Tagliata @ Bar Pitti

Sooooo goooood!!!

Tea & Sympathy

Bangers, mash and beans with a side of Earl Grey at Tea & Sympathy
in the West Village.

Smith's

Grilled lobster with butternut squash puree and black trumpet mushrooms

Smith’s opened its doors just a few weeks ago and is already behaving like a celebrity when it comes to making a reservation (two weeks in advance). I guess it figures, considering its parents are the masterminds behind Raoul’s and the Mermaid Inn. Zagat describes it as an American restaurant – a descriptive I have to somewhat disagree with. I've noticed a "patriotic" pattern in the restaurant business that bothers me a bit. Every time a restaurant cannot define its cuisine it categorizes itself as “American” or “New American”. Granted, American food does not rely solely on burgers and hot dogs and can definitely be gourmet. Still, just by looking at Smith's menu it’s more than obvious that the force major behind its kitchen is European. Perhaps a new category is in order: Euro-American. Here, however, is where I stop my ranting. Smith’s, the new Euro-American restaurant in the west village, was an exquisite delight across the board.

Zazi and I began our decadent meal by ordering a bottle of 2006 Abbot’s Table from Oregon that was passionately recommended by our waitress. Abbot’s Table is a blend of nine different red wine grapes which, supposedly, makes it compliment a wide range of food. It certainly saluted our meal.

For appetizers we started with a buttery Hudson Valley Foie Gras with black mission fig jam and black pepper. The pâté was served at room temperature, which made it super spreadable. With the sweet and tart fig jam it was pretty close to divine. The only shortcoming was the toast that could have been sliced a little thinner to let the pâté shine even brighter. We continued with a salad of charred baby squid with lemon confit, olives and pancetta. The combination of flavors was precise and fantastic. Nothing was too overpowering. It was, by all means, a team effort.

For our entrées, Zazi went for roasted lamb chops with a tomato and red pepper ragout and parmigiano puree (yes, a puree of cheese! Brilliant!) The lamb was cooked to perfection and the puree, oh the puree. How could that possibly disappoint? I went for the grilled lobster served with butternut squash puree and black trumpet mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious. Lobsters can be very tricky and get too chewy when not cooked right. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. Our waitress, god bless her soul, suggested that we order 2 side dishes with our entrées. We went for the seductive creamy polenta with a drizzle of black truffle and a cauliflower and Taleggio cheese gratin. Honestly, I’m starting to run out of good adjectives. Both were beyond excellent, especially the polenta. I think I had a dream about it last night. I woke up all sweaty and stuff...

For dessert we ordered the chocolate bread pudding. I feel like I should apologize for this boring review: where’s the ruthless critic I consider myself to be? Well, the bread pudding was great. Sorry, it just was.

Foodzi will definitely revisit (after selling some stuff on eBay).

Bottom line: 98 :)

90+ to feast like royalty

Smith's
79 MacDougal St. (bet. Bleecker & Houston Sts.)
(212) 260-0100

Bar Pitti

I wanted my first blog entry to be on a sizzling new restaurant, but at 8:30 on a Friday night even Jesus can't get a table. So, somewhat disappointed, Zazi and I have decided to go to Bar Pitti where we're always welcomed.

Pitti is undoubtedly my favorite restaurant in NYC. I refer to it as "my kitchen" since I literally live across the street. Granted, I have enjoyed better food in the Big Apple, but it usually comes with more digits on the check.

I've been a regular customer for the past 4 years, and between Zazi and I, we've tasted almost everything on the menu (except for the paninies, which always seemed like a waste of time).

Last night we started with the usual spinaci (sautéed spinach) and beef carpaccio (for lack of a better agreed-upon option on the specials menu). The spinaci is sautéed in olive oil and garlic. The carpaccio is served with tossed arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese, and it is escorted by a wedge of lemon (that was most certainly used). Both were delicious, though the bread has had a long day and was a little dry. The spinaci, btw, is a MUST. Trust me.

For the main course Zazi ordered the Veal Milanese (a thin piece of veal breaded then fried, served with the bone). The Milanese comes with a salad on top comprised of tomatoes, cucumbers and arugula. The dressing is a mix of 3 different vinegars and fresh chopped garlic. The good thing about Pitti is its owner, Giovani, who picks the produce himself and has impeccable standards. So, if the tomatoes are not plump enough, they will NEVER end up on your plate. Zazi gave her Milanese a high-five. I went for the Linguini Vongole (clam sauce). This delight contains fresh clams, white wine and a hint of tomato sauce. The linguini was perfectly al dente. I ate like a good girl.

To accompany our meal we ordered two glasses of the house’s red wine (Multipuciano) to which we fondly refer to as The Vinegar. If Pitti needs to improve something it’s their wine by the glass selection (right now they only offer one possibility for either red or white).

All in all, it was another great dinner at my favorite kitchen.

Tip: before ordering, always check what’s on the specials menu. It’s written in Italian which makes it annoying, but have the waiter translate it for you.

Recommended dishes from the regular menu: penne bolognese (ask for spaghetti instead), pappardelle Alla fiesolana, taglierini all' empolese (ask for spaghetti instead of their homemade taglierini)

Recommended dishes from the specials menu: spinaci, puntarelle (chicory with white anchovy dressing), carciofi (sautéed baby artichokes), papardelle with wild boar ragout, lamb chops

Bottom line - 95 :)

50+ with drinks

Bar Pitti
268 6th Avenue (between Bleecker & Houston)
(212) 982-3300