Cucina Ciano

If you haven't heard, a lot of new and noteworthy restaurants have sprouted up on the upper east side, quite exciting for an upper eastsider.  I was thrilled to hear about Ciano moving up from Flatiron to the UES as a more casual eatery, Cucina Ciano. 

 

 

There were so many things on the menu that looks delicious it was very difficult to figure out what to get.  I made the decision of getting a few small plates so I could try a few dishes.  I started with the burrata "panzanella" salad with arugula, and cherry tomato.  This was a simple and lovely dish, the burrata really took center stage and the arugula offered a nice herbal bite.

 

 

 

 

They have three crostini options and I chose to go with the baccala and potato.  I love white fish so I was excited about this however it was very heavy on the potato, not so much baccala.  If you like mashed potatoes, you would love this, creamy and smooth, and on crostini, it was a carbo load.

 

 

 

 

I almost didn't do it but I really couldn't resist....I had to order the octopus.  This was a balsamic glazed octopus on frisee with artichoke and red pepper.  The flavors were great but it was alittle small.

 

 

 

 

I have to say the best thing I had all night - besides the Chianti - was the brussel sprouts and Cucina Ciano knew what they were doing with these little cabbages.  They were roasted with alittle bit of a caramelized crunch on the outside and just the perfect amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Truly outstanding.

 

 

 

For dessert, my dining companions and I wanted to try something so we went with the mini cannoli.  There was pistachio (the best one), chocolate chip, and a lemon rosemary.  They could use some better plating but really great cannoli. 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the neighborhood Cucina Ciano!

 

Cucina Ciano

181 E 78TH St, New York, NY  646.422.7550

 

Hill & Dale

Hill & Dale is supposed to be a great late night spot but I went for dinner on a Friday night and it was absolutely fantastic.  No need to only go for late night, this place has a great menu to share and an awesome happy hour deal. They have an extensive cocktail list and their signature cocktails are $7 during happy hour from 5pm-8pm. 

 

 

I started off with a drink, "The Floozy", which has vodka, mudled strawberries, lime juice and a daisy to top it off.  It was a bit sweet so I had to switch to an Old Fashion on my next round but if you want to feel like you are on a tropical island, this drink will take you there.

 

 

The Floozy

 

 

Any empty Floozy

 

 

 

They had Sigmund's Pretzels on the menu so we had to order one.  If you haven't had a Sigmund's Pretzel yet, stop what you are doing and go get one, they are the best soft pretzel ever.  This apple cider mustard was a great complement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The deviled eggs were delicious, made with a smoked paprika that was perfect on the creamy yolks

 

 

 

 

 

 

A dozen oysters....$1 a piece during happy hour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The short rib sliders were fantastic and a good hearty dish, they don't skimp on the meat.  The short rib was very tender and flavorful and the pickled kimchi adds a nice brightness.

 

 

 

Next cocktail....."Flip The Frog", with muddled cucumber, gin & St. Germain.  Quite refreshing, and went down real quick

 

 

 

Now for the highlight of my week.......the Hill & Dale flatbread.  This flatbread was topped with duck confit, salvatore ricotta, caramelized onions, olives, puttanesca and basil.  There aren't even words to describe how good this flatbread is.  The duck is packed with decedent flavor and is soft and crispy which seems impossible but they did it.  The cheese has such a creamy, smooth consistency that tasted very rich and was just amazing.  Then there were the layers of olives, basil and something of a crunch, I think it was apple but not sure.  All of these ingredients piled on top of this flatbread came together in harmony and made an amazing bite.  The dough needed a touch of seasoning but this flatbread was nearly one of the most perfect things I have eaten. 

 

 

Run don't walk to Hill & Dale and make sure you order the flatbread!

 

 

Hill & Dale

115 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002

They do not take reservations unless you are 10+ people

 

Anassa Taverna

After a recent trip to Bloomies, I went to lunch at the new Greek taverna across the street, Anasssa Taverna. 

 

 

They start you off with crusty bread and their lemony hummus, very bright and light, one of the best I have ever had! I should have ordered a pint to take home.

I ordered a glass of their delicious rose, it was sunny out so seemed appropriate...

 

 

 

 

On to the spreads: tzatziki, skordalia (potato garlic), and eggplant.  These were delicious, the eggplant was my favorite, a must have. 

 

 

 

 

My entree was their Greek Salad with chicken.  A traditional Greek salad with no lettuce was quite good but nontraditional in the fact that in was $18 and only TWO olives...needs more olives.

 

 

 

 

All in all, after a long day of shopping, a glass of wine and some appetizers at Anassa's was a good idea.
 

 

Anassa Taverna 200 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

212-371-5200

 

Heidi's House - By the Side of the Road

Heidi's is a tiny little restaurant/wine bar on the Upper East Side.  It has a long bar, four tables and a nice selection of food and drink.  There are a number of daily selections so you can try something new on each visit.

 

The wine and beer menu is extensive, I went with a rose and my hubby, the Pumpkin Ale.
 

 

 

We started with the crab dip with veggies and chips.  Very good, you taste the crab not just the cream cheese.

 

 

We then shared a delicious roasted artichoke salad with parmesean and truffle from the specials menus.

 

 

 

I couldn't resist, had to get the tuna tartare with my rose.
 

 

 

 

Heidi's is a great place for a low key evening.  Plan on waiting for a table or seat at the bar and a wait for food, there is only 1-2 servers.  If you have the patience, give it a shot.
 

 

Heidi's House - By the side of the Road

308 East 78Tth St - New York, NY 10075, (212)249-0069

 

 

 

Distilled

I am so happy I had the chance to have dinner this week at Distilled in Tribeca, it was absolutely wonderful. Distilled had been on my list to try for some time now because the menu looked great - both food and cocktails - and it held up to the hype. 

 

In regards to ambiance, it is an great date spot, lively but not too loud, and the food is fun and delish. 
 

They start you off with popcorn that is flavored with garlic, salt, chili powder, and I imagine even more than that; its smoky and not too salty. I love when there is something unique to start, always makes you feel like you are going to be eating well all night.
 

 

Along with the popcorn we ordered the pickles and the wings.

 

Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles
 

 

 

The wings are their signature dish and after eating them, I can tell you they are a must try….and I don’t even like wings! These however I could eat a dozen of. They are twice fried so the skin is extra crispy and they are coated in a finger lickin' sweet and smoky marinade with gochujang, and served with a good but unneeded blue cheese dip on the side. These bad boys don’t need any dip.

 

 

For my entree I had the seared Diver Scallops on smoked duck breast, with ice wine vinegar, and frisée. These were very good but not the choice for someone that is very hungry, which I was. 
 

 

 

Thankfully my hubby got the country fried duck and waffles with a smoked chili maple syrup, whipped honey butter, and thai basil and let me had a few bites.  Note, this was ridiculously good! Highly recommended.

 

 

We also got some REALLY GREAT veggie sides


Brussel Sprouts

 

 

Roasted cauliflower shiro miso, pumpkin seeds, sugar snap peas, and basil

 

 

We finished the night with their deconstructed s ‘more. Props for the inventive idea, but the real things is much better.
 

 

 

Overall this is a very smart and exciting menu that is executed very well. I will definitely go back and absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and yummy evening.
 

Distilled

http://www.distilledny.com/

211 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013 — 212.601.9514

Napa Weekend - 3 of 3

My last day at Live In The Vineyard was a true highlight, we were invited to Chef Michael Chiarello’s private estate to taste his wines and a delicious cornucopia of foods.

 

The Chiarello estate was absolutely gorgeous! They have a vineyard as their backyard, its quiet, serene, and inviting. My new goal in life is to find a way to live in a place like the Chiarello house. 

We were greeted with a glass of rose…and then a white….and then a red…..from Chiarello Vineyards. The Chiara Rose was my favorite.

 

They passed hors d’oeuvres.....

A delicious risotto ball which was warm, cheesy and perfect with the wine.

 

 

This is how I like my grilled cheese, crunchy and gooey; it was lick your lips fabulous!
 

 

 

They also put forth a beautiful display of fresh ingredients including handmade mozzarella, curred meats, olives, breads, roasted vegetables and fruits.
 

 

My favorite type of centerpiece

 

 

 

The Food

 

 

All of my favorite things!

 

 

 

Chef Chiarello hosted a cooking demonstration inside his kitchen, and what a beautiful kitchen it was! He cooked paella and it was wonderful.

 

 

 

Our next treat was a live performance from Christina Perri. I wasn’t aware of this but she is a big fan of the Twilight books and she actually wrote the song “A Thousand Years” just becasue she was inspired by the story.  The movie folks heard it and thought it was perfect for the film so they put it in.

 

 

Chef Chiarello welcoming us all

 

 

Christina Perri Performance

She was a fantastic performer and totally adorable. I am looking forward to her new single releasing on November 18th.


Live In The Vineyard was an unbelieveable event, the creators, Bobbii and Clare, really are brilliant to create this wonderful expereience and every event went so smoothly.  Bravo to the entire Live In The Vineyard team, the chefs, the artists and everyone involved.
To win tickets for next year's event, visit http://liveinthevineyard.com/

 

 

Bottega Restaurant

Bottega….in Napa….

 

I was so excited to go to Bottega, its one of those places you always hear about because the praise stretches all the way across the country. Bottega is Michael Chiarello’s restaurant and he has done a wonderful job with the place, it’s a perfect fit for Napa.

 

I will start off by saying that this was a 2.5 hour lunch and I think all lunches should be like this; the service was fantastic and the food was amazing. I also highly recommend going for lunch, it can be quite a filling meal and the lunch menu is almost identical to that of the dinner menu so this way you don’t go to bed stuffed.

 

We started with some sparkling wine and it just seemed to fit perfectly with the day we just kept them coming.  Then, pprosciutto and cheese crostini came out as an amuse to start.

 

 

They brought out fresh baked bread wrapped in a napkin, still hot, and placed it on the table with an amazing dipping sauce with lots of oil, garlic and I think a cheese.

 

 

Luckily my husband was in the mood to do tapas style dining so we ordered a number of items off the menu.

Burrata with sweet potato and mushrooms.

 

 

Of course I had to go for the octopus. It was very good, wood grilled with olive oil braised potatoes, pickled red onion and salsa verde.

 

 

Polenta Under Glass with caramelized mushrooms and balsamic sauce was delicious and very fun to eat.

 

 

Grilled short rib Meatballs Sicilian heirloom tomato sauce, coal roasted eggplant passata, cucumber, grapes, house made ricotta…I let Rob have the third meatball, he did let me eat all of the octopus, it was the least I could do.

 

 

Lobster Cavatelli with uni, I def could have used more uni...

 

We finished with a light dessert of their sorbets and cookie plate.

 

 

 

This was such a wonderful event - I can't just call it a meal - and I highly recommend you hop right over to Napa for a Bottega lunch.

 

 

Napa Weekend - Part 2 of 3

My Live In The Vineyard adventures continued.....

On Day 2 in Napa, we began with a visit to the beautiful Sutter Home Winery. 

 

 

I had no idea that Sutter Home was responsible for so many delicious wines - I tried almost all of them so I should know!  I highly recommend their SeaGlass Wines, particularly their Sauvignon Blanc, which reminded me of a New Zealand Sauv Blanc, and their fruity Pinot Noir.
 

 

 

 

In addition to the wines, Sutter Home had some delicious bites including yummy truffle fries with Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

A cute little black sesame cone filled with crab.

 

 

 

 

And let me tell you, the desserts.....I walked up to the table and started drooling!  The best delicacies on that table had to be the chocolate chip cookies (classics are classics for a reason, right?) and a velvety milk chocolate mousse in a white chocolate shell.  AMAZING! 

 

 

 

 

Sutter Home also has a wonderful little market with a collection of snacks/condiments that are perfect for your kitchen or for a picnic basket to take on an afternoon of wine tasting.  I am a HUGE fan of both balsamic vinegar and mustard so I just had to take home at least one of each because they were truly delicious.  The BRIGHT GREEN wasabi mustard and the sweet sesame mustard tasted decadent and were excellent on salty pretzels.

 

 

 

 

In addition to eating and drinking all morning, this wouldn't be Live In The Vineyard without music, so Mr. John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting came to play a set at the piano.

 

 

 

John is an amazing musician and wonderful to hear live.  His new album Bookmarks is what you would expect from him, smart music that makes you think and makes you feel.

Later that night the music continued.....

 

The performances we saw were out of this world amazing!  All of the artists on this stage were honest, genuine, and vulnerable; they opened up to the audience and let us into their heart.  You could see that each artist was having a blast and loved being there.  It was truly a one-of-a-kind evening and I am now a lifelong fan of all of these performers. 
 
 

The adorable Andrew Ripp, what a crush I have!
 

Lee DeWyze rocked it.

 

 

James Blunt was wonderful.

 

 

Gavin DeGraw bringing down the house!

 

 

 

When I got home after a long day of traveling, I didn't go bed, I opened up itunes and bought all the songs I heard that night and I still can't stop singing them. 

That's how powerful this concert was. 

What a memorable night and what fantastic performances all around.