Burrata Caprese Salad with dollops of fresh pesto. Of course there's more to salumi world than just prosciutto like smoked speck, spicy mortadella and a fantastic Tartufotto ham infused with truffles. For a full meal there's an array of primi and secondi like Homemade Tagliolino topped with prosciutto San Daniele, cream and ...

I was invited by the wonderful folks over at  Tabelog  to a party at Tuome last week; a cozy little East Village spot helmed by Chef Thomas Chen formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Commerce.  The cuisine is billed as Asian Fusion but that loose term doesn't adequately describe the incredible dishes coming out of this kitchen.  Here's a look at some of the tasting: Beet - quinoa, five spice yogurt, pumpkin seed.  This tiny bite really set the tone for the night. The toasted quinoa imparted a nutty, smoky flavor that brought out the meaty texture of the beet with a touch of heat.  It was so simple yet stunningly delicious. Chicken Liver- mousse, NY maple, milk bread.  The sweet bread and maple cut right through the richness of the mousse and made this decedent bite seem almost light. Egg- deviled, crispy, chili.   The egg white is panko fried so it's super crispy then filled with a mixture of yolk, shallot, Dijon mustar...

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. Calamari with Squid Ink was much healthier in ...