Tag Archives: Gnocco

Bianca in Noho

So, one of my dearest friends, Stef, took me to one of her favorite UWS restaurants several weeks ago (I didn’t blog about it because I was so hungry I forgot to capture photos… sorry folks!). This restaurant is called Celeste — and Celeste doesn’t even have a website, so I wasn’t able to menu-stalk prior to going for dinner. Following our dinner a coworker of mine mentioned that I should go to Bianca downtown in Noho — she described this restaurant making it sound a bit like Celeste; there were no reservations, always expect a wait, payment is cash-only and the food is spectacular. Bianca does have a website so I forwarded it to Stef saying we needed to get to this joint asap! Stef couldn’t help but laugh as she pointed out to me that Bianca is Celeste’s sister restaurant.

food from bianca

So Stef and I hurried down to Bianca at 7:30 p.m. thinking our wait would be quick and easy — nope! we waited over an hour to be seated. But time flew by as we caught up over a glass of wine at an uber hipster bar right next to the restaurant. When we were seated at Bianca, I was reminded instantly of Al Di La in Brooklyn; the decor was so similar — old-school wall paper with white subway tiling to help divide the space on the walls, even the smells coming from the kitchen were as delectable as Al Di La’s.

We quickly ordered — clearly, we both scouted out the menu prior to attending dinner. To share: the Gnocco Fritto with Stracchino Cheese, a caprese salad (special of the day) and for our main dishes we both ordered pasta — I ordered myself the Ravioli di Ricotta con Burro e Salvia (ravioli in a butter and sage sauce) and Stef ordered herself the Gramigna con Salciccia e Peperoni (pasta with crumbled sausage and red bell pepper). Even though the restaurant was packed — not a single seat was available — the food came out in a very timely manner.

gnocco

Our apps were d-e-l-i-s-h … The gnocco was perfectly cooked, nice and puffy and soft and the stracchino cheese was out of this world. It was obvious it was coated in a very flavorful truffle olive oil, but the cheese consistency was smooth and creamy — maybe even more so than a burrata. Remember folks, Gnocco is not the same as Gnocchi.

butter and sage ravioli

When it came to my ravioli, I instantly had a flash back. The first time I ever cooked my boyfriend a meal at home I made him a caprese salad served with ravioli in a sage and butter sauce (Thanks Food Network for the fabulous recipe and thank you Whole Foods for providing the “homemade” ravioli). This ravioli at Bianca though was homemade and wasn’t just “served with butter” — it was swimming in it. The longer I let the ravioli sit, the thicker the butter got, which allowed me to scoop more of it up on to my fork. I would order this rich dish again in a heart beat!

meat pasta

I had to share a pic of Stef’s pasta — it was out of this world! I also loved that Bianca wasn’t afraid to feed people, the serving sizes were outstanding!

I love finding restaurants like Bianca and Celeste — I am always ready for more suggestions… So if anyone has any, be sure to share the details! Bianca really fit the bill for me and Stef this weekend — literally! Ultimately for 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes of pasta, and 1 homemade sorbet for dessert … plus a bottle of wine. It all totaled up to $81. The way we ordered we were also “splurging” so the fact that we didn’t faint at the sight of the bill, we were very pleased!

Don’t forget ya’ll — follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for some more fun foodie ideas, recipes, and restaurant spottings!

Follow Me on Pinterest

Instagram

Ravioli Round-Up

It was recently brought to my attention how much I blog about ravioli. So, when I typed in “Ravioli” in my blog’s search, I discovered my friend was right… I am obsessed with ordering this type of dish! So, I thought I’d do a round up of my favorites over the past couple of months so if you have a hankering or an obsession like I do — then you’ll know exactly where to go for the best plate!

1. The best ravioli dish I believe that I have had while living in New York City (and I recently ate it only a couple of months ago) was from my favorite Italian restaurant, Perbacco! Perbacco is in the Lower East Side and they change their menu seasonally, so you know that the food is going to be nothing but fresh and full of flavor! This ravioli — Ravioli di Zucca con Salsiccia which is kabocha squash ravioli sauteed in brown butter sauce and italian sausage served with amaretto foam on the side — is the perfect dish if you are after something both sweet and savory!

2. What other restaurant could have the ravioli plate down… of course it’s going to be Perbacco’s sister restaurant — Gnocco! I was able to catch this ravioli dish when it was listed as a special. Honestly there isn’t a better filling for a ravioli than either pumpkin or butternut squash… and pair that with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and I’m officially in heaven!

3. Here we go… exactly what I was just talking about. The Butternut Tortelloni with Roast Italian Chestnuts, Sage and Parmigiano from Crispo in Meatpacking is done perfectly! And you know that this will be available to you since it wasn’t on a special menu! Yum Yum Yum I just love butternut! Super sweet, savory, and in a way totally hits that spot the same way comfort food does!

4. And in fourth place is a more classic Ravioli Al Formaggio — a ravioli filled with cheese in a pink sauce. I loved how the small West Village trattoria cooked up this dish! Malatesta Trattoria doesn’t take reservations, but your 2 hour wait will be worth it — the prices are dirt cheap and you will be saying “yum” between every single bite!

5. A hot-spot where New Yorkers could spot the Kardashians while they were filming their latest season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, the restaurant is also known as Asellina located on Park Avenue (and can be considered in the neighborhood of Murray Hill). But the chef at this restaurant put together one heck of a special featuring a truffled ravioli… can you see the truffle shavings? They weren’t cheap with the real-deal — forget truffle oil!

6. Bar Pitti was the most recent place I ordered a ravioli dish and it was the most perfect option I could have picked! The ravioli was light and fluffy and stuffed with spinach and cheese — poured over top was a tasty butter and sage sauce that had me licking my lips! It’s a no reservations and cash only type of joint so be prepared! The wait goes fast and you’ll love the pushy (/busy) Italian employees!

Perbacco, East Village Italian Cuisine

I’ve mentioned this restaurant many times in other posts. I’m in love with the food here and if there was a Perbacco in Chelsea… well, I’d be in major trouble!

My good friend Alexandra introduced me to Perbacco’s sister restaurant, Gnocco when I first moved to the city. Her father is friends with the owner and we got an amazing education on the food at his restaurants. (See my post on Gnocco for more details!) I’ve been to Perbacco many times — with my boyfriend, with my mother, with family, and this past weekend I took some friends from out of town to experience the most delectable Italian food that they will ever experience outside of Italy. (Actually, I think it was better than the majority of meals I had on my recent trip to Italy.) And my friends agreed, the food is outstanding! They are from Boston and they mentioned how much business a restaurant like Perbacco would get if they opened in the Boston area.

My friend Amanda & I outside of Perbacco.

My friend, Amanda, and I reconnected after several years apart. We used to play together as kids when I lived in New Hampshire. Now, as adults we’re keeping in touch once again! At dinner one of her birthday parties from when she was a kid came up. I chuckled and asked if it was the one when she had a magician perform. Her mom laughed and we all remembered that Amanda ruined the magic for all of the kids because she knew the trick involving a hidden rabbit in a hat. Oops! (But also very funny!)

The fluffiest gnocchi I have ever had!

While laughing about the past and catching up on all of the most recent happenings in our lives, we devoured our appetizers, side dishes and entrees. Honestly, I could have kept eating and eating all night long. I strongly believe that if the food is outstanding you will eat it all, even if you aren’t that hungry. There has never been a time I have ever left any of my food on my plate at Perbacco. And some times I wish that I could have leftovers so I could keep enjoying the food the next day. Nope, it never happens. And I never eat pork, but when I am eating at this Italian restaurant I forget about my no pork rule and I pig out.

I went with a safe dish, the gnocchi, and my mother ordered the Ravioli di Zucca con Salsiccia which is kabocha squash ravioli sauteed in brown butter sauce and italian sausage served with amaretto foam on the side. Which in other words means a taste of heaven. My poor mother couldn’t keep my fork away from her plate. Even though the gnocchi was insanely fluffy and full of flavor, I couldn’t help but move over to the sweet ravioli on my mother’s plate. Lesson learned, mom… eat faster next time!

Sweet and filling ravioli from Perbacco.

I always order something different when I come here because the menu often has seasonal dishes. I love that I can expect some of the classics to always be there, but I also look forward to some new surprises. Last winter I had probably the most delicious risotto I have ever tasted — maybe it will return to the menu this winter, or maybe another unexpected dish will be created!

New Chelsea Restaurant, La Promenade Des Anglais

A new restaurant opened only a few weeks ago in the heart of Chelsea in the building of the famous London Terrace (an apartment building so large it stretches one avenue long and one block wide). I was very pleased because the northern part of Chelsea could use some more restaurants and I love finding out that there’s something new to eat. Really, this part of the neighborhood needs a combination of both fancy-sit-down restaurants as well as casual brunch and dinner venues. La Promenade Des Anglais is definitely categorized under the “fancy-sit-down restaurants.”

Luckily my apartment is only steps away, so naturally I was thrilled to be going here for dinner. Upon arrival I ordered the lavender lemonade at the bar. I haven’t had such a strong cocktail in a very long time. The lavender was so potent in the drink and the lemonade flavoring masked most of the alcohol’s taste. The drink is a unique one that I probably wouldn’t order again just because the size of it was far too much too large.

For our appetizers we had a shrimp tartare that was so delicious, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it. When it comes to shrimp I either will love the dish or I will hate it. Shrimp cocktail makes me gag because I can’t stand the texture when you bite into the cold shrimp — it’s like I can feel the shrimp muscles ripping in every bite (I know, I don’t know what I am talking about because my description is ridiculous… but that’s the way I feel when I eat shrimp cocktail). This shrimp tartare was so fresh and light and for each bite you would add the tartare to the top of a homemade salty potato chip for some cripiness and extra texture. Another appetizer we ordered was something I never had before: fried gnocchi. I didn’t enjoy this one bit, it was far too bland and we even asked if the chef could give us some red sauce for dipping but the sauce didn’t help at all. Gnocchi is supposed to be fluffy and if it’s not then it is cooked incorrectly. Frying gnocchi… I don’t think so. The outside of the gnocchi was crispy just like anything that is fried and the gnocchi itself was much more dense, there was no fluff to it. (If you are looking for a restaurant that serves the BEST gnocchi in the entire world, try either of these two sister restaurants: Gnocco or Perbacco both on the Lower East Side/Alphabet City. I have never had a bad meal at either of the restaurants, the chefs are brilliant, I even think these restaurants served me better meals compared to any place I ate at while touring Italy.) Our final appetizer we ordered was the Vitello Tonnato — sweetbreads and blue-fin tuna, with romaine hearts. I actually didn’t try this dish because I was so turned off by the smell. And you all know how much I love tuna, so my boyfriend was shocked when I turned down a tasting.

For my main course I ordered the scallops with zucchini, red pepper, and pine nut gremolata. The scallops were cooked perfectly and I loved that there were extra salty seasonings added to the scallops — this salty flavor was only on the outside yet it tasted as if it was pan seared into the fish. It was probably one of the best scallops I have had in a while.

Overall the restaurant was pretty good — would I go back for a second dinner? Probably not, unless the chef redesigns the menu. I appreciate when a restaurant is consistent from dish to dish and even though I did like a few of the plates that I ordered, I didn’t enjoy everything that we ordered. I also couldn’t figure out if the style of the foods were supposed to be from French inspirations or if there was a fusion of some sort from French food to something else.

Bravo to the chefs that are launching this new restaurant. It’s off to a great start and I’ll be interested to read reviews over the next year and I’ll be very excited to see a revised menu when the seasons change and you offer different dishes.

Gnocco

Italy came to me for dinner last night — the funny thing about the evening was as soon as I got to Gnocco with friends for a feast, my boyfriend’s flight to Rome was leaving New York. When he returns from Italy, I’m going to take him back — minus the long transatlantic flight and bags of cheap pretzels.
Let me be clear, the food Gnocco is different than Gnocchi; but they are both sublime at this restaurant. Gnocco is a deep fried dough but is not the fried dough you are probably thinking about — it’s not super thick and has both a crispy crunch and a fluffy texture to it. The Gnocco dish comes with northern Italian cold-cuts and can be placed on top of the fried-dough if you’d like, but I enjoyed it without. In addition to the Gnocco as an appetizer, I devoured the Caprese di Bufala Campana (sorry, it was eaten so fast I forgot to snap a photo!), which is buffalo mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and of course — basil. What made this salad so divine were two things: an extra basil-pesto was on the side of the dish and the flavor of this pesto livened up the food even more, and the buffalo mozzarella was also the freshest and creamiest cheese I have ever eaten. The restaurant has their buffalo mozzarella imported to them (see, I told you Italy came to me for dinner). My friend ordered their Caprino Tiepido, honey and golden raisins with warm goat cheese on top of mixed greens, she offered me some salad and if I wasn’t already getting full I probably would have demolished her dish. Having warm goat cheese makes it feel like you are having a hot dinner but the greens and especially the honey make the salad feel light. Usually I don’t enjoy salads, I think they are for wimps, but this one isn’t for the typical little salad eater, it’s for those who want to say “yum” after every bite and not feel guilty over what they are eating.
For my main course I indulged in a gnocchi in a pesto sauce (the gnocchi and a pesto sauce are on their menu but they are not with each other, the kitchen was kind enough to put the two together for me — and I must say, I think they are a great match). Owner Gianluca Giovanetti explained to me the gnocchi consistency is all about the amount of flour used; too much flour is going to make them too hard, not enough flour and it won’t hold together well enough to be called gnocchi. Gnocco chefs have the gnocchi recipe down — it was the perfect texture, not too hard but also it didn’t fall apart when my fork scooped it up. I am extremely picky with gnocchi, I feel like I may have a great dish of it once a year if I’m lucky and I almost gave up the search for the perfect gnocchi — and then I tried Gnocco’s plate. Gianluca also told me how each dish truly is a taste of heaven (and Italy). His mother came over to the United States to teach the chefs her recipes. In this case it’s true — mother knows best!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


Following the gnocchi came the pizza! The thin and crispy crust didn’t make me feel full on pizza and the toppings were amazing! It was covered with the classic italian seasonings and ingredients that make the food scream “ITALIAN GODS/GODDESSES CREATED ME!” There are plenty of pizzas to choose from — this side of the menu is a bit overwhelming because there are so many pizzas to pick from. One thing I did not try was the Calzone; it’s something I must do when I return for another dinner.
Dessert, was what officially put me in my food coma.
The mascarpone ice cream with espresso poured on top was to-die-for. Every one at the table laughed when I took too big of a bite out of the ice cream glass. After I got the spoon full in my mouth I closed my eyes because I felt like I was in food-heaven and then I quickly realized brain-freeze was the outcome of too much cold in one bite. I will NEVER again have artificial coffee flavored ice cream. If coffee is to be with the frozen dessert it is to be done one way and one way only — and it’s this way.

Note: Gnocco is located at 337 East 10th Street (between A&B).
Warning: don’t look at the online menu, it will make you hungry!
P.S: it’s 2 p.m the day after I went to dinner at Gnocco and I’m still full! That’s what great food will do to you!