Late Night Grubfest at Emporio

In recent years "getting late night" has evolved from a thrice-weekly hobby to, for the most part, a pasttime. Lord only knows how many late plates I snuck out of the KD dining room and slices of white pizza I walked out of Ben's Pizza with back in the day. But every now and then I find myself in the right company with the right appetite and make an exception to my new rules. This time I classed it up and went with Emporio on Mott between Elizabeth and Prince. I figured if you're gonna do it, go somewhere worth remembering the next morning.

I must note that I was not the only one at the table. While my appetite late at night does increase, you can rest assured it's not to these gargantuan proportions:

tasting of 3 cheeses
mushroom croquettas
pepperoni pizza
mozzarella, proscuitto, & arugula pizza
1 bottle of Dolcetto d'Alba

This was a pretty standard order for a rustic Italian trattoria--I've ordered all of these dishes at least 3 times in my life--but the quality of food rose above...and that's not just the tipsy talking. The atmosphere was warm, lit by small tea lights that reflected a soft glow off the wood interior. I enjoyed the setup we had at our table and would definitely keep this on my list of neighborhood favorites, regardless of time of day.

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.