Quality Italian

I had a chance to check out Quality Italian on a Saturday night and I am so glad I did.  First I should mention that the atmosphere is great, not too loud, not too dark, and not too contemporary - the right amount of all of those things.  The service was also impeccable.

 

The garlic rolls they deliver pipping hot to the table are delightful.  Fresh baked, soft and warm, the garlic and butter sticks to your fingers and I dare you to not lick it off.
 

 

I started with the scallop carpaccio and it blew my mind.  I was not expecting this dish to be so good, but it was.  It is a blackened scallop with cannelini beans and chili.  It is so balanced, light, and flavorful it is just perfect. 

 

 

 

 

I also shared the eggplant polpette with dripping burrata was like a meatball and arancini all in one, crispy and hearty.

 

 

 

 

 

I then had the octopus.  I got this without the chickpea salad because it had prosciuto in it but I don't think I missed a thing. The octopus was perfectly cooked, tender, and delicious with a nice sage aioli.

And as a side, the grilled garlic mushrooms; they were killer.

 

 

For dessert, we couldn't decide on which gelato we wanted so we ordered two.  These were AMAZING.  They make the gelato in-house and it is so creamy and decadent it is addicting.  We got the roasted pistachio which came on alittle piece of olive oil cake with crunchy pizelles which is a perfect balance of textures. 

 

Our second gelato was the coffee crumb bun with Brooklyn Roasting Coffee gelato, a cinnamon crumb bun, and candied walnuts.  So good!
 

 

Such a great meal and such a great spot!  Loved it!!

Quality Italian
57 W 57th St (enter on 6th Ave), New York, NY
http://www.qualityitalian.com/home.cfm#./

Orsay

My husband planned a very romantic dinner at Orsay for this Valentine's Day.  Orsay is a french restaurant that I have been to for lunch but never for dinner. 

 

To start, we got a few glasses of wine.  Loved the rose petals, a very romantic touch.

 

 

They have one of my favorite tuna tartare dishes in the city so we had that to start.  One of the things I love about it is that they chop up little pieces of tempura in the tartare! 

 

 

I ordered their Bouillabaisse de Orsay, a shellfish stew.  One of the ways they make this different than any other bouillabaisse I have ever had is that they use a lot of fennel.  I typically hate fennel but as this was stewed in the dish, it was a hint of that fennel taste but definitely one that made it unique.

 

 

We couldn't decide what to get for dessert so we went for two options: their amazing cookie plate and their floating island, a meringue on top of a creme anglaise sauce with candied almonds on top.

 

 

Orsay transports you to Paris, both with atmosphere and food and their service is top notch. 

Orsay Brasserie and Bar
1057 Lexington Ave (at 75th St), New York, NY

Eat, Drink and Bloody Mary

Last weekend I went to Eat, Drink and Bloody Mary 2014, a contest to find the best bloody mary in the city (or at participating restaurants) hosted at L'Apicio.  I love bloody marys during brunch so this was a great event for me and L'Apicio provided a delightful array of brunch bites throughout the event. 

 

Sponsored by my favorite vodka, Tito's Homemade Vodka, delicious mary's were served from restaurants around the city including: The Wren, Burger and Barrel, dell'anima, Gotham Bar and Grill, Red Cat, Commerce, DBGB, Dover Extra Fancy, The Modern, Nourish Kitchen + Bar, and many more. 

 

Check out some of the delicious drinks and food below!

 

My favorite was the one from The Wren, with a nice clam garnish!

 

 

That's beef jerky!

 

A crispy soft-shell clam and cucumber garnish!

 

Making sure we are getting our veggies! 

 

Only one shot of the delicious food but this was my favorite: a delicious yogurt with apricot compote and granola

Burger and Barrel's hamburger bloody mary

 



 

 

 

 

 

Pineapple was a popular additive at the event

 

So many Marys!!!!

 

L'Apicio
13 East 1st Street, New York, NY 

Ruby's

Ruby's is one of my go-to's, its a cute little restaurant with communal tables and lots of wonderful and hearty menu options that happen to be pretty healthy. 

They also have my absolute favorite salad in the city.  Made with fresh spinach, soft sweet potato's, goat cheese, warm grilled chicken and a balsamic reduction dressing, its perfect!  It usually comes with pine nuts but I get it without. 

The warm chicken, crisp spinach and creamy cheese and soft pumpkin is a brilliant combination of flavors and textures.  It is awesome.

Check out Ruby's for one of its delicious salads, pannini's or their famous Bronte burger.  

Enjoy! 

Ruby's

219 B Mullberry Street New York, NY 10012

http://www.rubyscafe.com/



All'onda

All'onda recently opened up just south of Union Square.  An Italian restaurant with a focus on seafood, they have a creative menu that I was just dying to try.

In addition to the food, All'onda has a thoughtful cocktail menu.  I started off with the "Old Sal" made with rye, rosemary infused cocchi americano, and cynar.  Herbaceous and strong this was a great drink for a Friday night after a long work week.  My hubby had a Manhattan.

It was so difficult to choose just one pasta on this menu, they all looked amazing.  I decided to go with the bucatini made with smoked uni, egg, and spicy breadcrumbs.  This was an unbelievable dish, creamy and delicate, I could have licked the plate.  Most people I imagine are trepidatious when it comes to a fish like uni but you don't have to be with this dish, the flavor is subtle and it just added a great texture to the sauce.   

I went with the Sake for my entree, it was veal-glazed and came with beets and semolina dumplings.  Quite composed and balanced, it was great.

And who would of thunk that the almighty brussel sprout side dish would have stolen the show.  A crispy char and a sweet sauce of honey, balanced with vinegar, and a crunch of pistachios, this dish was phenomenal.  Don't miss this dish! 

To finish the meal we ordered three of their very interesting gelatos: ricotta, soy, and salted green apple.  They tasted exactly like each flavor profile but in the best way possible; fun and delicious.

All'onda is a great spot and a wonderful place for a special date or going out to a nice meal with friends.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

All'onda
22 E 13th St, New York City
http://allondanyc.com/about