Scarpetta: A Worthy Challenger to the Throne

Without ever having set foot in Scarpetta, I already had formed an opinion – I was primed to hate it. On the surface, it seems to conform to the stereotype of a Meatpacking restaurant that is surrounded by entirely too much undeserved hype, with snooty staff and underwhelming food to match. However, besides Scarpetta’s fringe Meatpacking address, which unfortunately does draw an unsavory "too cool for school" crowd, this is a serious restaurant with aspirations to knock Babbo off its throne as king of Italian dining in NYC.

Situated in an old Greek Revival townhouse, Scarpetta’s main dining room is charmingly decorated. Antiqued mirrors hang on the walls via Hermes-orange straps, angled just right to bathe the room in light coming through the large glass skylight. But Scarpetta is much more than just a pretty face. Although model-filled clubs sit only a few blocks away, counting calories at Scarpetta would be an unmitigated disaster. The breadbasket arrives and is filled with delicious choices, the best being a focaccia-type bread stuffed with ham and cheese that I could not stop devouring. The quality of the bread was a harbinger of the delights to come.

We chose to begin our meal with the fritto misto as an early test for the kitchen. Scarpetta passed with flying colors. The calamari and zucchini were cut matchstick thin and although fried, remained light. An obviously welcome culinary miracle. Flecks of fried garlic, rosemary, and parsley were scattered throughout and added a welcome depth of flavor that elevated the dish.

On to the course that makes Italian restaurants my preferred dining destination: pasta. My dining partner and I shared the black maccheroni with calamari, lobster, and sea urchin and the raviolini with zucchini flowers, asparagus, and ricotta. Although the raviolini were creamy and undeniably tasty, the black maccheroni would merit return visits all by itself. The brininess of the squid-ink pasta brought to mind pleasant memories of summers at the beach; truly a masterful evocation of the ocean’s bounty.









Our final savory dish was the Sicilian-spiced duck breast, accompanied by carrots, onions, and a potato cake. After the kitchen’s deft hand with the pastas, I was not at all surprised to see that the duck was perfectly cooked with the fat rendered to the point where the skin was nicely crisped and the lovely red wine reduction sauce accented the sweetness of the duck flawlessly. Another sparkling display of culinary skill by the kitchen.

The richness of our meal called for something subtly sweet to end the meal. The coconut panna cotta we ordered was the perfect foil to all the gluttony that preceded. Clean and fresh, this dessert brought a great meal to a happy close.

Scarpetta is the type of fine dining experience that most pleases me. Not overly fussy, but with great attention to detail, both in terms of ingredients and execution, Scarpetta shockingly merits much of the hype surrounding it. Although a bit pricey, I would be happy to return time and again, perhaps just perched at the bar for a bowl of pasta and a glass of barolo. Scarpetta is exactly the 4 star type of place that sets NYC apart and is an experience often ruined in other cities by unneeded pretentiousness and preciousness. Watch out, Babbo.

4 stars: One of the Reasons to Never Leave NYC

Scarpetta
355 W. 14th St. (near 9th Avenue)
Cost: $190 for 2 (including tax and tip)
Highlights: black maccheroni with seafood; Sicilian spiced duck breast
Service: The hostesses need courses in warmth and hospitality, but the wait staff was professional and on the ball. Credit should also be given to the charming sommelier who was more than happy to guide us to some mid-priced choices. Kudos for not pushing your most expensive bottle of wine up front.

Prune: An Unfortunate Name, But a Worthwhile Meal

Although cursed with an unappetizing name and tucked away on a nondescript street running along the edges of the East Village and the Lower East Side, Prune is reminiscent of a well-worn bistro one might find in a Parisian arrondissement. Rather than classic French bistro dishes, Prune's menu is comprised of trendy New American favorites like duck breast, lamb chops, and cuts of offal. A cute, brightly-lit dining room covered with antique mirrors serves as a pleasant backdrop to what I hoped would be an enjoyable experience, considering all the buzz this restaurant has generated. And indeed, I was not disappointed.

My meal started with two appetizers, one from the depths of the ocean and the other from the plains. A pan seared octopus starter with celery and chili flakes was tender and tasty enough, although slightly underseasoned. I have an unnatural affinity for our tasty tentacled friend, invariably ordering octopus when it shows up on a menu and so I consider myself something of an aficionado. My sole complaint would be that Prune's version lacked a bit of a punch; the chili flakes should have done the trick but were simply not applied aggressively enough.










My other appetizer, however, was an unqualified success. To be honest, how can you really go wrong with roasted marrow bones. Nicely charred, the marrow bones were accompanied by a vinegary parsley salad and sea salt. Eating marrow captures the essence of red meat in all its primal glory. A truly decadent treat, marrow bones are currently enjoying a surge of cult popularity amongst NYC carnivores, but are still a rarity on most menus. So this first course was well appreciated.

Our main courses followed in short order and were truly the stars of the meal. A seared duck breast entree with dandelion greens and raisin-caper dressing was well-seasoned and a perfectly cooked medium-rare. The crispy skin of the duck provided an ideal textural contrast to the juicy and pleasantly salty breast meat. Really quite exceptional.










And last but not least, a seasonal special of fiddlehead ferns with peekytoe crab jus was delightful. The delicate and sweet crab meat served as an ideal counterpoint to the al dente fresh ferns; a spicy, smoky broth brought the dish together and really made the flavors pop. This was one of the most enjoyable dishes I have eaten in quite some time.

Prune is one of those restaurants that truly makes the restaurant scene in Manhattan unique and second to none. To find a small restaurant this ambitious and self-assured on an inauspicious block is what makes eating out in this city fun and the dishes I sampled surely merit 3 stars. Although I am not enamored with its name, whisper Prune in the ears of your foodie friends...if they haven't already heard about it, they definitely will thank you.

3 stars: Worth Traveling Above 14th Street For (or all the way to the 1st and 1st as the case may be)

Prune
54 East 1st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
Cost: Dinner for 2 $90 (excluding tip)
Highlights: fiddlehead ferns with peekytoe crab jus; seared duck breast
Service: Friendly service, but a bit slow and unorganized

A Paella Feast at Socarrat

Since returning from Spain, I have been craving great paella, which, frustratingly, is almost impossible to find Stateside. Not paella in name only, which is what you often get in Manhattan restaurants. Glorified saffron flavored risotto in a large shallow pan does not a paella make. An authentic paella can NOT be missing the crunchy, just shy of burnt, top and bottom layers of rice in the pan, truly elevating a dish whose main ingredient is merely rice. Granted, that is a difficult line to toe, but if you are not going to do it right, why bother. Don't tease me with fake paellas, please.

So I had high hopes when I first heard of Socarrat Paella Bar, considering that socarrat refers to that elusive texture I sought, the crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom layer of rice. That seemed to bode well as the restaurant was at least aware of what the key component to a great paella was. So off I went to dinner, keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn't be disappointed.

A tiny sliver of a restaurant on a quiet block in Chelsea, Socarrat is dominated by a long communal bar where the majority of diners are seated (as much as anything can dominate a tiny 400 square foot space; a normal table for 4 would dominate as well). The antiqued decor is pleasant enough and makes Socarrat a cute date spot if the need arises.

Obviously, the main reason to come to Socarrat is the paella and as we waited for ours to be prepared, we ordered a couple of tapas to nibble on. The standout was the calamari a la plancha, which consisted of lovely grilled calamari in a garlic lemon marinade. Exceedingly tender and expertly grilled, my only hesitation in recommending the calamari is if you really were on a date. The garlic, as often is the case for Spanish food, was quite pronounced; luckily, no worries for me and the calamari was quickly dispatched. Fried sardines were our other choice, skewered and served over a nicely acidic tomato sauce. Although a bit heavy on the breading, the acidity of the tomato sauce held up nicely to the oiliness of the sardines making the dish pleasant enough.

The tapas did a good job distracting us while we waited for the star of the show, which soon emerged from the kitchen. The paella de carne for 2 that we ordered, interspersed with chunks of pork, chicken, duck, chorizo, and green beans, looked absolutely spectacular. Was this paella simply a pretty face or had I found a real paella outside of Valencia? Spooning the rice onto our dishes you could immediately tell we were in for a treat. The rice had the perfect consistency and textural crunch you want and the meats were all surprisingly juicy and well-seasoned. Bite after bite was quickly devoured and as the top layer of rice disappeared, our waiter sauntered over and scraped the crispy, truly delicious bits off the bottom of the pan, making sure we got every morsel of the socarrat. One wouldn't want to waste the best part.

It was actually nice for once for my expectations to actually be met; this was a truly great paella worthy of standing up to any competitors back in Spain and deserving, in and of itself, 3 stars. Easily worth a trip above 14th Street. I would even travel to the far reaches of Brooklyn for this paella, its just that good. Ok, maybe not to the far reaches, but regardless go to Socarrat and experience paella as it should be, in all its crispy glory.

3 stars: Worth Traveling Above 14th Street For

Socarrat Paella Bar
259 W. 19th Street between 7th and 8th Ave.
Cost: Dinner for 2 $80 (excluding tip)
Highlights: calamari a la plancha; paella de carne
Service: Friendly service characterized by the jovial presence of the Spanish owner/host

Lunchin' at Momofuku Ssam Bar

As the cult of David Chang continues to grow, I thought I would revisit the runt of the Momofuku litter, Momofuku Ssam Bar. I used to frequent Momofuku Ssam Bar in its infancy, when the concept behind it was that of a burrito bar, the Korean answer to Baja Fresh. And god, did I love it. It was inexpensive and the Asian-inspired burritos filled with kimchi, red bean paste, and chicken were things of genius. Unfortunately, Momofuku Ssam Bar as a burrito joint didn't find much favor with the East Village locals, so it was gradually transformed into the restaurant it is today. And so, I found myself eating lunch there on a recent rainy Wednesday afternoon, making my own determination as to whether change is good.

Momofuku Ssam Bar is all dark wood, low slung tables, and stools with an open kitchen peeking out onto the dining room. Lunch time is quiet for the Ssam Bar, but it can get pretty boisterous at night. All the dishes are meant to be shared, so they come out rather haphazardly, which I don't mind because it allows you to sneak bites of your companion's food and try even more dishes.

The first dish we sampled was a cured hamachi plated with an edamame horseradish puree. The fish was fresh enough but the edamame horseradish puree lacked any punch whatsoever, so instead of a creatively composed dish, you had a simple plate of sashimi. A bit of a letdown as I have come to expect more from Mr. Chang.

The next dish to emerge from the kitchen is quite often the highlight to any visit to a Momofuku establishment: the steamed buns filled with unctuous pork belly, hoisin sauce, scallions, and pickled cucumbers. The highest compliment I can pay these delicious little buns is that I inevitably share an order (which consists of two buns) and always end up hating whoever I am sharing the dish with because I don't get seconds. The pork belly is so wonderfully fatty and the fluffy buns perfectly soak up the pork fat and hoisin sauce. Truly delicious. Just don't say I didn't warn you if you share an order of pork buns and have strange feelings of hatred towards your companion. Its not you, it's the buns.

On the heels of the heavenly steamed pork buns came a rather disappointing dish. The buttermilk panna cotta salad with microgreens, pine nuts, and a white miso-soy broth just completely missed the mark. The buttermilk panna cotta seemed unsure as to how salty or sour it wanted to be leaving my tastebuds similarly confused. The pine nuts also could have spent some time toasting to add some much needed crunch to the dish. Really, the only thing that saved this 'salad' from being an unmitigated failure was that the white miso-soy broth was almost perfect with just the right hint of salinity and tangy-ness. That broth would have been better served standing alone.

Luckily, we finished the meal on a high note when a plate of spicy rice cakes, pork sausage, chinese broccoli, and crispy shallots arrived to the table. The spicy rice cakes had the consistency of plump little gnocchi with a pleasing crunch to the exterior, while the ground sausage was sufficiently spicy to make you sweat, which I find welcome. A hearty squeeze of lime to add some acidity would have truly made the dish perfect, but nevertheless, this dish showed the creativity and skill that a David Chang-inspired kitchen should always aspire to.

It may be a function of how much I love Momofuku Noodle Bar and the high expectations I have for a David Chang-led establishment, but my lunch time repast at Momofuku Ssam Bar left me disappointed. Although the steamed pork buns and spicy rice cakes deserve better, the overall experience only merited 1 star. While Momofuku Noodle Bar has noticeably improved since it moved to a new location, I fear that the Ssam Bar has lost its way. Obviously, David Chang knows what he is doing conceptually, but more attention needs to be paid to the food on the plate. You can definitely eat well at Ssam Bar if you order carefully enough, but ultimately, I would suggest heading to Momofuku Noodle Bar if you really want to see David Chang shine.

One Star: Good Concept, Poor Execution (pretty annoying considering Mr. Chang should know better)

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 Second Avenue, corner of 13th St. and 2nd Ave.
Cost: Lunch for 2 $60 (excluding tip)
Highlights: Steamed pork buns; spicy rice cakes with pork sausage, chinese broccoli, and crispy shallots
Service: The surprisingly knowledgeable and competent hipster-ish waitstaff does an admirable job

Postcard from San Sebastian

Michelin stars literally abound in the Basque countryside surrounding San Sebastian. If you are visiting, with cash to burn, and are into molecular gastronomy, by all means check out Arzak and Mugaritz. For those of middling means, however, I have compiled a list of more moderately priced restaurants in San Sebastian’s Old Quarter that truly wowed me.

Restaurante Urepel (Plaza Slamanca 3, 011.31.943424040)

This restaurant specializes in traditional Basque cuisine presented in a dining room straight from the gilded age of the eighties. Regardless, the fish is fresh as can be and a lovely salad of red vegetables took advantage of the sea’s bounty with grilled mackerel, tuna, anchovies and bluefish rising in a tower above the greens. Pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate. On our way to San Sebastian, the countryside was full of snowy white wooled lamb, so of course that's what we ordered. And sure enough, the roast lamb dish which consisted of lamb loin skewers with roast mushrooms, as well as lamb chops braised in honey and cider, was perfectly seasoned and made me Grumpy no more. At least until the next annoyance cropped up. Dinner for two with wine, €110.

Morgan Jatetxea (Narrika 7, 011.31.943.424661)

Morgan’s menu del dia is the steal of the century and, on the day we visited, the restaurant was filled with locals. Served at lunch, this three course meal will only set you back €17. Now if the food was bad, I wouldn’t care if the set menu was being given away. But serving traditional Basque dishes such as calamari stewed in its own ink with rice alongside international favorites such as lamb tagine somehow works in Morgan’s eclectic atmosphere. And most importantly, the food was tasty. One warning, the appetitizer, main course, and dessert that make up the menu del dia are enough food to feed a small army. Be prepared. Lunch for two with wine, €34.

Kokotxa Restaurante (Campanario 11, 011.34.943.421904)

Bright lights and uber-modern furnishings served as the backdrop to some of the most artistically plated and tastiest food I have had in ages. Course after course struggled to serve two masters – inventiveness and simplicity. My taste buds emerged victorious. The first course of fried artichokes with salt-water crayfish atop sweet potato puree was the best first course I had in all of Spain. The balance of the crayfish’ sweetness and the balsamic sauce was sensational. Truly delicious. Another standout dish was the red mullet fillets served with conch pieces and tomato tarter. So fresh and the dish was so evocative of the ocean that I fell in like with it. (Let’s not get crazy and LOVE a fish). Dinner for two with wine, €115.

One final note: before you leave San Sebastian, you MUST do a pintxos (tapas) crawl from bar to bar trying different snacks. My friend and I gorged ourselves on pintxos and wine the entire night and still only managed to spend upwards of €50. If you just wander around the old town in San Sebastian, you’ll find plenty of lively pintxo bars to pop into. However, one place not to be missed is Ganbara (San Jeronomino 21, 011.31.943422575), which was easily the most refined and elegant of the bunch. If you go to Ganbara, you must order, and this is a command, una surtido setas (a mixed plate of grilled wild mushrooms) and una pulpo gallego (boiled octopus with a spicy paprika sauce). You will thank me.

Postcard from Madrid

Madrilenos live a charmed life—not only do they get to enjoy my favorite Spanish tradition, the splendid afternoon siesta, but the best restaurants in the Spanish capital rival those of Manhattan. From a simple rustic tavern to a temple of molecular gastronomy, here are my best bets for your next trip to Madrid:

Posada de la Villa (Cava Baja 9, 011.34.91.2661.860)

If you go before ten in the evening, be prepared to be surrounded by tourists, which made me none too happy. Nonetheless, there is one big reason to go here: the leg of lamb for two. Roasted in a giant brick fireplace on the second floor, this hunk of meat would be a revelation for most Americans who are used to the foul-tasting mutton masquerading as lamb offered at plenty of places in Manhattan. The crispy skin and fork-tender meat pleased me to no end. Dinner for two, 80 euros.

O’Pazo (Reina Mercedes 20, 011.34.91.553.23.33)

If you love fish, then you must visit O’Pazo. Incredibly fresh seafood in a modern space, order the gambas riojas if they have them and be prepared to be blown away by the sweetness of these red shrimp, prepared simply on the grill and seasoned with sea salt and lemon. Also, don’t miss the merluza a la horno (baked hake)—the poor little hake must have been swimming the night before, it was so fresh, and the dish’s perfectly acidic lemon sauce complemented the flaky flesh admirably. Easily my best meal in Madrid and I left with a smile on my face even after seeing the check. Dinner for two, 130 euros.

La Broche (Miguel Angel 29-31, 011.34.91.399.34.27)

In the interest of full disclosure, molecular gastronomy is usually not my thing. I’d rather devour some paella than fiddle with a plate of foams and gêlées (speaking of which, can someone please tell me why you can’t get a good, or even a decent, paella in Madrid? I know its Valencia’s specialty, but come on now, Madrid, you are better than that.) That being said, La Broche represents the best of the molecular gastronomic movement, while still showing restraint and respect for the ingredients. The kitchen sends out clever re-interpretations of traditional Spanish dishes, such as boiled octopus or grilled anchovies, which are both fanciful and, most importantly, tasty. You might not want to eat like this every night, but La Broche pleases both your mind and your taste buds. Dinner for two, 140 euros.

Espana

I am off for a ten day jaunt to Madrid and San Sebastian, so although you won't be getting NYC dining reviews from me while I am gone, check back soon for my postcard reviews from abroad...Have a great Memorial Day weekend.