tony, tony, tony

i am a woman obsessed.

(well, re-obsessed. )

i just found ALLLLL of the episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on Netflix 'Watch Instantly' and its what ive been doing all week. looking for jobs is boring. and an all-day activity. so it's nice to spice it up with Tony bitching about something in the background!

(plus, if you hadn't heard, NYC is being compared to the depths of hell in terms of heat and humidity. so i stayed directly in front of the AC- only venturing out for food within a 5 block radius)

MONDAY, July 5th

it didn't feel much like a holiday for me. a holiday from what? my job? HA! so i stayed in and
searched and searched and moped and moped and watched Paris, Iceland, New Jersey and Vietnam from season 1. (Iceland is hilarious- he eats the worst food of his life including fermented shark and lamb testicles. hilarious). the boys came home and Garret and i went to Whole Foods and made this pasta salad and got some "rotis chick"and had a lovely, summery meal. (this is the picture from the magazine- i can't take credit for this brilliant food-fotography. i forgot to take one)


TUESDAY, July 6th

guess what i did today???? YES. job hunting!!! (and watched Malaysia, Sicily, Las Vegas, Uzbekistan (another hilarious one), New Zealand, China, Miami, Peru and Osaka) at least today i ventured out to get Bahn Mi from Nickey's (less than a block away and still too far to withstand the heat) but stayed mostly inside. but speaking of holidays....

TODAY was a true holiday! a holiday i could totally get behind! a holiday worth celebrating!!

NATIONAL. FRIED. CHICKEN. DAY.

since it was too f-ing hot to get fried chicken mid-day Garret and i went to Croxley Ales, our neighborhood wing-spot to get wings. (hey they're fried!) and for 5¢! gimmeafreakinbreak! 5¢ wings Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. we'll be back. i hope you all celebrated with buckets, tenders or wings.

by the way, when i watched Osaka Tony ate Okonomiyaki (Japanese omelet type of thing) and Takoyaki (fried squid balls) and it reminded me to try and find the tiny hole-in-the-wall joint that Steph and I found 4 years ago. turns out all i had to do was search 'okonomiyaki, east village and i found it! and made it my mission to eat there asap.

WEDNESDAY, July 7th

i had a phone interview today so i needed to treat myself to some breakfast. out to Gracefully to pick up the goods...i made Poached Eggs and Toast with goat cheese, lemon and olive oil dressed greens and chives. quite a lovely meal, if i do say so myself. add an iced coffee and i was feeling prepared and relaxed.

welllllllllll

either i bombed the interview or the generic email i received stating that my "background and qualifications are not a match for (their) current needs." was the reason i didn't get it. hmm. ok.

no biggie. sigh. no, really its ok. it's really easy to get a job- i'll get one. sigh. i dont even care even at all even. sigh. its cool. siigggghhhhhh.

i walked around and sat in my new favorite place to sit, on the steps of the border of Sarah Roosevelt Park on E Houston. met up with Nate at the Sunshine Cinema and we watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which was great and i totally want to read the books now.

a disappointing day followed by an intense movie put me in a weird place before bed. so, naturally, i needed Tony. i chose Quebec and watched him eat an insane meal of foie gras in every possible way it can be prepared. he refers this meal as his 'waterloo of gluttony'. the following quote about foie is why i love him:

"once you've actually eaten the stuff, enjoyed its soft, unctuous texture, its ethereally unique flavor, any concerns you might have had about daffy or donald eating too much, usually goes right out the window..."

my mom just informed me that starting in 2012, California is banning foie gras. i mean..... i GUESS i get it. but honestly, how much harder is the life of a goose or duck being force-fed for foie than that of a chicken or a cow for consumption??? probably not that much worse. it's a shame. that's all im sayin...

here's a video of the 'waterloo of gluttony'. its crazy. and awesome. but if you are still feeling a little sad for the birds...

....here is a video about how foie is made. it might make you feel worse, it might make you feel better. my opinion is that of, whatever Tony says, goes. (ya know, in terms things like the best place to eat pork, why street food is great, how to remain stick-thin by smoking like a chimney and ya know, animal cruelty)

THURSDAY, July 8th

after days of sitting at home with dirty hair feeling sorry for myself i had had enough. showered, primped, and wearing a dress i went out to Ninth St Espresso with my laptop with a positive attitude.

wow, it's that easy?! i got TWO calls from two different places i had applied to weeeeeeeks ago! yeeeeeeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww! interview tomorrow at 9:30. what to do?! well, first things first- lunch. and i had a place to go...

4 years ago, (also the last time i was in nyc) Stephanie and i came on here on our way to Europe. we wandered around, got lost, got hair cuts, and then found this GEM in the east village. Otafuku is a whole in the wall serving maybe 4 items including okonomiyaki and takoyaki. i had tried okonomiyaki with Junko, our Japanese exchange lady (she was like 25 so she wasn't really a student) and Stephanie, being the little Hapa Princess that she is was no stranger to it as well. we were stoked. and ate it on a stoop across the street. look how young and sweet we were!

naturally i wanted to re-create the entire scene when i came back today. and so i did! same dress, same stoop (although it looks like it might not have been the EXACTLY same stoop or the stoop has had some damage over the years) and close-enough to the same order. Okonomiyaki with pork and Takoyaki, squid. AND it was around this exact time of year! one week earlier, 4 years ago. unfortunately, it wasn't as good as i remembered. maybe because it was really hot and i was uncomfortable. maybe it was the whole experience in nyc with Steph that was so great. it was still fun to relive it though. i just wish she was there too!! (miss you SP!)

after, i went out and got me some interview outfits and then met up with Pete, best friends with my aunt Jill (and fellow blogger-check out hers here) from college and now a member of our family. Pete is who we alllllllll stay with when we come to NYC (including me and Steph) so "his" New York on the Upper West Side, up until recently is the only NYC i knew. we met in Midtown and had Margaritas and sent text messages to Jill in an attempt to lure her out here asap.

saucy from tequila and anxious about my interview, i went to bed at like 10pm.


oooh i bet you are just on the edge of your seats to see how it went! you'll have to wait. but it will be worth it because it will include a food extravaganza that i'm currently paying for...

xo
L

L's4WLNYC: part 3- Where Brooklyn At?!

ooowheeeeee what a weekend! nipple tassels, (or pasties as the pros call them) a Hip Hop dance party and Happy Birthday America in Brooklyn...

Lindsey's 4th Week Living in NYC (L's4WLNYC)

Part 3: Where Brooklyn AT?!

by the way, i forgot to tell you guys that after i made pasta on Friday night we went to The Jane Hotel (which is reallllllllllly cool and Nate's new favorite bar) and then over the The Standard to say what up to Rob and then Garret and i got SBP and drunkenly yapped at each other, "the thing about-ing" all the way home.

SATURDAY, July 3rd

so despite the late night elixir that Rob fed us, (some crazy whiskey and Fernet concoction) i was up at 11 and wanting to wander around. and so while G and N slept in, i went out and about.

first to Ninth St. Espresso, a place i've been meaning to try on the recommendation of Man Seeking Coffee. (thanks to Luigi for giving me the website!) finally felt at home in terms of sf standards coffee houses. (sorry NYC, you have literally everything else and more except for an abundance of great coffee places at every corner) as it's a zillion degrees i'm drinking nothing but iced coffee these days. i was also fond of the way they handled the Internet issue...

and then i wandered around. and around and around and it was just peachy! all my by myself. i got a sandwich at our local gourmet grocery store, Gracefully but only ate half because good god look at it. i would have gotten meat sweats had i finished it all...

met up with Jenny, her mom Meg and others at Le Poisson Rouge to see Rosie 151 in Strip Search 2010 to be a representative for the 2010 Toronto Burlesque festival. Rosie 151 (aka Sarah Rose) is the older sister of another high school chum, Caitie Grillo and lemme tell you...after not seeing her for maybe 10 years, it was GREAT to see her donning nipple tassels, a red wig and a thong!( but seriously, she was easily the best one that night and she was robbbbbbbbed of the title.)
burlesque!!! what fun!!

here's a video of her doing her thing at The Slipper Room in May.
Rosie 151!!! Hot! Intoxicating! 151 Proof!! yeeeowww!

onward to SouthPaw in Park Slope with Jenny for the 8th anniversary of The Rub, a dj set that is easily the best hip hop to dance to ever. good LORD!! Garret came to meet us and we D.A.N.C.E.D. hard.

(i wish i had been wearing less clothing because it was hot (and hawt) up in there and my khaki trousers were no good.)

SUCH good time. plus it's just really cool to be in a bar dancing to hip hop and shouting along with the DJ "Where Brooklyn at!? Where Brooklyn at?!" and ya know actually being in Brooklyn. also, since the bathrooms had such low lighting, Jenny and I did a Jenny & Lindsey Bathroom shot by the Foosball table instead.

SUNDAY, July 4th


what better way to start a 4th of July celebration than with dawgs? after a leisurely morning we headed back over to Brooklyn for some BBQs but stopped at Crif Dogs first. i had a Bacon-Wrapped Crif Dog with sauerkraut, mustard and jalapenos. BEST bacon-wrapped dog i've ever had. those karts in the Mission aint nothin' compared to this one. if i'm eating a bacon-wrapped treat, i want my bacon to be crispy and that is a challenge for the kart guys. not for Crif.

our first Brooklyn stop was in Williamsburg to say hello to like...everyone i went to college with!! seriously it was kind of nuts. 90% of the people at this BBQ of maybe 15 i went to college with. including my friend Brett Helms. the same week i sprained my foot, Brett got into a gnarly bike accident where he punctured his knee cap to point where it was like...falling OFF or something crazy like that. he was in the ICU for a few days and is now in a full leg cast for the rest of the summer and more. poor brett....he was in high spirits though, drinking sangria out of a bowl and playing the part of an injured war vet. im planning on bringing him a goodie basket on a visit this week. yikes.

our next BBBQ (Brooklyn BBQ) was back to Rob and Andrew's house in Bushwick. after the scorching sun and beer all day i was kind of wiped out.


PLUS...i was sad and missing my SF friends really badly. while we had fun, on holidays like the 4th of July all i want to do is hang with my people and eat and drink. make some kind of awesome pasta salad and margaritas....sigh. so i was ready to go home and mope about it. Garret came with and we got some ice cream and watched The Sure Thing and went to bed.

i even missed the fireworks.

i'm anticipating mopier, sadder days (especially once it gets cold). BUT one mopey day thrown in with a month of awesome days isn't so bad... all in all it was a pretty fun day. here are some pics:

one month in guys! ive heard that you have to live in NYC for 7 years (ive also heard 5 and 10) in order to call yourself a New Yorker. one month in and i'm on my way...

L's4WLNYC- Part 2: Pasta cheer up

after 4 days of disappointing job search results and too many dumplings, bahn mi and pizza, i had had enough. what could cheer me up and lift my low spirits??

making pasta. i LOVE making pasta. sure it takes a long time and it hurts your back and it's a huge mess (especially when i do it- flour EVERYWHERE) but it's so satisfying when you do it right! and i do it right.

Lindsey's 4th Week Living in NYC (L's4WLNYC)
Part 2: Pasta Cheer UP

FRIDAY, July 2nd

i was craving mushrooms. so, on the menu for friday was Pappardelle with Mixed Mushrooms.
i went to Whole Foods and got some morels, crimini, shitake, and wood ear (which i had never cooked before!) but first things first....the pasta.

pasta is tricky. its hard work and its often extremely frustrating and you end up wasting cups and cups of flour and dozens of eggs and often tears flow as freely as the eggs all over your counter top. thankfully, i have discovered the secret and am now a pro! here is how i do it:

start with about 3 to 4 cups of flour or semolina and mix in 1 tsp of salt. (if you're a beginner i'd start with flour since you will undoubtedly need a do-over and throwing away regular flour is not going to piss you off as much) make a pretty big well in the center- i'd say around 4 inches in diameter.

next, crack 3 to 4 eggs and into a bowl (i often use 3 eggs and 2 egg yolks) and then pour all at once into the well- CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK DOWN THE SIDES. this is the trick. this is the essential challenge.
carefully, verrrry carefully begin stirring the eggs and breaking down the yolks. as you stir, you will gradually be taking flour from the sides of the well. DO NOT try to add it from the top or sides of the well. it will just happen naturally if you stir carefully, with wider and wider stirs.

it takes a long time. and your arm will feel like its going to fall off. but stay with it. be patient because if you try to rush it and add flour from the tops or the sides of your well you WILL end up with egg all over your counter. trust.

after awhile you will have a sticky dough that can be handled. YOU WILL NOT USE ALL OF YOUR FLOUR. i repeat. YOU WILL HAVE EXTRA FLOUR!!! this is the secret. once i learned this secret it was cake.

at this point you should start sprinkling flour onto your sticky dough and start to knead, incorporating in enough flour until your dough no longer sticky but still wet enough to work with. knead for another 2 to 3 min until the dough is smooth and firm. wrap in plastic and let it sit for 20 to 30 min. (see?! see how much flour is left over!!!!?)

cut the dough in half and keep the other half covered in plastic. flatten to make a disk that will fit through the lowest setting on the pasta machine. crank the disk through, folding in half 2 to 3 times until the disk is as wide as the pasta machine. run the dough through the machine, using plenty of flour between settings if necessary until you have reached your ideal thickness. for pappardelle go to the 5th setting. (unfortunately, after 2 tries now i know that i need to stop at 5. i went to 6 and ended up with clumps of pasta sticking together.

after you've reached your thickness, if you are making pappardelle or other hand-cut pasta flour both sides generously and lay the dough out onto the counter. fold the two ends into the middle, repeating and flouring between folds. cut your pasta into the desired width. using the back of a knife, slide it under the cut
dough and carefully let the pasta fall down from the folds. since my pasta was too thin my knife was cutting it in half so i used my hand after i got my knife in there.




lay out the cut pasta individually and again, flour flour flour. if you don't flour you'll end up with a mound of dry dough and a waste of an hour. repeat with the second half.

and that's it! it's cake! i haven't tried to use the cut settings on my machine yet but i plan on it! spaghetti and linguine! you betcha. im also eager to try hand rolled pasta like penne...

for my sauce i melted some butter into olive oil and threw in a whole clove of garlic. once the garlic had browned up a bit i added the wood ear mushrooms and let them fry a bit and then added the morels, crimini, and shitake. i seasoned with salt and pepper, added some crushed red pepper, a bit of chicken stock, lemon juice and truffle oil.

the pasta cooked up quickly and after tossing with the mushrooms i added fresh thyme and pecorino romano.



fabulous.

well, sort of fabulous. this is the second time ive made this recipe and it still needs...something. i'm working on it.


xo,
L

L's4WLNYC- Part 1

my life here is so weird. granted, i have been having a lot of fun but not having a daily routine, not really being a contributing member of society (apart from this extremely popular, hugeley sucessful, captivating, stimulating and inspiring blog...) is getting really old. and so is the cafe food.

its been a frustrating week of dead ends. hours and hours of internet scouring at various coffee shops with no results. starting to get a little worried guys. starting to get a lot worried...BUT, this week i'm gonna try something new and split it up into not one, not two, but THREE different posts. short(ish) and sweet.

Lindsey's 4th Week Living in NYC (L's4WLNYC)
Part 1: these are a few of my favorite things (to eat)

MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY June 28th, June 29th, June 30th, July 1st

being unemployed and dejected and living in the most expensive city in the entire world (AND the most exciting in terms of food) it's important to remain positive and find ways to make even the most frustrating and sticky- hot exciting and fun-food-filled. give a warm welcome to:

Dumplings, Bahn Mi, & Pizza

these have become staples in my diet. (healthy huh? whatever, its like a million degrees and i walk everywhere. i think it evens out.) while i have sampled a number of options in all three of these categories, here i present to you my favorite of favorites: (and all within 5 blocks of my house!)

1.) Pizza. doy, you know i love it. you have read a thing or two about a particular place that still moves me almost to tears every time i eat there and ex-heart-throbs like Matt Dillon also enjoys...(South Brooklyn Pizza). however, it's important for me to mix it up a bit so that i a.) don't become a house-hold name which would be sorta cool but also sort of humiliating (im already well on my way...) b.) don't get sick of it! plus i like variety!

my other go-to spot is Two Boots (which i have also blogged about). it's not THAT good, but they have many many selections of slices to choose from which i enjoy! and many many meaty options, which i also enjoy! my favorite is the Super Newman (named after the Seinfeld character- the place doubles as a Video Rental so all the 'za's have film or tv names). The Super Newman is topped with Sopressata, sweet Italian sausage, capicola ham and ricotta. other menu options include The Dude (Cajun-bacon cheeseburger pie), The Bird (spicy buffalo wings, blue cheese dressing, scallions & jalapenos on a white pie- Garret are you reading this?????) and many many more. i'm pretty traditional when it comes to 'za so i'll stick with Italian meats (and lots of them...)


2.) Dumplings. this is a brand new cheap food option for me. i've always been a pot-sticker fan but little did i know that dumplings would have such a tremendous influence on my new New York life! i've blogged about Vanessa's Dumplings twice with glowing reviews but i have found another (and i think, better) place for a dumpling fix.

Dumpling Man is located on the very happening street, Saint Marks (also know as E 8th) and is a bit pricier than Vanessa's (6 for $3.95 instead of 6 for $1) but the Dumpling Man is a.) adorable and b.) offers me options! in addition to your basic dumpling choice (pork, shrimp, chicken, veggie and surprise (!!!) i usually always got with Pork for most dumplings) you also get to choose a sauce! the possibilities! i have only tried the Hot Monster, chili, wild pepper, garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, soy sauce and peanuts but I'm just as eager to try the other options, Cool Monster, Asian Tahini, and Green Curry. the dumplings are hot and fresh and handmade like Vanessa's but they have more substance i think. they are more exciting. more complex. great attributes for a dumpling. (they also offer sweet dumplings filled with things like bananas and pumpkin pie filling but you know how i feel about sweets.)



3.) Bahn Mi. aka The Vietnamese Sandwich. ive tried three different places: Bahn Mi Saigon (from that first week) Baoguette and finally, Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches, which is at the end of my block. Nicky's wins for me. ive only tried Classic Bahn Mi (Pate, Vietnamese ham, Roasted ground pork w/pickled carrots, cucumber, cintroy and mayo on warm, crusty toasted baguette) but i'm
quite happy with it. the two other places i tried were also fabulous but the ground pork was marinated or cooked in a sweet, bbq-like sauce and i just prefer the savory pork at Nicky's. i also prefer my Bahn Mi to be less than a block away! and $5. all visitors will be required to try Nicky's.(don't worry mom, the cilantro comes out easily!)


while i desperately miss Mexican food (especially Little Chihuahua) i believe i can be happy with Bahn Mi, Dumplings and Pizza as my new go-to meals. and at those prices, it's hard to not eat them everyday! (however, i've been told that eating cheap dumplings everyday for an extended period of time doesn't end pretty...)

the BEST stuff i'm eating at the BEST places

DISCLAIMER: this is going to be delicious to read. perhaps too delicious. if you haven't eaten today or are even a wee bit hungry i warn you to grab a snack before you read on...

SATURDAY, June 26th


after such a long and eventful Friday I slept in biiiiggg time today, did my laundry and then headed over to a bar right down the street, Croxley Ales for some beers, wings and the USA v. Ghana game. after our tragic defeat we headed home for a nap and to get ready for dinner. Garret headed over to see a play with Chris Pena and Nate and I went to meet his mom for dinner...

Amazing Meal #1: DBGB

DBGB, the new downtown eatery from chef Daniel Boulud, (owner of many award winning restaraunts including three star Michelin star winning DANIEL...ahem) is super hip, young and sexy. the staff is well-informed and professional but the menu and decor is relaxed. "The interiors "take their cue from the Bowery's history as New York's industrial restaurtant supply neighborhood. Floor to ceiling shelving stocked with the restaurant's own tools.." and in the bar the walls are covered in mirrors with Boulud's favorite culinary quotes. it just felt good in there!

Nate and i started off with a cocktail at the bar. flipping through SIX PAGES of beer options- draft and bottled, domestic and imported-we opted for the Pim's Pale (pimm's no.1, beefeater gin, ginger syrup, india pale ale) for me and Bowery Blast (which isnt online but was whiskey, lemony-something and some kind of bitters....) for Nate. both were refreshing and unique. Nate's mom Connie showed up as did the rest of our party: Connie's college chums Terri and Kismet and Kismet's daughter Rene and her friend Olivia. lovely lovely lovely ladies!

the menu stressed me out. i wanted it all. all the apps, all the charcuterie, all the links, bangers and saucisses, even all the offal- all of it!!!! even after i had basically made up my mind i just couldn't close my menu because i wanted to try to taste it all via osmosis by reading each item description again and again and again.

we started off with some "sawsages"- Beaujolaise, pork, mushrooms, onion, bacon & red wine link with lentils de puy, and the Tunisienne, lamb & mint merguez with harissa lemon braised spinach & chickpeas with mint yogurt.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm

i could hardly wait for our mains...luckily we had great company and wine to hold me over!

unfortunatly we had a show to get to at 9:30 and time was a-tickin' and the kichen was a-strugglin' so by the time we got our entrees we were kind of strapped for time. no matter. i was lost in my own world. i ordered a burger. but not 'just a burger', folks. it was called...

The Frenchie, 6oz beef patty with confit pork belly, arugula, & morbier cheese on a peppered brioche bun with cornichon, mustard and fries.

i didn't even feel that guilty eating the entire thing. and i as i told the ladies, i ate it neat. no condiments. just the juices and flavors, please. it was awesome. no more words.

the rest of the crew ordered just as smartly. Nate got a sausage duo of the Thai, pork, lemongrass and red curry links, green papaya, basil fried rice, chili sauce, quail egg and the Boudin Basque spicy blood and pigs head sausage, scallion mashed potatoes (wonderful & wonderful) and Connie got a small plate- Asparagus & Fried Egg smoked duck & cracklins, mustard egg dressing (wonderful). the fried egg was a soft boiled and breaded whole egg. magic!

too late for dessert so Connie sent Nate and the gang to get our seats for the show and i waited with Connie. the show we saw was a musical called Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, ya know, just the hottest play in NYC! all the celebs saw it. (it closed on Sunday) it was AMAZING! funny! i loved it. here is a clip of it and a bit about the show itself...

great show. great fun. after i went all the way up to Harlem to Amelia's old house (a gorgeous brownstone up by 145th street) with Garret and Chris Pena then all the way back down to our neighborhood for a drink at Welcome to the Johnsons, a stop at dunkin donuts and bed.

SUNDAY, June 27th

we were up-and-at-em at 11:30 and out of the house by noon to go to Citi Field in Queens for the Mets vs. Twins game! yeeeeowwww! my second baseball game! little did i know how amazing it was actually going to be...so here were our seats. ya know, just RIGHT BEHIND THE DUGOUT. crazy i love baseball, as it turns out! here's another shot with my (first) ballpark snack...

beers, hot dogs, people yelling obscenities- what's not to love!

luckily it was slightly overcast otherwise we would have died. it was already really hot and going into the 'silver lounge' area with the cranked up AC only made it worse!

we had a great time. here we are, having a great time. big thanks to Terri for giving us the tickets and for such a great day!!!!

garret said i couldn't do the 'rock-on' hand signal at baseball but what does he know?!

after the game, (Mets beat the Twins 6-0) we headed back to the city for showers and dinner with Connie again....

Amazing Meal #2: a voce

a voce is the restaraunt of Chef Missy Robbins, Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2010 winner...
it's in Columbus Circle, which is so New York and so beautiful, and on the third floor of the Time Warner Center with view of Trump Tower and Central Park. preeeettty nice...

a light and airy dining room with an open kitchen and these GREAT swivel chairs. after a day of sun and beer and sweat it felt like walking under the Mr. Misters at the California State Fair. (you know exactly what i'm talking about norcal peeps...) We had some delightful french bubbly to start (which was another kind of palate cleanser after hot dogs and beer) and opened our menus...

an equally torturous menu for me. luckily we were all so excited about everything that we ordered A TON so i could relax. first they brought out the bread that was Warm Focaccia with ricotta, olive oil, basil and red chili flakes for dipping. it was impossible not to eat the entire thing but i knew what was to come so i refrained.

and then everything came out all at once!!!!!!!!

Stracciatella,
creamy Pugliese mozzarealla, roasted artichokes, lemon thyme, bresaola

the 'Pugliese mozzarealla' was basically burrata and the dish came with toasted bread. the creamy, soft cheese, smoky, salty bresaola, spicy arugula and rich, crisp artichokes were just a perfect combination of flavors and textures and what i LOVE about Italian food..

Cassoncini con Prosciutto di Parma
swiss chard and crescenza cheese filled fried dough, Prosciutto di Parma
nothing makes me happier than fried dough-filled pockets. oh, and add some cured pork product? sure!

Insalata di scarola
escarole, warm pancetta vinaigrette, soft boiled farm egg, pecorino romano
once that egg cracked open and all that glorious yellow gold came flowing out the party really got started in this salad. there were bread crumbs all up in there as well and when we got to the bottom of the bowl you better believe we were scrapping up all those nasty bits

Lardo
i love this picture. its just glistening and grotesque and in your face and fabulous- kind of like what Lardo is all about! Lardo is a type of salume made my curing strips of pig fat with herbs and spices. the result is a melt-in-your-mouth, buttery texture. this dish kind of changed my life. i have seen video and pictures and read articles about Lardo but had never tried it and now i feel like i need it to be in my fridge at all times. good LORD. good LARD-O!

we polished off the apps in no time. a lot of yummy sounds, not a lot of talking. (the true testament to a great meal.) Entree time...while the entrees, or Secondi, section of the menu had some incredilbe offerings (swordfish and sea bass and lamb- oh my!) we opted for pasta all around. i couldn't have been happier.

Nate & Garret both ordered
Pappardelle, rabbit sausage, fennel, caramelized onions, parmigiano

I love rabit ragu or rabbit sausage-it's so Italian! and the fresh fennel on the top added a great herbaceous flavor to the game-y, light sauce.

I ordered
Pansotti, robiola filled pasta, peas, spring garlic, basil
just pure decadence. the creamy robiola and the creamy sauce! the fresh spring garlic, peas and basil were essential to breaking up the naughtiness of this dish. as rich as it was, it was also so simple and fabulous that i had no troulbe polishing it off...

Connie ordered...
Raviolini, porcini filled pasta, parmiganio, Prosciutto di Parma
woodsy mushrooms, salty Prosciutto and that light, earthy sauce made this one a winner for the boys.

so stuffed....or were we???? HAD to get dessert! this was becoming quite possibly one of the best meals of my life. and we hadn't even had dessert yet!!! (although i'm not really one to jump up out of my chair for chocolate or any other sweetie sweet, we did well.)

Strudel apple strudel, brown butter, buckwheat honey gelato

Bomobolini alla Toscana tuscan donuts, bittersweet chocloate.

here's Garret 'garret-handing' the chocolate so that you can see it all drippy and delish.
oh, and those donuts were mother-f***ing cream filled. no joke.

i finished off this most amazing meal with espresso.
FINALLY a shot of espresso pulled perfectly.

whew!!!

aren't you glad i warned you to get a snack first??? ive had three of my favorite things to eat today (to be blogged about tomorrow...) and i just had a toffutti cutie and im still hungry writing about and remembering that meal.

BIG BIG BIG thanks to Connie for taking us out to eat at these
amazing places this weekend!! a truly memorable experience and great fun!!!
COME BACK SOON!
XOXO, L & G & N

thanks for reading!
xo, L