MNPC: Nicoletta

There are lots of restaurants in New York that open to much fan fair that I am often left wondering why. Being a huge fan of Chef Michael White, I got nervous with all the hoopla around his opening of a pizza place. Early reports were nothing short of amazing, so it was with excitement and a little trepidation that I went to Nicoletta with MNPC tonight.

Having just opened last week, I wondered, have all the kinks been worked out? I've also read a lot about the dough still being perfected. That being said, it's Michael White after all, what could be bad?

The menu of pizzas is short (10) but you can also get a classic and add your own toppings. The hardest part was deciding only four. Taking the advise of our waitress, we narrowed down our choices and ordered. 

I have to say that for being open less than a full week, all the kinks seem to have been worked out from my perspective. Our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. She helped steer us toward some great choices and our pizzas were timed perfectly. (We ask for them to be staggered so they don't get cold as we eat.) I also liked that we weren't rushed when it looked like we might have been finished. For 'just a pizza joint' the service is on par with his high end restos like Marea or Ai Fiori. 

For pizza, we got the Tartufata

mozzarella, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto, roasted wild mushrooms

Calabrese 

thick-cut pepperoni, homemade fennel sausage red onions, pomodoro, mozzarella

Brocolo

broccoli rabe pesto, smoked scamorza cheese cherry peppers, spicy bread crumbs

Classica

 pomodoro, mozzarella, basil

In the words of LGFEO, the first bite was "god damn delicious," as was every subsequent bite. No law of diminishing returns here. The dough is a little dense so definitely order less than you think you need (or not and take home the leftovers), but it's really tasty, chewy and crispy and not too sweet, the perfect vehicle for toppings. 

Everything seems to be taken into account here too. We all noticed sliver press able dots on either end of the table. What are they we asked our waitress. They are the spots where the pizza trays go in to. No metal tray holders taking up valuable table space here.

If you're looking for classic New York or Neapolitan style pizza, this isn't your place. If you're looking for really good pizza that's different, make this a must.

HIghlands, NYC

It seems like there's been a recent boom of British gastropubs in New York lately. I've been lucky enough to try most of them with Georgia Peach and Copy Gal. Tonight, we went to Highlands. We got there early, even for a Tuesday, so it was pretty quiet, I think the place would feel really cozy as it fills up. 

The menu is small but so inviting, even Copy Gal had plenty of choices (she's picky). Outside of the haggis, I would eat everything on the menu. 

We started with a scotch egg, good spot on that on GP, I would have missed it. This egg in the rank of the 3 I've had is 2. The sausage had a nice spiciness to it and I liked the seasoning in breadcrumbs. It was served with a side of a tangy barbeque sauce, but really, who needs it with the creamy yolk goodness. I think the scotch egg might have to be on the table at my last supper. 

For entrees, I had the Atlantic cod with bubbles and squeak (veggies in potatoes) and a rocket (arugula) salad. Everything was light and easy, perfect for a hot summer night. 

Copy Gal had the Wild Mushroom Shepard's Pie. 

Georgia Peach had the Fresh Blue Crab on Toast and seared scallops. She has a new thing for cauliflower puree.

Which British gastropubs in the city have you been to, and which is your favorite?

Happy Father's Day

This was the prefect weekend, the weather was amazing in New York and I got to spend some time with friends on Saturday and family Sunday. Gramercy Guy and I hosted a BBQ for the fathers in honor of Father's Day.

We started with grilled pizza for appetizers. The dough is the same I've made before, you can get the recipe here. For toppings, we went with caramelized onions and mushrooms with goat cheese.

The other had ricotta cheese, arugula, lemon zest, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan cheese.

The pizzas were great (my favorite dish of the day), they had a delicious char from the grill and the crust was really chewy. If you have a grill and have tried making your own pizza, I highly recommend cooking it on the grill.

For entrees, we used the June issue of Food & Wine for inspiration and cooked the balsamic marinated flank steak.

Shrimp (hold the scallops) with lemon soy.

For sides, we grilled some eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, and jalapenos.

And Napa cabbage salad.

Dessert was easy but was gone before I could get a pic, assorted flavors of Ralph's Italian Ices and my first watermelon of the season. Everything came out really great. I can't waiting until I can make these again. I just hope the fathers (and mothers and siblings) enjoyed it as much as Gramercy Guy and I did.

Risotteria, NYC

To my loyal readers, I am sorry for the long delay in posts. In the past month, I have been in DC, Paris, Boston and Atlanta. I do have to say that the mini Beta Phi reunion was a great time. I'm now back in NYC and up to my old tricks. I will fill you in about my trips (there are some great highlights) as my schedule gets back to normal, but for now I will tell you about my dinner with the Georgia Peach.

As you know, I see the Georgia Peach on a regular basis, but haven't seen her in ages due to my schedule. We were supposed to go to Little Owl, but it seems they are closed for renovations until later this week, thanks for the alert via twitter, so we went to plan B, Risotteria. This place is exactly what you'd imagine it would be, a restaurant that specializes in risotto. I had been there a long time ago, when they first opened, but I think after 10+ years, I can consider this my first time. For those with food issues, everything here is rice based so it's gluten free, and the menu is coded for dairy and vegetarian options as well. They don't take reservations and seating for only about 20, but if there is a wait, there is no shortage of places to grab a drink while you wait, it's on Bleecker Street.

We started with a romaine lettuce salad with beets, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and truffle oil with a Chianti dressing.  The salad was clean tasting and very refreshing. A perfect start knowing that next up was risotto.

For dinner, the Georgia Peach got the parsley and truffle oil risotto. Which was creamy goodness with truffle oil and the freshness of the parsley. When I tasted hers, I was a little jealous.

I had the asparagus and safron. This was creamy and satisfying without being too heavy. It's a great alternative to a bowl of pasta. 

I enjoy a good risotto and order it out because I know risotto can be time consuming to cook, now that I've been back to Risotteria, I know how easy it is to head to the West Village and order up any type I want. And of course, spending an evening with the Georgia Peach is worth the trip to any part of the city (and maybe NJ).