Monday Lunch: Del Posto

Monday lunch with Jess at Del Posto. If you haven't read Ed's review already, make sure to do that first. The $29 weekday prix fixe lunch, complete with amuse bouche and mignardises is a steal, and easily one of the best "high-end" lunch deals in this city.
To start, a trio of amuse...clockwise from top left...Stracciatella (Roman egg drop soup), Saffron Suppli (fried risotto balls with molten cheese center, dusted in gold), and Mortadella in Pastella (like a mini panini with creamy mortadella mousse).
Then the bread basket: Mini-Focaccia, Olive Bread, Baguettes, and Salted Grissini. All served warm, of course :)
To accompany: Whipped Lardo with Rosemary and Sweet Butter. The lardo was so decadent and impossibly rich. I started eating it but the mini-spoonful, all that porky flavor!
From the prix fixe menu, select an antipasto, and primo or secondo, and a dolce. Pictured above was my antipasto, the Seared Lamb Tenderloin with Sea Cucumbers.
And Jess' antipasto of Roasted Autumn Vegetables with Robiola Sformato and Truffled Hazelnuts.
We both opted for pastas instead of the meatier secondi's. In retrospect we should have done one pasta and one meat dish (hello seared duck breasts!!), and shared them both. Regardless, my Garganelli al Ragu Bolognese was quite the delight, paper thin rolls of garganelli pasta, and a rich bolognese to match. Portion was generous.
Above, our other pasta dish of Orecchiette with Lamb Neck Sausage, Cherry Peppers and Broccoli Rapini.
There was a little breather, and then dessert came. The colors! Look at all the colors! Chestnut Cake, Warm Plum Macedonia, Crushed Chestnuts, Yogurt Gelato...and then...
....the Chocolate Ricotta Tortino, Toasted Sicilian Pistachios & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato...
We were presented with a third dessert (thank you!) of Fennel-Ricotta Cheesecake, Rhubarb in Orange-Vanilla Syrup. It wasn't listed as a dessert option on the prix fixe or regular menu, but if it was, I'd gladly order it on future visits. Whisper light cheesecake, the rhubarb spooned over tableside. Tears of toasted filone scattered about, meant to soak up the leftover syrup. Delight!
But there was even more to come. A parade of mignardises, colorful, hot, cold, frozen, crisp, soft, sweet, tangy, creamy. I think this assortment covered the whole spectrum of textures.
From back to front, Del Posto's now signature Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Gelato with Toasted Breadcrumbs (remember this is the one they bring to nearly all food events, here, here :). Then the tiniest Bombolonis I have come across, served warm with a filling of Orange-Vanilla Crema. The parade continued with Candied Pineapples and Roasted Dates filled with Goat Cheese.
The bottom drawer pulled out to reveal even more. Rice Paper Wrapped Caramels, Candied Grapefruit with Caramel and Amaretti Crumbs, Dark Chocolate-Dipped Honeycomb, crisp and shatter light - definitely the best of all the mignardises, and tiny, tiny Lemon-Polenta Crostata.

All this for $29? The words "excellent deal" doesn't even do this lunch menu justice ;)

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 497-8090