Weekday Staples: Otto, Luzzo's, Grand Sichuan

Lot of staples this week, solid and reliable neighborhood spots. Otto twice in the last four days, Grand Sichuan on a Tuesday night with Monsieur P, and Luzzo's with Shann last night. We split the large Ripieno pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, spicy salame, ham, and basil. Tiramisu for dessert. Luckily Luzzo's is around the corner from our apartment so we can waddle and lug our full bellies just a few steps to home. I keep meaning to try their fried and square pizzas...one day, one day :)

Otto is still my favourite spot for an early Sunday dinner and weekday lunch. It's light on the pocketbook, and yet feels wonderfully decadent. Especially when you have a seat at the bar, prosecco in hand, a gorgeous plate of pasta in front of you. I tend to fall the way of the Taccozette con Stracotto, pictured above. Taccozette is the shape of the pasta - a sort of mini-lasagna square. It's paired with hearty braised pork shoulder, tomatoes and basil. Can you imagine how delicious this is, especially when it is cold or raining outside?

I also love the Taccozzotte con Piselli e Ricotta, which they recently put back on the menu. It's a bright spring affair of mint and fresh pea pesto, finished with ricotta. Robyn has a great photo of the dish. I suspect this will only be around for another month before they rotate it off menu.
Oh yes, the Pasta alla Norma is high on my list as well! Fresh ricotta, eggplant, what's not to love? This past Sunday we shared the Taccozette con Stracotto, the Sunchoke and Escarole Salad, and a five-cheese plate between two. We did the CT Coach Triple Cream (goat), the NY Ubriaco (cow), TOS Aged Peppercorn (goat), EMI Taleggio (cow), and LOM Gorgonzola Dolce (cow). Otto has a well-selected, varied selection, though I wish they would switch the choices up more frequently.

And don't forget: it's never a complete meal here without gelato.

Monsieur P and I go to Grand Sichuan quite a bit. The waitresses there love him and his accent ;) Thus I find the service is always better when he's also at the dinner table, hahahah. Our meals typically start with hot oil wontons. Eight pieces to an order, doused in a spicy shoyu-based sauce. We save the sauce and then dump it over bowls of hot rice. So incredibly ono.

We used to order soup dumplings, though got tired of them a few months back. Next up is a vegetable dish...usually pea shoots, ong choi, or Chinese broccoli. The pea shoots are my absolute favourite. Love the crispy string beans as well...
...And then a meat/seafood dish. Cumin beef and tea smoked duck are my go-to dishes, but Monsieur is partial to their shrimp dishes. Fried shrimp, sautéed shrimp, shrimp with broccoli, shrimp in garlic sauce...oh boy, this list could go on forever.

Well, hope your week is going great! I'm going to stay in tonight - maybe get a few cheeses from Murray's for dinner (got a great tawny port yesterday and need something equally wonderful to pair ;), and pack for my trip. I get to Hawai'i Saturday afternoon, and have family dinner at Hakkei!!! I am so excited!


Luzzo's Pizza
211 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-7447

Otto
1 Fifth Avenue
NY, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559

Grand Sichuan
23 Saint Marks Place
New York, NY 10003
(212) 529-4800