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By Brittany Ho, July 12, 2012 9:24 pm

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Altamarea Group/Michael White

East Village – 160 2nd Ave, New York, NY

This is Altamarea’s fourth restaurant opening in the city… (marea, osteria morini & ai fiori)… safe to say, I’ve had the pleasure of trying about half of Michael White’s restaurants in the city… so far so good… and you bet your ass that I will finish the list by end of year!!  Marea is up next… Moving along.

All Things Italian… pizza is no exception.  as I am even writing this, I salivate just thinking about it.  Michael White hits the nail on the head with Nicoletta’s concept.  It’s definitely gourmet pizza…so don’t go expecting your traditional NY Style pizza.  The crust itself has a nice crisp texture… it’s not as thick as Chicago style pizza, and maybe a little thicker than your NY style…. seems like we have a bit of a hybrid going on.  you can even customize your pizza here…so no matter what option, PLEASE remember to top it off with garlic oil or Chili oil.  I’m greedy when it comes to spicy food, so I preferred to just have the bottle of chili oil sitting by my side.  The waiter couldn’t help but laugh at my request.  If you are lazy and prefer no reign whatsoever, let them top it off for you…or if you are control freak like me…. ask for it on the side. the restaurant is quaint, and rather charming and yet doesn’t quite feel like your typical pizza joint, except it is… clearly from the wood fired pizza oven.  This place just about one up any regular pizza parlor in the city, but perhaps feels like it would sit well in Brooklyn.

if you are craving pizza…go to Nicoletta.right.now.  it really is that good… nicoletta warms a special place in my heart that i didn’t know existed.  For starters, we couldn’t resist the suppli, (deep fried risotta ball) stuffed with mozzarella sitting on top of a ragu antico (meat sauce).  Super crispy, gooey and all around delicious.  For pizza, we decided to go with the tartufata, toppings consisted of wild mushrooms, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto and chives.  A good portion to share between two people.  Everything tasted so fresh and so hearty, it is worth savoring every bite and every slice.  Pair it with a nice glass of wine and you’ve got yourself a complete and memorable meal!  Fantastico.

Suppli

Tartufata

this can easily be the neighborhood spot… only wished I lived in the village….!

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By Brittany Ho, July 12, 2012 8:29 am

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Joe Bastianich, Lydia Bastianich/Mario Batali

85 10th Ave, New York, NY

another Mario Batali adventure… chef, writer, mr. TV personality & restauranteur.  it’s hard to dislike this guy, who’s been around the world and then some.  and who doesn’t like an adventure?  del posto offers your choice of 3 or 4 course prix-fixe for lunch…. The 4th course is an additional $10 pasta supplement.. and the entire table can only pick 1 pasta dish.  i have mixed feelings on this.. on the one hand, it’s an amazing deal, on the flipside, it just makes me a fat ass, splurging on gluttony after gluttony… and it’s ONLY lunch time.  Well, more reasons to skip breakfast and dinner maybe…. wishful, but doubtful.

does the Batali empire rise to the occasion? well, it sits pretty in Chelsea all the way over 10th ave, right smack outside Chelsea Market.  It’s beautiful and decadent on the main floor as it is on the top floor.  I love the alcove booths atop… seems very private and personal… which I love.  It may feel borderline stuffy, but not pretentious. The waitstaff is amazing, knowledgeable and kind. Courtesy goes without saying….the presentation is undoubtedly stunning.  the food is quite good…but my only criticism is that it’s on the saltier side..  WHY oh WHY must salt ruin food again?!  Still… the food here is pretty good, if they can keep control the salt level.  if I had to rank my dishes I enjoyed the most it would be the following: orecchiette, cotechino, dessert followed by the bass.  In sum, you will have a pleasant meal here, no matter what the occasion is.   can’t wait to come back and try dinner!

Handmade ORECCHIETTE w/ Lamb Neck Ragù, Orange Carrots, Rye Crumbs & Toasted Sage

This MUST be everybody’s favorite.  a.k.a. If you can’t do pasta/Italian right…well then I don’t really understand why EATALY or Batali empire exists.

Warm COTECHINO w/ Lentil Vinaigrette & Dried Fruit Mostarda

this Italian sausage was too good.  there was an abundance of meat, too much is better than not enough, but it was nice sized portion…  the lentils were delicious and the mostarda gave it a nice, rich sweetness to balance the saltiness.

Chocolate Ricotta TORTINO
Toasted Sicilian Pistachios & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato

Thanks to the ricotta… this was one of those “not too sweet and I can definitely enjoy myself”, dessert….. not too rich… lighter than a brownie but heavier than a mousse.  I am not fond of the texture of mousse, so I found this to be delightful.  Plus the pistachios paired iwth the olive oil gelato was absolute perfect.

Black BASS w/ Soft Sunchokes, Wilted Romaine & Warm Occelli Butter

My favorite part about the bass was that it was pan seared on top to give it a thick, nice crisp.. which I loved.  It was drizzled with occelli butter.. And perhaps this dish is last on my list because of the way it was executed.  He poured on too much sauce, and I’m pretty sure it was the sauce that was too salty for my taste buds, not the fish.  And because the romaine was wilted, the lettuce was just drenched in sauce…which made it hard to eat.  The sunchokes were a saving grace, as it was the only thing on the dish that was NOT salty.

Insalata PRIMAVERA w/ della Terra Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Dressing

Bitter HERBS & LETTUCES w/ Truffle Dressing

Torta Carotina

Tartufo