Last Monday, Robyn and I went on a very awesome dinner adventure with the even more awesome Ray. We mapped out a plan that was to include four stops throughout the night, to compose one complete meal.
1. Financier (eclair)
2. Adrienne's Pizza Bar (pizza)
3. Blue Marble (ice cream)
4. Al Di La (pasta, ricotta fritters)
I started the journey at 7:30pm very, very hungry, and wound up in bed at 1:00am, very, very full and satisfied.
Our first stop was at Financier, where we were to meet for a pistachio eclair.
But they were sold out!
Alas. Next time.
So we headed a few doors down for the next stop on our agenda: Adrienne's Pizza Bar. There, we grabbed a seat near the windows and shared an old fashioned square pie with sausage.
So we headed a few doors down for the next stop on our agenda: Adrienne's Pizza Bar. There, we grabbed a seat near the windows and shared an old fashioned square pie with sausage. 
It didn't take long for the pie to come out but I was STARVING at the time, so foolishly wiped out one of the (quite lovely!) bread rolls with olive oil and balasmic.
The pizza came in due time and we pounced on it, packing away two slices eat for our "appetizer."
Here's an upskirt shot just for you! :)
Post-pizza, we drove on over to Blue Marble for ice cream.
FYI - Erin and Allison Sugar Rush'ed Blue Marble not too long ago, and Erin just did a post on their biodegradable ice cream spoons Monday.
We poked, prodded, and oohh'ed and ahh'ed over flavor samples...and finally settled on three...
...Green Tea, Cinnamon, and Dulce de Leche Ice cream. The texture and consistency of the ice creams varied widely. Green tea was the firmest of the three, and dulce de leche was the softest...something akin to a whipped semifreddo.
Ice cream was a "cleanser" leaning up to our "real dinner" at Al Di La...
...which was a short drive away and packed to the brim at Monday 9pm. That should say something. We waited in the wine bar, but also ended up eating there. I don't know if it's just me or what, but I like the feel of eating at a bar as opposed to a table. I'd rather sit next to someone than across from them.
I tried to restrain myself when butter and bread arrived at the table...but you know what? Unless you are confident the bread and butter is awful, you should always give it a try. Because you just never know if this could be The Butter and Bread. Like The Best Butter and Bread you ever had. That's why you can never pass it up. Like dessert. No matter how full you may be.
Now you can imagine were starting to get a bit full. The plan was to share three pasta dishes and a salad appetizer or two. Somehow that turned into three pasta dishes, one salad, one "lighter" appetizer, and one "super heavy" appetizer to balance everything out. Plans change ;) First up, seppia and oxtail. A dish of stewed cuttlefish, oxtails, garlic and chili over creamy polenta.
And then, carpaccio with anchovies, capers and thin shaved parmigiano.
And finally, our first serving of greens for the day, a lightly dressed kale salad with GIGANTIC housemade croutons.
And then we moved onto pastas. The casumzieei was my favourite of the night - thin sheets of ravioli housing red beets and ricotta. The ravioli, four to an order, are served with melted butter and poppy seeds. Poppy Seeds! Why have I not had this combination before. It was sooo delicioous and made me very happy. Good pasta, like Otto's olive oil gelato and the smell of babka, tend to have that effect on me.
Our second pasta was the special of the evening, gnocchi with beef ragu and a plop of fresh ricotta.
And then the malfatti. Have you heard that word before? Malfatti? At first I thought it was made-up, but I googled it, and you get this. Malfatti. Like gnocchi, only ricotta based and ten million times more pillowy. This version incorporated swiss chard and was paired with brown butter and fried sage.
It's funny how you can be really full, but the minute dessert lands at the table, its like whoa! My appetite just returned! Above, a trio of sorbets, clockwise from top: Peach, Plum, and Prosecco-Pear. Intensely flavoured, and a perfect finish to a big meal.
Now you can imagine were starting to get a bit full. The plan was to share three pasta dishes and a salad appetizer or two. Somehow that turned into three pasta dishes, one salad, one "lighter" appetizer, and one "super heavy" appetizer to balance everything out. Plans change ;) First up, seppia and oxtail. A dish of stewed cuttlefish, oxtails, garlic and chili over creamy polenta.
And then, carpaccio with anchovies, capers and thin shaved parmigiano.
And finally, our first serving of greens for the day, a lightly dressed kale salad with GIGANTIC housemade croutons.
And then we moved onto pastas. The casumzieei was my favourite of the night - thin sheets of ravioli housing red beets and ricotta. The ravioli, four to an order, are served with melted butter and poppy seeds. Poppy Seeds! Why have I not had this combination before. It was sooo delicioous and made me very happy. Good pasta, like Otto's olive oil gelato and the smell of babka, tend to have that effect on me.
Our second pasta was the special of the evening, gnocchi with beef ragu and a plop of fresh ricotta.
And then the malfatti. Have you heard that word before? Malfatti? At first I thought it was made-up, but I googled it, and you get this. Malfatti. Like gnocchi, only ricotta based and ten million times more pillowy. This version incorporated swiss chard and was paired with brown butter and fried sage.
It's funny how you can be really full, but the minute dessert lands at the table, its like whoa! My appetite just returned! Above, a trio of sorbets, clockwise from top: Peach, Plum, and Prosecco-Pear. Intensely flavoured, and a perfect finish to a big meal.
But oh wait! Now here's the FINAL finish. An order of the most amazing Ricotta Fritters I've ever tasted, with a side of fresh whipped cream, and liquid chocolate. Sugar Rush'ed on Serious Eats. These were insane! I'd love to make a return trip and compose a meal from two pasta dishes (one of which would be the casumzieei) and this dessert. Five fritters might look like a lot, but they go down easier than you might imagine, heheh.
Super thank you to Ray for the whole dinner tour! ^_^
Psst, make sure to read Robyn's account of our dinner - hers is much more thorough! :)
Adrienne's Pizza Bar
54 Stone Street
New York, NY 10004
(212) 248-3838
Blue Marble Ice Cream
420 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 858-1100
Al Di La Trattoria
248 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 636-8888
No comments:
Post a Comment