Food Snob 2.0

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Tag Archives: tapas

Abbottega

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by Monique in Restaurant Review

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

dinner, itlian, lunch, Restaurant Review, tapas, wine

About a month ago, BR and I were invited to a newly opened Italian restaurant in the village. The restaurant was newly named Abbottega and has sister locations in Italy as well as Miami. Their menu boasts a variety of eats ranging from smaller plates for an afterwork appertif with a bottle of wine as well as some heftier and more classic dishes that one might find in a Tuscan kitchen.

We arrived at the start of dinner service on a weeknight. We knew we were in for a east but (spoiler alert) we left filled to the brim with delicious handmade goodness.

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The interior is quaint and calm. Great for an intimate gathering as well as some low key after work socializing.

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In the main dining area lies a large marble top counter where a chef busily prepares homemade pasta.

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A true sight to behold as you wait for freshly made ravioli and spaghetti.

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I truly loved the mason jar light fixtures. They added a lovely rustic touch.

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We allowed the chef to choose our wine. A deliciously crisp and chilled Pinot Grigio. Quite refreshing on a hot summer evening

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Couldn’t resist watching the live action ravioli making. Like dinner and a show!

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This is the view of the ravioli making from my seat.

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While we sipped our wine, we were presented with the bread basket. The crust was crusty and the innards fluffy and warm. The spread? Unlike anything I have ever tasted.

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An emulsion of arugula, olive oil,  cream cheese and salt. Reminiscent of a pesto but whipped to be light and airy.

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It was addicting. We used every crumb of bread to sop up this creamy spread.

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We sampled the small plates which are designed for sharing (when ordering more than 1) and imbibing wine.

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This wilted spinach with tartufo cheese is the perfect appetizer to start with. Like a warm salad. The spinach is garlicky and not over cooked. Its played with sharp tartufo cheese and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. Wonderful!

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This baby was by far our favorite small plate. The eggplant parmesan.

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Delicate slices of eggplant dusted with breadcrumbs and fried then covered in a housemade marinara. The thinly shaved parmesan cheese slices melted from the warmth of the eggplant and made a perfect addition.

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We seriously could not stop eating this. Reminds me of my grandmothers amazing cooking.

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This 3rd small plate seemed to be more up BRs alley. A plate of house cured meat with arugula, shaved pecorino slices and truffle oil.

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The meat was supple with good amounts of fat in it and combined nicely with the bite from the arugula and good use of truffle oil.

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Next up was more homemade pasta. Not a spaghetti but a super thick stand. Using a long board with wires like a guitar, the chef placed the pasta dough onto the device and pressed down to create these uniform strands of pasta.

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The marinara sauce had a spicy kick to it. This dish combined with the small eggplant plate would make for a perfect dinner.  Or even lunch (they are now serving lunch!)

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This pasta, while delicious, was too al dente for my liking (I know, shocking!)

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Artichoke and parmesan ravioli sauteed in a sage butter sauce with crispy priscuitto on top.

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After watching this ravioli come together, I was not expecting this. It was meaty and flavorful.

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The filling so expertly prepared that it reminded me of a finely minced meat and cheese filled ravioli. The sage butter sauce was amazing.

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A picturesque char-broiled Branzino atop a bed of spinach, avocado puréed with shrimp. The Branzino needed nothing but a sprinkling of salt and pepper. For anyone looking for a lighter dish, this will surely not disappoint.

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There was barely any room in our stomachs for the dessert. A coffee panna cotta.

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This panna cotta with a rich ganache, and ground espresso was decadent. It was rich and while the chocolate might have been too much on its own, the coffee helped take it down a notch. A truly delicious dessert; but if I had a choice, I would opt for a vanilla panna cotta with a fruit compote- Im a fan of simplicity.

Overall, Abbottega was a wonderful place to enjoy an intimate evening. The food is prepared with love and all from scratch…

Just like nonna makes it.

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Cellar 58

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Monique in Restaurant Review

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

dinner, panna cotta, polenta, sausage, tapas, wine, wine bar

So… I mentioned in a previous post that I was seeing someone. While I have kept my seeing him a secret from you, today is the big reveal. Today, I introduce to you my boyfriend.

Whoa.

Still weird saying that.

I have never really been a debbie downer and am generally a really happy person, but this is probably the happiest I have been in a VERY long time. And I am happy to share the news with you guys.

C and I went to a wine bar over the weekend (I told you wine was his thing, right?) courtesy of mom and her plethora of groupons that were about to expire.

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Cellar 58 is an intimate and cozy wine bar on 2nd Avenue in the East Village. While the reviews were mixed, we both went with an open mind.

We started the evening with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Since I am a lover of whites, this was really pleasant. But It did hit me quickly.

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He started with the Farro Salad which I secretly wished I had ordered. Plump grains of Rarro with sliced artichokes and shaved Pecorino Romano. I managed to steal a bite and could have eaten an entire bucket of this stuff… but I went for something lighter.

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The Cucumber salad sounded pretty boring but the small bowl full of cucumbers, grape tomatoes, fresh corn, avocado and fresh basil with a light vinaigrette went so beautifully with the white wine that I forgot to be jealous of C’s delicious salad.

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C ordered the Filet Mignon Carpaccio. Paper thin slices of buttery marbled filet mignon. Served with some sharp cheese and bitter greens, this plate looked small but it was big on flavor.

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I had the sausage and polenta. It was a great dish when I thought about what it would be since I am a fan of polenta but the dish sort of fell short. I mostly enjoyed the sausage (that’s what she said) and the polenta was a little dry.

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For dessert, C ordered one of my favorites, Affogato (a little suggestive, isn’t it?). Two scoops of vanilla ice cream with a fresh shot of espresso poured on top. C isn’t a huge coffee person and despite that, enjoyed it but wished there was less espresso.

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I enjoyed the panna cotta with berry coulis. This panna cotta was creamy and had a delicious specs of vanilla bean in it…an overall win.

I liked the ambiance at Cellar 58. There was soft, mood appropriate, music playing and the staff were attentive but not pushy.

And, for those that are my friends on facebook you already know the face of the man that keeps me smiling.

But if you don’t, here is C in our first photo together:

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He has great potential.

Till next time bebes!

About me

My name is Monique. I am an office dweller by day and a Food Blogger by Night. I am the owner and operator of this lovely blog and everything you see here is a direct result of my passion... If you wish to contact me please feel free to do so. I can be reached at moniquer83[at]gmail[dot]com or iarethefoodsnob [at]gmail[dot]com

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