Morandi - West Village

After being locked up in my apartment job hunting for the past few weeks I decided to grab an early dinner with my friend and former co-worker Debbie. I think we both deserved a fun night out after the stress we had just dealt with at our former place of employment.

We ultimately decided on Morandi in the West Village because I'm obviously a sucker for all things Italian, and I'm constantly on the search for my new favorite place. This cute and cozy restaurant is located on Waverly at 7th Ave, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. This is the perfect place for a date, or in our case, a nice place for two friends to grab an early dinner and drinks.

Our waiter quickly approached, poured us some water, and took our drink orders. A basket of bread arrived shortly after and we were off to a wonderful start. I have found that while California had some great qualities, good service was not one of them -- oh how I missed NYC.

Rose and Delicious Bread

Debbie decided to order from the "Focacce E Panini" section of the menu, and selected the Facaccia prosciutto & rucola aka Focaccia, stracchino cheese, prosciutto and arugula.  She really enjoyed it, however she felt that the "panini" description was deceiving, because she was expecting a sandwich instead of a flatbread.

I decided to order the pasta special which was homemade tagliatelle with corn, pancetta and mushrooms. This dish was amazing. The pasta was light and fresh, the mushrooms were tender, the corn added nice texture, and the pancetta added some necessary fattiness to the dish. I really appreciate when a pasta dish isn't swimming in sauce. Morandi allowed the freshness of the ingredients to speak for themselves and it made for an exceptional dish (if it were up to me I would add this to the permanent menu).

All and all I will say that this restaurant is on its way to earning a spot in my mental bank of favorite places to eat. I think I need to have a few more meals there before I can title it a favorite, but it's definitely on its way. This restaurant can also be very affordable - depending on what you order. Panini's range from $9 - $17, Pasta dishes are $15 - $24, and meats/fish range from $18 - $91 (aged porterhouse for two). There are also a bunch of wonderful antipasti choices that are all under $20.

If you're looking for a quick, cute, and tasty spot in the West Village for some delicious Italian food, you should definitely check out Morandi!

Danielle & Joan's Hiking Adventure

This past week my mom woke me up bright and early and told me that we were going hiking and to get ready. Still half asleep I agreed to go, and twenty minutes later we were on our way. When my mom decides she wants us to do something we pretty much don't have a choice. It's just much easier to say yes because ultimately we end up giving in, and if we just agree right away we save ourselves from the Italian guilt trip that would otherwise be inevitable. She'll say things like "I guess I'll just bring the dog with me so I don't get kidnapped." Or, "I just wish my family wanted to spend time with me." So to avoid the next few hours of guilt I just agreed.

Anyway, we obviously got lost on our way there - a difficult thing to do because we own a house on the lake and go there often - I love how there's never a dull moment in the Rutherford family... keeps things exciting! So after a slightly longer ride we arrived at the mountain and began are ascent.

Clearly we got a little lost on the mountain, which probably added about another mile onto our already 3.8 mile climb, but overall it was a great hike.... minus the kind of creepy guy lurking the whole time. After our four hour climb we were dirty and starving and decided our number one priority was food.

The views were absolutely stunning

Well prepared Russian family

Less prepared Italian mother-daughter duo...

Catwalk pose at the top of Buck Mountain.. fierce. 

After realizing that our hike took longer than anticipated and therefore our original restaurant choice was already closed, we ultimately decided to go to Pasta Pane, located at 16 Park Avenue in Clifton Park. Pasta Pane is described as a "rustic Italian bistro," and is just one of several restaurants owned by Restaurateur David Zecchini (probably most well known for Chiantis in Saratoga).

All of his restaurants are Italian themed, but each offers it's own original take on Italian cuisine. Pasta Pane is described as offering homestyle Italian meals that are more moderately priced than some of his other restaurants. As we arrived at the restaurant I was skeptical at first. The outside looks a little like a tacky chain restaurant, so my hopes for a true Italian meal were crushed, but because I was so hungry I kept my mouth shut and prepared for the mediocrity. As soon as we walked inside though I was impressed - the decor was homey, inviting, and seemed to have a nice bar scene.

As we perused the menu we aggressively fought over the bread, and tried to decide what we wanted to eat. My mom ended up going with their three-course Harvest Menu, and I obviously went with a large bowl of pasta... wasn't even a question.

My mom decided that she would try the Harvest Menu, which features seasonal dishes for the shocking price of just $20.

To start, she decided to order the Rape E Formaggio, a roasted beet napoleon, goat cheese, arugula and tarragon vinaigrette with toasted sesame flat bread as her appetizer. My mom really enjoyed this appetizer, surprisingly since she didn't realize it had beets in it. Did I mention we were blinded by our hunger?

I really loved the contrasting color of the red beet with the white goat cheese, and although I'm not sure I would describe these as "napoleons," they did remind me of red velvet whoopie pies. The tang from the arugula went nicely with the earthy sweet flavor of the beets.

For her main course she ordered the Ravioli Con Zucca, butternut squash ravioli in a sage, amaretto, and fontina cream sauce.

This was very yummy, and just the right portion because the dish was on the heavier side. In fact, I could almost describe this dish as sweet not savory - it fit nicely with the "harvest menu" theme.

For my main dish I ordered the Granchio, which was capellini pasta, sauteed crabmeat and shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs, in a light tomato sauce.

Overall this was a decent dish, although as someone who loves pasta like I do, and someone who was at a restaurant with pasta in the name, I was slightly underwhelmed. Pasta Pane has about eight pasta dishes on the menu, half of which are penne. I was hoping for more homemade pasta, and more of a variety. Regardless, the pasta was cooked nicely, but the sauce was a little oily, and the crab didn't taste fresh. Although the shrimp was cooked properly, the tails were left on which made it more difficult to eat. All that being said, I was starving, and it still hit the spot.

Finally, for dessert, my mom ordered the Zeppole Con Miele, which is Italian sugar doughnuts served with apple cider honey.

This dessert was actually really well done. The doughnuts were warm and fresh, and the cider honey went very nicely with it. I wish I had saved more room for the dessert, but I would absolutely recommend ordering this!

Despite some of the restaurant's shortcomings, I still think I would come back. The atmosphere and service was very nice and I think if I tried some of the other entrees my opinion might change a bit.

Aperitivo

Whenever I am home visiting I always try and go to my favorite Schenectady hotspot, "Aperitivo." Aperitivo, traditionally a meal or small plate offered with a pre-dinner drink,  is one of the many restaurants owned by Mazzone Management Group. This charming bistro specializes in Italian fusion cuisine, and offers a selection of both small plates and full portion entrees, as well as gourmet pizzas. 

I love Aperitivo because it's not only close to my home, but it is a truly unique experience located amongst the other cookie-cutter bars in Schenectady. I also enjoy it because my good friend Jordan is the bartender and he is always whipping up speciality cocktails for us to enjoy.

As we sat down at one of the center bar tables, I prefer to sit in the front room vs. the back (more in the action), we were promptly greeted by our waitress who asked what we wanted to drink. My sister and I opted for a bottle of Pinot Noir (instead of a speciality cocktail which are super yummy there), and then began to wait patiently for the bread to arrive. In the meantime I went over to the bar to chat with Jordan, and realized another friend of mine was sitting at the end of the bar, appearing to be on a secretive date.... perfect. Also, by realized I mean I heard an embarrassing voice yell "Send her down" coming from the opposite end of the bar. I went over and said hello, and then immediately called up my cousin to come and join Kayla and I for dinner (Mr. Secretive is a mutual friend of my cousin and I, and I knew he would enjoy making this situation uncomfortable just as much as I). 




As soon as the bread arrived we were in heaven. Its a warm focaccia served alongside oil and vinegar, and is simply delicious. I really love when restaurants put effort into the kind of bread they serve - I feel like all to often restaurants serve some generic italian bread and just call it a day. 

Shortly after receiving our bread the waitress was back to take our order....

I had been instructed by my cousin to order him the calamari appetizer as his dinner. This is fried calamari, served with arugula and a sweet chili glaze. 

My sister ordered the seared scallops served with a sweet corn puree and corn & bacon hash, and I ordered the grilled swordfish with avocado and almond pesto. 


My sister and I also ordered the Matchstick Fries as an appetizer - one of my sister's favorites. We enjoyed our wine and soon our fries arrived.

I instantly fell in love with this dish because of how whimsical it is (and also how tasty). The fries are topped with toasted garlic and parmesan, and served with three dipping sauces, malt vinegar aioli, herbs in oil, and truffle ketchup. To say these fries are addicting would be a severe understatement. They are heaven in a dainty bowl, and I would eat them everyday if my thighs allowed. So. Good. And for the record, my favorite sauce was a toss up between the aioli and oil.




As we waited for both my cousin and our entrees to arrive, we were presented with a complimentary croquet of mozzarella, served with greens dressed in balsamic. 

I love the idea of sending out this "app" because it is so appropriate with the whole theme of the restaurant, and is essentially the definition of it.

Soon our entrees, and Nick, arrived, and I was once again I was equally impressed (with the food, not as much with Nick.... just kidding.

Calamari

The calamari was so delicious, and had the perfect balance of crunch and spice. It's also a really nice appetizer size. 

The scallops had a perfect sear on them, and the crispy corn and bacon hash had such a great rich flavor. The puree of corn had a nice silky consistency, and the micro green salad (with radish, cilantro, and lime) added acidity that complimented the dish perfectly, and helped to break up the richness. 

My swordfish was juicy, had a great char on the outside, and went really well with the gazpacho sauce and the confit fennel. The potato was also very light and delicious, and had a wonderful hint of olive oil. 


I really enjoyed the pesto as well. Traditionally pesto is a combination of basil, walnuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. The interpretation of avocado with almonds was a great twist, and had a different texture and taste that I really enjoyed. 


When dinner, and the bottle of wine, concluded, the real fun began. The three of us joined our friend and his date at the bar, and added to the already awkward situation. You can tell the night is going to be awkward when you ask,


"Do you guys work together." and at the same time you get both "Yes" and "No" as a response. Kind of hard to proceed from there - Naturally I asked for some sort of elaboration, in which she insisted they did work together and he adamantly denied it. After some more awkward convo and drinks we finally called it a night (we were also the last ones in the place). 


I would strongly recommend for anyone in the area to go to Aperitivo at least once. It has a great modern atmosphere, friendly (and cute) bartender, and the food is some of the best I've had in the capital district. Trust me, you won't leave disappointed. (And trust me, I will be back there soon to try some more great dishes and report on them!)


  

Restaurant Week - Sorellina

For restaurant week a friend and I decided to try Sorellina, located in the Back Bay of Boston. I've been wanting to try this place because it is owned by the same people as MOOO... and Mistral, both of which I've heard good things about. We decided to go on a Wednesday, and the only reservation we could get was 6 pm - I saw this as another good sign.  I think that restaurant week has its pros and cons. One of the biggest pros is that a lot of people get to try restaurants that they normally wouldn't be able to afford, or wouldn't think to spend their money on. One of the cons is that I feel due to the increased pressure of restaurant week, the quality of the food suffers, as well as the service. Restaurant week is such a great opportunity for restaurants to gain new customers, but it can sometimes backfire if the food is not up to the quality that it normally would be. That being said, my review of Sorellina will be slightly mixed.

For starters, the bread and the service were both AMAZING. Our waiter was extremely friendly and playful, and he really made our dinner an enjoyable experience. We had several different servers throughout the night, and each was very professional which has a calming effect on someone's dining experience. 

For a first course my friend and I both got the tomato with whipped ricotta. The tomatoes were extremely fresh, and paired nicely with the ricotta. I personally wish that I could have tasted more of the ricotta flavor but a lot of it was mellowed out through the whipping process. That being said, the contrasting textures of the tomato with the ricotta was very enjoyable. 

Tomatoes with whipped ricotta, EVOO, and sea salt

As a second course we ordered the sirloin. I had it prepared medium-rare, and it was supposed to be served with "roasted new potatoes, oyster mushrooms, and bone marrow butter." Now, I might be imagining this, but it looks like there's only one potato on my plate - regardless, the entire presentation of the plate was also very off for me. The piece of meat was way to big, and the potato looked like someone stepped on it. The butter was very tasty, but the entire dish lacked in flavor, and the potato was very underwhelming. To be honest, I would have been much more satisfied with a simple mashed potato. The steak was cooked nicely, I just wish that either the steak or the potato had more flavor. 

The highlight of the dinner course was when the hostess escorted our cab driver over to the table, and he proceeded to ask us if one of us had left our cell phone in the back of his cab.... most random act of kindness ever? Yup. I have literally never heard of a cab driver doing that, and although it wasn't one of our phones, the whole gesture was both slightly embarrassing, and completely heartwarming. Anyway...

For dessert, we each ordered something different. I ordered the Cioccolato, which was dark chocolate fudge cake, vanilla gelato, and spiced raspberry sciroppo. My friend ordered the Prugna, which was summer plums on a buttermilk biscuit with mascarpone. 

My chocolate fudge cake was fairly generic, and very rich. The overall flavor of it was nice, but I felt like I've had it before - there was nothing really special about it. It was also presented like a brownie, not a cake. It truly seemed like a lot of the dishes weren't exactly matching up with how they were being described on the menu. However, I really enjoyed the gelato, and wish there was more of that on the plate!

My friend's dessert was, well, it was bad. There was very little taste of "summer plums" and the biscuit was gingerbread flavored, which completely overwhelmed any of the other flavors - I think gingerbread is a love-it-or-hate-it taste, and that being said, it should be mentioned on the menu (in my opinion).

Overall my experience at Sorellina was underwhelming. Part of me wants to go back after restaurant week is over and give it another shot, and the other part of me doesn't want to ever go back there OR try their other restaurants. 

Mango

After dinner we headed to Basho for a quick drink, and I would highly recommend the martinis there. I've had the lychee and the cucumber which are both delicious. The other night we ordered the mango martini, and then some other martini that tasted like a strawberry daquiri and was super yummy. I'd recommend any of them!

To conclude... Basho, YES, (by the way, my Basho post is coming soon), Sorellina, go at your own risk. And stay tuned for my sister's 21st birthday anniversary dinner report!