Va Bene, Revisited

Last evening, Irving Schild – my videographer at KFWE 2016 – and yours truly, had dinner at my favorite dairy Italian restaurant in Manhattan: Va Bene (1589 2nd Ave, New York 10028 – Tel: 212.517.4448). The place, as usual, was mobbed when we got there around 7:00pm. We each had one dish and, at least for me, the portion was enough to satiate me.

Irving ordered Ravioli a la Giudia, this time it was covered in Alfredo Sauce (when I ordered it last time, it came in a tomato sauce), he asked to have some more grated Parmeggiano cheese over it. The Ravioli were filled with artichokes and cheese. He declared it absolutely delicious!

I had a freshly stretched chunk of Mozzarella cheese, topped with tomato and onion bathed with lemon juice and olive oil, it was a rare treat, indeed!

We each had a glass of the house Sauvignon Blanc, a perfect pairing!

CS

Prime Pizza and Shakes (Brooklyn’s Pizza da Solo)

I’ve been waiting for almost 2 years for this pizzeria to open up in my neighborhood, finally – yesterday – Prime Pizza and Shakes (1202 Avenue J; Brooklyn, NY 11230 – Tel: 718.521.6141 – entrance on 12th Street) opened. I’d always hoped it would be at least, similar to the SONY building’s Pizza Da Solo in Manhattan (between 55th and 56th at 550 Madison Avenue), and it didn’t disappoint! Prices and sizes are more in line with Brooklyn’s demographics; quality, taste, freshness still live up to the high standards of Joey Allaham‘s other eateries.

Putting my Margherita in the oven…

Last evening I couldn’t wait to try them out, the whole day I’d been salivating at the thought of tasting their pizza… I ordered a simple Margherita which comes with San Marzano tomato sauce, homemade mozzarella, basil and parmegiano cheese…

It looked delicious, it smelled delicious, it tasted delicious…

No tomato compares with the San Marzano variety. With its superior, rich tomato flavor and meaty interior, this is the classic variety for superb canning and paste making. Many of the world’s top chefs consider San Marzano the best sauce tomato on earth.

Today, for lunch I went back and ordered a pizza I’d never tasted before. I wanted to try something different, I wanted to see what made Chef Giulio Adriani tick, so I ordered his favorite, The Montanara. This is a fried dough pizza…

Frying the dough for my Montanara…

Once the dogh was nicely fried, it was covered with the ingredients that make a Margherita…

Incredible what frying the dough, does for the taste.

As scrumptious as my last eve’s Margherita was, The Montanara was so much better! No wonder it is Chef Giulio‘s favorite.

So, what could possibly be wrong with having such a great pizzeria in the neighborhood? That’s easy… I’m becoming addicted! I will be returning again, and again, and again!

CS

Raffaello Pizza – Amore Italiano!

Rafaello (37 West 46th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue, NY, NY 10036 – Tel:212.575.6550), is set to revolutionize what we call kosher pizza, here in New York; the owner is Italian (and operates a famous restaurant in Rome), and so is the Chef. This past Sunday, I stopped by to see what the fuss was about, not only can I testify that everything I’d heard was true, but actually it all was an understatement. They offer 17 different types of pizza, including one gluten free, two different calzones, salads and three different types of pasta. But it is that pizza of theirs where they truly shine; as their website says:

The thin crust made with a dough left to rise for 2 days in order to minimize the amount of yeast and make it more digestible together with hand picked fresh ingredients makes it the perfect meal.

At Raffaello pizza slices are not triangular, they are rectangular and sizes are generous; the choices are as pleasant to the eye, as they are in aroma, as they are to the palate…

Slices of Eggplant Pizza and Black Olive with San Marzano Tomatoes and Mozarella… both types are mouth watering!

Cheese, pasta and black olives…

The calzones come freshly baked rather than rewarmed – as other establishments all too often do – filled with vegetables and oozing with melted cheese…

But I was in for a big delicious surprise at the end, at the recommendation of a couple next to my table I ordered the dessert pizza…

It didn’t look as elegant as the selections that preceded it, but the Chocolate Pizza with hot hazelnut spread and powdered sugar was better than I could ever have imagined, it certainly was a great way to end the meal. As a result of all the above, when I somehow found myself in the neighborhood at lunch time, yesterday, I just had to go back!

CS

Sòlo – Revisited

We’ve reviewed Sòlo in its prior incarnation (here, and here), so why are we reviewing it again? Sòlo (550 Madison Avenue; New York, NY 10022; Telephone: 212.833.7800 – in the atrium of the SONY building), has reinvented itself as a dairy restaurant. We liked it as a meat eatery, now it changed… We had more than enough confidence in Prime Hospitality Group‘s Corporate Chef David Kolotkin so we decided to give it a try and see what a former meat restaurant turned dairy could do…

SYR had an out of town guest, whose home cooking is the stuff legends are made of (I should know, I’ve stayed in their guest house many a time over the years!), and she came with me. We chose a busy time, on a busy night, with last minute reservations to best test the service. As soon as we were assigned a table, we found ourselves in the able hands of Eka Halim, waiter extraordinaire!

Fritto Misto all’ Italiana

We started our repast with Fritto Misto all’ Italiana, an assorted plate of rice balls, potato croquettes, eggplant and zucchini served with a trio of unique dipping sauces. The tastes were subtle yet definite, the sauces, rather than overpowering, introduced nice variations; we both loved it!

We segued with Big Eye Tuna Tartare – a raw big eye tuna, local farmed apples, roasted pine nuts, marinated in a red wine vinaigrette, served chilled – and Branzino Carpaccio…

Branzino Carpaccio

…it consisted of raw, thinly sliced white fish, citrus  salt and capers, drizzled with an artisanal imported Italian olive oil and squeezed lemon.

Both were scrumptious; it was obvious the combination of ingredients was done with as much attention, as much focus on the final result, as the old master painters of the Renaissance put into the mixing of their colors!

Next we tried Eggplant Parmeggiana, slow baked alternating layers of eggplant with tomato sauce, parmesan and daily homemade mozzarella. Every ingredient shone on its own as well as a member of a well choreographed ballet on my palate. Wooow!

Before trying the pastas we had a Warm Goat Cheese Salad, with hazelnut crusted goat cheese croquette, arugula, roasted beet medley, caramelized local market pears, haricots verts drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette. Superbly balanced flavors. We segued into Rigatoni alla Carbonara Vegetariana…

Rigatoni alla Carbonara Vegetariana

The rigatoni pasta came with with zucchini, garden basil, imported pecorino romano cheese, eggs, cracked black pepper and cream. Richly flavorful!

We followed with Homemade Truffle & Butternut Squash Ravioli, with truffle Parmesan sauce and sliced black truffle…

Homemade Truffle and Butternut Squash Ravioli

…the Parmesan sauce gave it all a superb taste without overpowering anything else!

Risotto al Pesto was Chef David’s next choice for us…

Risotto al Pesto

This delicate, aromatic risotto came with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and haricot verts. Excellent, is an understatement!

Fettucini alla Puttanesca came next….

Fettuccine alla Puttanesca

Fresh homemade fettuccine with imported olives, capers, garlic and grape tomatoes, t’was a true masterpiece in taste and in looks.

Penne alla Vodka was our next dish…

Penne alla Vodka

It came with tomato sauce, onions, cherry tomatoes  and romano cheese. Probably the best Penne alla Vodka I ever had.

Fish came next, considering that a mere three and a half years ago I could still honestly say I never tasted fish, I learned to appreciate the creatures rather fast. In rapid succession we devoured Wild Smoked Salmon and Mozzarella, Tuna Filet Pepper Verde and a Chilean Sea Bass Scallopini.

The wild salmon came in an avocado puree, with homemade mozzarella in a balsamic reduction; there is hardly anything as delicious as fresh salmon. The tuna filet was served with green pepper crusted big eye tuna steak, Dijon mustard, cream and a vodka reduction. The sea bass dish consisted of thinly sliced Chilean sea bass sauteed with lemon, white wine, capers, sundried tomatoes, parsley, basil and shallots. All three were a testament to the Chef’s artistry.

We washed this massive feast down with a Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, as suggested by – our waiter – Eka. Though it is a native California wine, its style is very French; it exhibits currant, berry, and cherry combined with a delightful earthy minerality. Its tannins are soft, smooth and well balanced, culminating in a long elegant finish.

We capped the meal with a Tiramisu, again it was obvious that while we had expected a delicious meal, we got a very memorable royal feast!

There is no question I’ll be coming back again and again!

CS

My Most Favorite Food

This past Thursday I had lunch at My Most Favorite Food (247 W 72nd St, between Broadway & West End Avenue; New York, NY 10023 — Tel: 212.997.5130), with owner Doris Schechter and Karen Brooks. MMFF is a classy, dairy eatery where I had already stopped for breakfast before.

My Most Favorite Food ambiance is warm and friendly, perfect for a nice meal. I settled in the Garden Room, at the back. One of the brick walls was lined with artwork depicting desserts, the view itself is beautiful with some trees and bushes peeking in through the glass, the brick walls perfectly match the building behind the garden, all tastefully done! Whenever I’ve gone there for breakfast, I always sat in the enclosed front, watching the various types of people passing by, imagining their lives, would have been a great pastime, except the food’s always been too delicious to allow for such distractions.

I started out with a Grilled Salmon Ceasar Nicoise, sprinkled with parmesan shavings. The salmon was very fresh and tasty. The parmesan was strong enough to be noticed, a delightful accompaniment to the salmon, croutons and lettuce.

I followed with a superb Kale Soup, creamy and delicious. But my sweet tooth got the best deal…

The Strawberry Shortcake was very good indeed, but it was only a warmup for what was to come next…

Though the photo above fails to do them justice, the selections that followed were a study in creamy decadence at its best: Carrot Cake, Cheese Cake, Chocolate Truffle Cake and my favorite of them all, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake!

The espresso coffee tasted like the best I’ve had in Italy, very authentic. As always, service was friendly and attentive. Now that I’ve enjoyed breakfast and lunch, I’ll just have to come back for dinner and pair a fish dish with some great wine. Meanwhile, I’ll have to try their boxed lunches, come to think of it they’ll make nice picnic fare on a family outing.

There is one thing I wish could be overcome… the noise level was rather high. Overall the experience was well worth it and yes, gentle reader, I’ll be back again and again.

CS

Today’s Radio Show

This afternoon at 5:00 pm (Eastern Time), we will talk with Doris Schechter of My Most Favorite Food on BlogTalkRadio.com. Doris arrived on these shores in 1944 as part of a transport of refugees from Europe and as a guest of President Roosveldt. She eventually opened up My Most Favorite Dessert Company and in time moved her enterprise to its present location where it became a full service restaurant, combining a bakery and a cafe (beautiful and sedately elegant in its theme) – with superb fare – under the name My Most Favorite Food.

Doris is the author of two cookbooks available online and at the restaurant: At Oma’s Table and My Most Favorite Dessert Company Cookbook. She will talk to us about her coming to this country as a young kid, becoming an entrepreneur, cookbook author and succeeding at every endeavor.

Meanwhile in case you missed it, you can listen to the archive of last week’s show with cookbook author Lévana Kirschenbaum. We spoke about her newest cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen and the concept behind “whole foods,” their health advantage and benefits.

Don’t forget to tune us in this afternoon at 5:00 pm (Eastern Time), we will talk with Doris Schechter of My Most Favorite Food on BlogTalkRadio.com. We’ll be waiting for you!

CS

Cafe Renaissance

Last week RN and I had an early dinner at Cafe Renaissance (802 Kings Highway, NY 11223-2240; Tel: 718.382.1900). We were prepared for a sumptuous, scrumptious meal but even so we were pleasantly surprised.

RN opted to begin her early dinner with Sauteed Artichoke in a very aromatic lemon-garlic sauce. Delectable, she said.

I started with a colorful Green Dragon Sushi Roll, it consisted of spicy salmon, cucumber, avocado, topped with spicy mayonnaise and crunch…

Green Dragon Roll

We both found it succulent; the spicy salmon gave it just enough of a bite, a great meal starter!

Next I had a Citrus Salad…

Citrus Salad

It came with Romain lettuce, baby greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and pomelo strips. The blend of flavors of fresh fruit and vegetables combined to form a perfectly harmonious symphony of wholesome flavors.

RN opted for the Healthy Salad, with low glyceride pasta, sauteed spinach, broccoli, olive oil, garlic topped with Parmesan cheese.  She described it as perfectly cooked pasta, with a superb cheese topping.

We then shared a Greek Salad with feta cheese, olives and more. Again, like the earlier salads, this one did not disappoint.

Starting the mains, we shared a very tender St. Peter’s Fish…

St Peter's Fish

It came accompanied with red, yellow, and green peppers with a flower carved lemon. It was juicy, tender and neither tasted nor smelled fishy. Quite good!

We segued the above dish with a Grilled Salmon for RN and a Salmon Teriyake for me. Both were delicious and while the list so far should have been enough to satisfy the most ravenous creature, we were not done yet…

We finished the meal by sharing a Four Seasons Pizza…

Four Seasons Pizza

Its eight slices infour sections consisted of Vodka & Cheese (my favorite!!), Mushroom, Roasted garlic and Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Black Olives and Pesto over Cheese, and Roasted Tomatoes, Broccoli and Cheese. As a pizza connoisseur, I am compelled to give this combination very high marks.

We washed the meal down with a Bartenura Pinot Grigio 2008. A well balanced dry white wine with tangy lemon/grapefruit aromas and flavors and a great aftertaste. All in all it was a very enjoyable meal, beautifully presented, but…

Considering the amount of dishes we consumed and pleasantly surprised as we were at the consistency of freshness, quality, and unsurpassed flavor I felt obligated to speak to Cafe Renaissance‘ owner, Shaul Ashkenazi. We wanted to know about his background and how he developed the successful philosophy behind this eatery.

Shaul started out in the business under his father, 40 years ago; the father owned and operated a very popular restaurant on Tel Aviv’s Rechov Sheinkin. Among the restaurants habitués were many prominent politicians (including Golda Meir) and financial bigwigs who often concluded many a political or financial deal at the restaurant’s tables. Later, in 1975, Mr. Ashkenazi opened up his own place in Ramat Gan (Gute Gute), next to the Stock and the Diamond Exchanges.

Eventually, after the death of his father, since all his siblings were already in the US, he too emigrated to these shores. Ten years ago he opened Cafe Renaissance, he sought only quality fresh ingredients and required each Chef do things his way. While most Executive Chefs get to decide on the menu, here only Shaul and his wife Tikvah make those decisions. Any item on the menu gets rigorously tested by the couple and honed to perfection before it is ever served to any restaurant patron.

Shaul’s son-in-law Ronnie manages the Ashkenazis second venture Cafe Venezia (1391 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11230; Tel: 718.258.5400). We’ll just have to try it!

CS

Tiberias

Comfortable, relaxed, upscale, delicious… Those words barely describe this brand new eatery in Midtown Manhattan. Tiberias (45 East 34th Street; NY, NY 10016; Tel: 212.481.4222). is under OK supervision, its fare is cholov Yisroel dairy. SYR and I went there yesterday at mid afternoon, less than a week after it opened. It may be brand new but, the two Steinhart brothers have been working in and managing restaurants for the last five years, in spite of their very young ages. This is the realization of their dream, a dream of having a unique restaurant with something different than the standard offerings. If this is how they started, it will not just be a dream!

A partial view of Tiberias Restaurant

SYR started the meal with the Stuffed Mushrooms, stuffed  with fresh vegetables topped with mozzarella and doused in cream sauce.

5 button mushrooms, stuffed with vegetables, topped with mozarella, doused in cream sauce.

She found it very flavorful, each ingredient combined for a delicious, perfect, appetizer.

I had the Gravalax. Homemade smoked salmon with potato crustini and cucumber salad with dill and mustard,  subtly flavored and very good to the palate.

We then shared the Special of the Day, Pasta del Sol. It consisted of penne with cream sauce and cherry tomato culis, topped with a nicely sized grilled Atlantic salmon.

Considering it was a hot, humid day SYR accompanied the meal with a Lime & Srawberry Smoothie, made from freshly squeezed lime juice, a bit of lemon zest,  fresh strawberries and crushed ice. It looked great and tasted even better. I had the Coffee Slim Shake (it’s sugar free, but you wouldn’t believe it from that great taste!), it came with ice cream, skim milk and was topped with cocoa powder. On the table next to us, a young lady was feasting on an interesting looking Affogato de Gelato, her expression told us it must have tasted heavenly. She explained to us that she’s enjoyed it here before, it consists of a large scoop of sugar free vanilla ice cream, in a boiling shot of espresso served in a martini glass…

We ended the meal with their Jack Daniels Cheese Cake, this is a Mozart type cheese cake with 2% percent of Jack Daniels whiskey. It tasted superb  and looked great, served with three ice cream scoops, some whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Jack Daniels Cheese Cake

SYR had a Torino Hot Chocolate, gourmet hot chocolate with a partially submerged milk chocolate bar… buonissimo, ottimo!!! I had their Cappuccino, an espresso with steamed milk topped with foam, made from Italy’s famed Danesi Gold Beans…. subtly sweet with a pinch of brown sugar, artistically presented.

Tiberias Cappuccino

A great experience in a brand new eatery with a nice ambiance; as SYR puts it, NO-GUILT DELISH! This definitely calls for an encore…

CS

Basil – Pizza & Wine Bar

At the edge of Crown Height’s Jewish neighborhood, we walked through the tall glass paned doors of Basil Pizza and Wine Bar (270 Kingston Ave; Brooklyn, NY 11213; Telephone: 718.285.8777). We were greeted by the lovely homey smells coming from their large wood oven, clearly center staged by design, partnered with an open bar and cooking area. Soft relaxing Latin music permeated a high vaulted room adorned with 13 honey jar shaped glass lanterns hanging at variegated heights back-dropped by a glass fronted honey comb wine casement.  Marble top tables and dark rustic wooden chairs filled the room commodiously, seating 45 comfortably.

Partial view of Basil. Clara Perez, the Manager, taking a breather in one of those rare low traffic moments.

The pizza and wine bar opened its doors in late February of this year. Just a few months in, with an extensive gourmet dairy menu created by his predecessor, Chef Adam  (who started his culinary training in Italy’s Costa D’Amalfi – then the restaurant’s sous-chef – was suddenly asked to take the helm as chef de cuisine.  Like the young Luciano Pavoratti in February 1965 – who was asked to replace the regular tenor – in an evening’s fateful  performance (Donizzetti’s Lucia de Lamermoor) at the Greater Miami Opera, young Chef Adam stepped up to the plate prevailing successfully without missing a single high note apparently, for he served up dish after dish of consistently delicious Basil favorites.

We began this, our latest restaurant adventure, with their Wild Mushroom Pizza made with Goat Cheese, Mozzarella and Truffle Oil, we took a side dish of their signature Basil Fries, sprinkled with Fresh Parmesan aside a  Garlic-Truffle Mayo Dip- clearly – not for the faint hearted.  Both were delicious.  The thin crusted pizza dough (made with imported Italian flour) was terrific, as were the wild mushrooms and goat cheese topping. CS predictably downed a respectable number of fries, loving the crispy strips dipped in truffle mayo. We both opted for Tishbi’s Chenin Blanc to accompany our meal. It was perfect for the table fare and the balmy summer afternoon. I had a respectable Arugula and Beets Salad topped with medallions of warm goat cheese sprinkled with pine nuts and a truffle vinaigrette.

CS, gnocchi Gnostic that he is, couldn’t help but devour the Goat Cheese Gnocchi Gratin rich with Tomatoes, Spinach and Parmesan Bread Crumbs. He found it flavorful, authentic Italian Campagna, done to perfection! We sampled three more mains; spinach ricotta dumplings, striped bass, and a saffron risotto.  I went for their Striped Bass, with Charred Fennel, Pea Risotto and Meyer Lemon Cream. Presentation was outstanding as you can see from the pictures below (we had a very, very tough time settling on only three photos of the dishes!).  The charred fennel was set like a sail atop a perfectly cooked striped bass a sea in a gustable green pea risotto. The Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings with Melted Mozzarella were ambrosial- especially with the enfolded Tomatoes  Roasted for 24 hours in Balsamic Vinegar, fennel seeds and just the right touch of chili flakes. Basil buys mozzarella curd and stretches it on location, enhancing the flavor that much more.  The Saffron Risotto with Forest Mushrooms, Grilled White Asparagus, was quite aromatic. The forest mushrooms and white asparagus were savory & toothsome, though at this point we were quite full.

Goat Cheese Gnocchi Gratin

Stiped Bass, with Charred Fennel, Pea Risotto and Meyer Lemon Cream

Saffron Risotto, with Forest Mushrooms, Grilled White Asparagus, Peas and Parmesan

We’ll have to come back and meet their pastry chef, Ehud Ezra; word on the street is that he is an amazing talent.  A graduate of the Institute for Culinary Education, he trained at Oceana in Manhattan and was Pastry Chef for several years at Whole Foods (among other prestigious establishments), before coming to Basil, we tasted his Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cheese Cake served with Turkish Fig Puree and Melon. He’s there at 5:00 am preparing his croissants and other pastries, opening for breakfast service at 7:30 am. Chef Adam also treated us to a tasting of his home-made colorful Sorbet Trio and Basil Ice Cream (made from basil, you read it right!). Yummmm!

Sitting on the cusp of this Lubavitch neighborhood, Basil stands at the edge of new cuisine and ambiance territory.  The reluctant humble yet flight worthy fledgling chef and his team run a successful operation with the help of their warm friendly manager Clara Perez, whose respect and reverie for the Lubavitch community is admirable. The convergence of crossed cultures amongst their staff and the harmonious blend of clientele dining together with Basil’s good food its nucleus, is nothing short of chevlei mashiach amazing. The obstacles were many; it shouldn’t work but it does, remarkably so! Some places are just plain blessed that way.

SYR

Savor It!

Savor (2925 Avenue P; Brooklyn, NY 11229; Telephone: 718.338.1353), a newly opened dairy restaurant is off to a running start with a superb menu. It features Mediterranean and Asian dishes, each made in authentic, exacting manner without compromise.

A partial view...

SYR and I had the pleasure of eating here, mid-afternoon today. Lior Saiag, the Chef/owner graduated from the New York Restaurant School in 2000 and has since worked at some of the most prestigious eateries in town, under very demanding famous chefs in the city.

Savor represents sort of a coming home, where Chef Lior can provide the frum community with the exacting cuisine standards which, while de rigueur in the non-Jewish world, have not always been present in kosher restaurants. With a more sophisticated consumer, with a clientele no longer content with the standard fare of the past, Chef Lior family is bringing to Savor a rich and wholesome menu.

We started our meal with the in-house made bread and butter.

A light focaccia served on an oak board

SYR followed with Salmon Stuffed with Spinach and Feta, it comes with herbed orzo and a cherry tomato salad.

Salmon Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

The subtle blend of flavors was perfect match. While SYR, never cared for Feta cheese, combining it with with the salmon and the spinach helped her discover a savory dimension she never before experienced.

I had their Chilli Rubbed Grilled Tuna.

Chilli Rubbed Grilled Tuna

It came with buttery mashed potatoes and lemon scented steamed broccoli. The tuna tasted amazingly like a beef steak. As a potato lover, I found the mashed potatoes incredibly delicious and even the broccoli was delectable (my mother would never have imagined I could ever say such a thing about broccoli!).

A great meal at a restaurant with a very nice Mediteranean décor. The attention to detail in the presentation, in the cooking and in the appearance of the restaurant, make it quite obvious that this establishment represents a labor of love, a chef’s dream come true even as it constantly evolves.

CS