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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, May 24, 2011 5:23 pm

www.aifiorinyc.com

Proprietor/Chef: Michael White

Category: Italian, French Influenced

Neighborhood: Midtown East
400 5th ave, New York, NY 10018
(212) 613-8660

Mood: big appetite for pasta, meats & seafood… fine dining style.  pri-fixe is worth the price here to get a good sampling of everything.

Tastes Like: definitely accents of French flare, while retaining the essence of Italian food.  Everything was beautifully plated and since I’m a seafood lover, I heartily enjoyed all my dishes.  While I enjoyed the hefty and hearty bouillabaise,  (the thin buttery toast on the side was a major plus), I really fell in love with the uovo and gnochetti.  The Uovo is a slow poached egg with lobster knuckles, crispy veal sweetbreads & nuage layon… my highlight of the night.  Sweetbreads lightly fried, while retaining the soft-like textures I’ve learned to grow fond of.  I love squid ink pasta and they do it really well here…. but my favorite was the “gnochetti” saffron gnocchi with blue crab, sea urchin and tomatoes was a plus for me.  Saffron, blue crab and sea urchin combined made for a heavenly combination. Small tender bites that burst with flavors

Must Haves: “Uovo” and the “Gnochetti”… and any of the pasta dishes…all are stellar choices that you can’t go wrong.  (choose from seafood, beef to vegetarian options!)

Stay Away: was not impressed with any of the dessert options (tartaletta, coulant di ciocolatto, torta di olio).  Dessert = major fail

Ambiance: Ai Fiori is located at the Setai on the second floor.  The dizzying staircase is marvelous.  The restaurant itself is sleek, chic, super modern, expect nothing less

Service: Excellent.  All the meals were very prompt … so we never really had to wait long per dish.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: To score seats, better to call ahead and try to secure reservations.  Not a place you should walk into without it…but there’s always a first for everything!