Emilio's Ballato

Tonight was Round 2 with Emilio's Ballato on Houston between Mott and Mulberry. The first time I ate here was a Thursday night with 4 friends. We sat around one of the few tables in the narrow dining room that stretches back from the Houston-facing front door and filled the next 2 hours sipping Emilio's fine red wine (I think he actually makes and bottles it), indulging in several of his mouthwatering classic appetizers and entrees including meatballs and eggplant parmesan, enjoying great conversation and at the end of the night, we received a special tour of the new private dining room and downstairs club renovations. Talk about Italian hospitality.

This time around I took my order back to the apartment and found that the food was just as magnificent out of house as it was in house. While there was definitely magic to the dining in experience, the majority of it comes from the food. Tonight we ordered the broccoli rabe, arugula salad with oranges, fennel and meyer lemon vinaigrette, tagliatelle bolognese, and linguine with clams in a white wine garlic sauce.

Though these may sound like pretty standard Italian dishes you could find anywhere on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, the quality of ingredients makes them anything but standard. Exceptional is the word. The bolognese reminded me a lot of Capo's rigatoni with truffle meat sauce in Santa Monica, where the meat is rich but not heavy, the weight of the sauce kept in check by the light oils and absence of tomato. For the linguine with clams, what stood out the most to me was the pasta itself. I often don't think too much about pasta quality but this stuff was so good that it made me pay attention. The tagliatelle pasta in the bolognese was equally as premium--both pastas made into soft dough with a little bit of gluten elasticity but not so much that it sticks and bounces like a rubber band as so many dry pastas from the grocery store do. I wasn't surprised to discover later that they make their pasta from scratch every day. Moving onto the broccoli rabe. The rabe was super green--greener than spinach--and sauteed with olive oil, thick slices of garlic, and red pepper flakes. The arugula salad's soft, sweet, not-too-tangy meyer lemon vinaigrette was the complement of all complements to the peppery fresh arugula leaves (wouldn't be surprised if they got the arugula from a local source) and crunchy light shavings of fennel. I was practically drinking the leftover juices from the salad. Actually I did.....

Of all the Italian restaurants in this city I've tried, I must say Ballato and Babbo are tops. There are so many I've been to that imitate the rustic menus of cheese plates, cured meat plates, pizzas, pastas, ensalate and frankly, I'm getting a little bored with them. They're great don't get me wrong but when you see the same thing over and over, it feels less special. The novelty wears off after a while. Otto Pizzeria was the 1st of those types of Italian restaurants I ever went to and I'll never stop loving it but I think there's just too many copycats in the city these days. They'll never be able to make me feel like I'm eating in a hillside trattoria in old Italy like Ballato and Babbo do.

2 Champagne Cocktails Taste Test

I'm always eager to read over cocktail menus especially since these are the revival days of the mixologist, where bartenders receive as much acclaim for their inventions as four star chefs. The drinks with the most exotic ingredients grab my attention first but in the end it's usually the simplest drink I like the most. This was the case for 2 champagne cocktails I had at the Gramercy Park Hotel last night.

1st up: the James Bond
Hennessey Cognac, Orange Curacao, a splash of pineapple and fresh lime topped with Prosecco

2nd: classic Champagne cocktail
Champagne, bitters, cube of sugar

I preferred #2. I had high hopes for the James Bond--which wasn't too different than the classic--but the juices overpowered the other flavors in the flute making it too sugary and less fizzy. When you have such a little space to work with, balance and proportion is crucial to nail. You can get away with mistakes in a pitcher but not so much in a delicate glass like a flute.

I was also enamored with the way the sugar cube dissolved in the bottom, adding more bubbles to the visual.

Does Searing Seal In The Juices?

The short answer is no, and before I go any further let me admit that I stole all of this information from an episode of Good Eats. That being said, it doesn’t take a TV show host to taste the inherent goodness of a properly seared protein. Alton proved that when you sear a piece of meat and then cook it to the same temperature as a similar sized un-seared piece of the same meat, the seared piece actually weighs less, thus proving that it did not help with the retention of moisture.

This is where the issue becomes more complex. While searing may not seal in the juices, it does contribute a great deal to flavor and appearance. A well seared piece of beef, chicken, poultry, fish etc looks much more appetizing than a protein that has just been put in the oven to roast, and we do eat with our eyes first. However, the most important part of searing is the flavor it imparts. The caramelized surface of a well seared protein creates depth of flavor and a contrast of texture that is a key to the enjoyment of a dish.

I sear almost any protein that I cook, whether it’s something delicate like a piece of salmon, something simple like a chicken breast, or something bigger like a pork tenderloin or even a pork shoulder. Searing your meat is the first step in creating a flavorful dish. So, should you be searing your meat? Yes, but maybe not for the reason you thought.
-J

Drinking on an Empty Stomach

There are a lot of food myths out there; the danger of drinking on any empty stomach is not one of them. Countless studies have proven that the rate of intoxication increases when you have not had much to eat. Eating stems the tide of intoxication, because it decreases the rate of your body’s alcohol absorption. By decreasing your body’s metabolization of alcohol, your stomach contents also decrease the amount of alcohol in your blood stream, which is a nice little tidbit for those who try to push the limits of the law.

I did my own research Friday night. It was no double blind study; actually it all happened by accident. I started drinking as soon as I got off of work, and kept putting off dinner. By the time 9 o’clock rolled around, I was heading off to bed instead of spending the rest of the night with my friends. Not only did this miscalculation affect my night negatively, it led to quite the unpleasant feeling when I woke up the next day. So remember, never drink on an empty stomach, especially if you plan on having more than a couple.
-J

NYC Pimm's Cup Winner

I tried a Pimm's cup at the Spotted Pig and Madame Geneva on Bleecker. To my surprise, Madame Geneva served the better glass. Spotted Pig's was too watered down.

Spotted Pig Gnudi & Burger

BP and I hit up Spotted Pig for dinner at the bar last week. First up was the sheep's milk ricotta stuffed gnudi with brown butter sauce and crispy sage. Next was the burger cooked medium rare on a brioche bun with rosemary and fried garlic seasoned shoestring fries. If you read my post about the mochi balls, the gnudi was fashioned with the same fundamental structure but instead of rice flour and ice cream, it's potato pasta and creamy cheese. If you think about it, this kind of formula does well across all cuisines if the translations are pierogies, spring rolls, samosas, etc.

I mentioned the Spotted Pig in my Breslin post as they share the same head chef, April Bloomfield. The Spotted Pig takes the same British gastropub approach and similarly turns up the notch on richness and flavor in their dishes. I once had brunch here and nearly passed out on my walk home. A fully cleaned plate of 2 fried duck eggs (which are twice the size of chicken eggs) over a fried chicken liver hash did me in faster than a plate of country ham and grits. Phew. Decadent and health hazardous, but never disappointing.

Next time I go back I'm going to be a little more adventurous and try their roll mops which the bartender told us was pickled herring. Doesn't sound very appetizing but you never know.

Fun Fact

Another fun fact I learned in the wine class. Monks are who we can thank for wine. They started growing vines in France way back when and they were the ones who determined which estates got the "grand cru" classification.

Q-Tip: Sancerre

I took a wine class last night and learned that Sancerre is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is a village in France and their forte, the only grape they really grow for white wines, is Sauvignon Blanc. French wines don't list the grape varietal on the bottle, they just expect you to know who uses what grape since they've been in the business for 400 years.

New Zealand mussels & leeks

New Zealand mussels have a tint of green on their shell and are huge in size. I had these at 230 Forest in Laguna Beach, CA. The leeks made the broth and each bite that much better. (I love love mussels and always have a hard time ordering around them on a menu. If they're there, you bet I'll be eating them.) I don't have that much experience with leeks but they're such a great addition to broths and dips and pasta sauces. I always thought they'd taste like onions because I think they're from the same family but they actually don't at all. They're very refreshing and slightly crunchy.  Healthy and green without the onion tang or smell. I almost want to say there's a bit of citrus to them.

The wine in the picture is a La Crema Pinot Noir from California. White wine probably would have paired better but since the Pinot is a light bodied wine, it matched the light white wine broth. If the broth was creamier, a Merlot or CA Chardonnay probably would have been a better pair. The only issue I had with this wine is that I woke up with a searing headache and this was my only glass. I have different next day experiences with different wines. Sometimes I can drink a whole bottle and wake up the next day fine and dandy. Other times just 1 glass of red keeps me up all night with a headache and jitters. This might be a sulfite factor but I'm not 100% positive.

The Breslin's Scotch Egg & Onion and Bone Marrow Soup

All I can say is Wow. The Breslin and its decadent menu nearly knocked me off my feet. April Bloomfield, the same chef behind the Spotted Pig, opened up the Breslin last year and I just now discovered it. Like the Spotted Pig, the food is British gastropub and it's all super duper rich. Like whoa super heavy. For example, they have thrice fried french fries which they cover in salt. We ordered the Scotch Egg and Onion and Bone Marrow Soup.

A scotch egg is a soft boiled egg that's wrapped in bacon and then breaded with a peppery dough and deep fried. The dough was a little bit of overkill but their egg was perfectly soft boiled. I wouldn't order it again but glad I tried it.

The onion and bone marrow soup was another story. I can confidently say this was my favorite version of this dish and I love French Onion Soup. They served it like any traditional French Onion Soup with a slice of bread and melted cheese (think they used parm) in a brown baking bowl. The difference in contents was that instead of beef stock they used veal stock and to the veal stock they added bone marrow for flavor. If you're thinking, bone marrow?! yuck! Think again. You can't taste or see or feel the bone marrow in there--it's a taste enhancing component. As for the veal, I learned in my cooking class last week that veal stock imparts more flavor than beef because veal bones are younger and have more gelatin in them which turns out to be a good flavor agent. Hmmph. The end result is a thick, rich stock that's a touch on the sweet side. Bon apetit!

thebreslin.com

Spring Wine: Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde and Rose make fantastic Spring wines. At only $10 a bottle from Whole Food's, this is one of the best deals. The wine is slightly effervescent but not as carbonated and bubbly as champagne or prosecco. Its teeny tiny bubbles make it really crisp and zippy. The tip of your tongue will be the giveaway for this characteristic. It's super light bodied, very pale yellow/green, and has citrus notes. The sales rep described it as "poolside" wine. This was great by itself but I could also see it pairing nicely with shellfish and salads with citrus vinaigrette.

Buy Online

Spring Has Sprung

Tonite I went to Acme with my wonderful sister and my awesome friend Megan. Yes I spell tonight, tonite, I just like it better that way. I sent some of my blog entries as writing samples for this food critic job, and that was one of the few things they corrected me on. I know how to spell it, but I just like tonite better. So there! On to the food…..
I have posted about Acme Food and Beverage Co. at least once in the past, and for good reason, it is probably the best restaurant in Carrboro. Acme also speaks to my soul. Their theme is southern food with a gourmet twist, the two halves of me made whole. Their menu changes semi-regularly, with most of the changes occurring in the small plates portion of the menu. They also always have a few good specials for the evening. On this night they were offering Shad roe. Many of you have probably never heard of Shad roe, and I never had until an evening last year at this same restaurant. Shad is also known as river Herring. It is a fish native to the eastern/northeastern United States and prized for its roe, because of the remarkable taste and because it is only available during the spring. Thus, Shad roe is the culinary equivalent to the opening of flower buds. My roe was fried, covered in bacon, capers and lemon juice, then baked and served over cheese grits. This was an amazingly rich, savory and filling appetizer, so much so that I regretted ordering the pork belly small plate for my entrée. That regret soon faded the moment I took my first bite. It was so tasty that I completely glossed over the fact that I was full until I was making my way out to the car.
The pork belly was braised then seared, and served with a chile marmalade, radishes and pickeled confit onions. If I thought the last dish was rich, this one made it seem like a salad. It is often said that Pinot Noir goes well with pork, and that fact was proved once again, with my pairing of those two on this night. Before my Pinot I had a nice cocktail made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, rosemary syrup and lemon juice. While tasty, as with all Acme cocktails, it was not strong enough for me to pay the 8 dollars it cost. My sister loved the fried green tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic napoleon I had the last time, that she went with that on this night, as well as the Mahi-Mahi special. Megan had the field green salad and a nice vegetarian risotto. Acme can make a mean risotto, but while risotto is always rich, Acme’s risotto is like eating 2 lbs of butter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And as always, eating at Acme was not a good thing, it was a great thing.
-J

Ruh Roh News for The Hump

My favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Monica--The Hump--just got busted for serving endangered whale meat. And my favorite sushi chef--Yama-san--is taking the heat. Yama-san and Susumo-san took me to my first Japanese karaoke bar. And served me my first taste of raw horse meat. Yep I said it.

I'd like to know who was on whale patrol. Maybe Hayden Panettiere?

Oscar Winners Try To Keep Whale Off Sushi Plates
Sushi Spot is Charged With Serving Whale Meat

Asparagus Fries & Fried Deviled Eggs

Enjoyed these 2 appetizers at Nick's in Laguna Beach, CA. The whites on the eggs were fried in panko bread crumbs. The asparagus fried in a parmessan panko mix. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Natalie MacLean's Drinks Matcher

Ensalate Pulipo (Baby Octopus Salad)

 

Behold. Caffe Falai's baby octopus salad. Pan-seared, paprika seasoned baby octopus with fingerling potatoes, fried capers, black squid ink and celery root puree. salty salty salty. If you're unfamiliar with the taste of squid ink, it's seafood-y. I've even read the description: "seafaring flavors".....when you think of what seafood smells like, that's squid ink. Falai missed the mark on the ink though. It didn't have any smell or taste and was a bit dry.

The octopus stole the show. What made it so nice was the paprika crusted in spots like the curly cue tentacle. It almost gave the same sensation as a Bojangles french fry...especially when on the fork with a bite of potato. Octopus has become one of my favorite foods in the past year. I love octopus sushi over rice, octopus sashimi with lemon and fresh ground black pepper, grilled baby octopus (see Casa Mono post) with grapefruit, and octopus ceviche from the taco truck. Out of all variations I must say baby octopus is my favorite for reasons of texture: it's not as chewy and tough as (grown?) octopus is. And when pan-seared it releases it's juices which mingle well with the crispy, juicy outside that the pan gives it....I can't think of anything to compare it to. You'll just have to try it for yourself.

Dolcetto d'Alba & the "Godmother"

Last week I offered to host a meeting at the house which required me to find good catering to feed 20 mouths and good wine to go with. The first place that came to mind was Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica. Bay Cities is a local gem of an Italian specialty market/deli on Lincoln Blvd between Colorado and Olympic that is unfortunately not so hidden. If you walk in on a Saturday or Sunday you're guaranteed to wait at least 30 minutes before your ticket is called, but it's a wait well worth it because the deli meats, homemade baguettes, cheese, and antipasto delights (meatballs, marinated artichokes, herbed olives, peppers) are the best Italy can offer. Aside from the deli counter, at Bay Cities you'll also find specialty olive oils, vinegars, hazelnut spreads, biscottis, Italian wines, every imaginable cheese, and all sorts of other Italian condiments.

So to cater I went with the Godmother sub, an all-time fan favorite. The godmother has everything on it. Cappiocola, ham, provolone, pickles, mustard, roasted red peppers, pepperocinis, onions--the works. The bread is cooked on premise so it's fresh. The outside is firm with a slight crunch and the inside is dense but soft enough to absorb the juices of the sub contents. It's not the kind of baguette that flakes into a messy pile when you take a bite--everything in this one stays intact.

To go with the Godmother I chose an Italian Dolcetto d'Alba from the Piemonte region by Bruno Giacosa, a very well known producer. I became acquainted with his Roero Arneis white wine this summer which was addictive so I figured the Dolcetto would be just as good--plus my wine book said it would go well with deli meats. Dolcetto, the name of the grape, means "little sweet one." d'Alba denotes the part of the Piemonte where the grape is grown--Alba, where the best dolcetto wines originate. The wine was a deep ruby color, dry, medium bodied, slightly bitter and had hints of violet and berries. The pairing was perfect because the Dolcetto's soft tannins didn't overpower the mild deli meats...and the acidity was high giving a good clean finish.

These wines are typically inexpensive and drink well with many things.