A PLEASING PERFORMANCE BY LINCOLN RISTORANTE

Last night, a couple of friends and I braved the rain to make our way to Lincoln Ristorante, an Italian eatery within Lincoln Center. In this restaurant owned by the Patina Restaurant Group, Chef Jonathan Benno turns out an inventive menu that reflects his modern approach to Italian cuisine.

Opened in the fall of 2010, Lincoln Ristorante earned its first Michelin star in the 2014 guide, and based on my positive experience of the delicious food, beautiful decor, and professional, friendly service, I can certainly understand why. This was a fun place to dine with friends, and I look forward to returning.

Central Open Kitchen

The inner décor is truly spectacular--unfortunately it was too dark to get a quality photo of our area of the dining room. Expansive windows surround the restaurant, and the rooftop features a grassy garden. 

Partial view from our table

We enjoyed a lovely 4-Course Prix-Fixe dinner, which included our individual selections of an Antipasti, Primi, Pesce or Carne, and Dolci from the a la carte menu. I was especially thrilled to find my favorite Pierre Peters Champagne on the wine list, and I couldn’t help but make the splurge!

Crudo di Trota


Citrus-Cured Sea Trout

The Crudo di Trota was light and refreshing - a great way to start the meal.

Reginette Verdi al Ragu Bolognese

Veal, Pork & Beef, Parmigiano-Reggiano

The Ragu Bolognese was a meaty, cheesey delight, and thankfully, I didn't end up too full before the main course.

Anatra Arrosto
Long Island Duck Breast, Duck Leg Presée

The Anatra Arrosto was the best dish of the night. Everything on my plate was perfectly cooked, and the glazed Duck Leg Presée was incredibly tender and flavorful.

Mandorlosa

Almond Cake, Amaretto Custard, Mascarpone, Toasted Almond Gelato

Prior to the Dolci, we received an intermezzo course of Green Apple, Lemon, and Passionfruit sorbettis. The Mandorlosa, which had a creamy texture reminiscent of cheesecake, was the perfect sweet treat to end the evening.

OVERALL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

#lincolnristorante  #michelinguide  #tastingmenus  #tastingnewyork

FANCYPANTS BOOZY BRUNCHES

When brunch at the local diner just won’t do, make your way over to one of these upscale establishments.

Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar
Photo Credit: Susan Katkowski

Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar

This gorgeous greenhouse-like Italian eatery features an extensive cocktail list and an inventive, sophisticated menu. Breakfast dishes include fancied-up favorites like lemon ricotta pancakes and poached eggs with a black pepper-pancetta biscuit; for lunch lovers, a variety of gourmet pizzas, pastas, paninis, and salads are available.

Brunch Hours: Saturday & Sunday 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM

9 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10013

44 & X Hell’s Kitchen

Enjoy a classic brunch in this bright, elegant setting while sipping on Tony Awards-inspired cocktails (or a mimosa!). The food menu is full of sweet and savory dishes ranging from eggs benedict to house made waffles. Comfort foods like macaroni and cheese hit the spot on a cold day, and a variety of omelet choices make for the perfect hangover cure. Definitely make a reservation though—the restaurant gets busy on the weekends.

Brunch Hours: Saturday & Sunday 11:30 AM – 2:45 PM

622 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10036

Photo Credit: Susan Katkowski

Bagatelle

This French bistro and Meatpacking hot spot offers a chic weekend brunch with prices to match. While you delight your palate with gourmet dishes including Scottish Salmon Scrambled Eggs, Tartare de Boeuf, and Goat Cheese & Tomato Confit Frittata, the large selection of libations and wine keep the booze flowing. The best part is that late Sunday afternoon, Bagatelle brunch transforms from an elegant seated meal into an evening affair filled with Champagne, music, and dancing.

Brunch Hours: Saturday 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM; Sunday 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM

One Little West Twelfth Street, New York, NY 10014

#brunch  #isolatrattoria  #bagatelle  #44&x  #tastingnewyork

TASTING NEW YORK IS NOW ON FACEBOOK

I'm excited to announce that Tasting New York is now on Facebook! I hope to make it easier for you Facebook foodies to follow my blog, so head on over and "Like" the page.

Tasting New York Official Facebook Page

#tastingnewyork  #facebook  #foodblog

KEEPING MESA GRILL ALIVE

Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill may have closed its doors after 22 years this past September, but thankfully, recipes for some of the dishes served are available online. I know, I know, it’s not quite the same, but nonetheless, here’s one that’s easy to make and great for entertaining.

Yellow Tomato and Roasted Garlic Salsa

Servings: 1 cup   

INGREDIENTS

Roasted garlic:

1 head garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Salsa: 


3 ripe yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped


4 cloves roasted garlic (see recipe)


2 tablespoons finely diced red onion 


1/2 serrano pepper, finely diced 


1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar


1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves


Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Roasted garlic:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cut the top off the head of garlic and rub the bulb with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap in foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Salsa: 
Combine 4 cloves of the roasted garlic with the tomatoes, onion, serrano pepper, vinegar, and thyme in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day; serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Provided by Bobby Flay to New York Magazine

#bobbyflay  #mesagrill  #recipes  #newyorkmagazine  #tastingnewyork

FABULOUS FOOD AT SCARPETTA

Yellowtail Crudo

On Thursday of last week, I finally made my way to Scott Conant’s renowned Italian eatery, Scarpetta. My mother and I enjoyed the five-course Signature Tasting Menu with wine pairings, and the cuisine was absolutely perfect! However, the service, while friendly, was a little spotty, rushed, and disorganized at times and thus mildly tarnished the experience,

Dinner began with a flavor-packed punch in the mouth from a surprising source - crudo. Sliced raw yellowtail dressed with olio di zenzero (ginger oil), pickled red onions, and peperoncino oil (pepper oil) was topped with microgreens and a pinch of flaked sea salt. This was seriously the best dish I had all night, and had I left the restaurant at that moment, I would still have left satisfied. A glass of extra dry NV Cima da Conegliano Prosecco nicely complemented the flavorful fish dish.

Unfortunately, hiccups with the service began early on and continued throughout the meal. The staff was always kind and professional, but they seemed to have trouble with the logistics of serving a tasting menu. The first course arrived moments after the breadbasket was served, leaving us little time to taste the variety of breads and accouterments. The second course also came very quickly after the first. At that point, we felt rushed and worried about filling up too quickly. We mentioned this to the server, who was very receptive and asked the kitchen to slow the pace. (It seemed the kitchen had its own sense of timing that was disconnected from the guests’ needs.) The kitchen responded to our request and slowed the pace accordingly, however on the front-of-house end it seemed the bussers were always eager for you to finish your food so they could clear your plates.

Creamy Polenta with Tricassee of Truffled Mushrooms

Thankfully, the following course was so delicious it helped counter the early service troubles. Ever-so-savory creamy polenta with tricassee of truffled mushrooms (truffles…yum!) was served alongside moist braised short ribs of beef. Both were fantastic, and the simple cool-climate 2012 Lo Triolet Gamay D.O.C. paired nicely with both elements of the course. However, the wine pairing was brought out after the dish, which I’m not fond of. The wine should be served prior to the food so that it has time to breathe. I know it’s picky, but c’mon, this is a basic tenet of wine pairing service, and I expect more from Scarpetta.

Next up, the pasta course featured a duet of dishes: classic tomato basil spaghetti and a more-complex short rib and bone marrow angolotti. The spaghetti was perfectly cooked and tasty, and the agnolotti was even better—mouthwateringly delicious, to be precise! Unfortunately, there was another issue with the wine pairings – this time the server forgot the wine altogether and I had to ask for it after receiving the dishes. Grrr…

Short Rib and Bone Marrow Agnolotti

The following course was the protein course, and I had the option between a fish and meat dish—I opted for the moist-roasted capretto (goat). As far as I know, I’ve never eaten goat before, but it was truly divine. The flavor was similar to but a little lighter than lamb, and the texture was reminiscent of tender brisket. The wine selection was nice, and I’m pleased to say it was poured at the appropriate time.

All the food up to this point was outstanding, but surprisingly it was the dessert course that stole the show. My mother received a piece of raisinless carrot cake, and I was served chocolate peanut butter cake with a side of peanut butter gelato. They were both AMAZING. Everything about the carrot cake was light and fluffy whereas the chocolate peanut butter cake was devilishly rich. The only annoyance was that once again our server forgot the wine pairing, and I had to ask for it after the desserts had already arrived.  However, the fruit-forward 2012 Marchesi di Grésy Moscato d’Asti ‘La Serra’ ended up being quite lovely.

In sum, the food was awesome, the wines were very good, and the service, while polite and professional, needs better organization. I would return, and I recommend it others (with a disclaimer about the service hiccups), but I’d choose a place like Del Posto, which has flawless service, over Scarpetta any day of the week.

#tastingmenus  #scarpettanyc  #italianfood  #tastingnewyork  #petpeeves