The place is bright with white and yellow hues and a ceiling two stories high. It's a very comfortable place to dine. Before we even ordered, the chef sent us out two croquettes, which were delicious! We were also sent out a bowl of chickpeas and sliced pasta in a tomato sauce, which tasted very homey and comforting.
We started with Sora Lella's version of Caprese ($18), fresh mozzarella, tomato, and a basil pesto. The dish was beautiful to look at, and was like a work of art. This was one of the more unique versions of caprese I have had, the tomato seemed to be in a gelatin form, but tasted great. I really enjoyed the hint of basil. The mozzarella was extremely fresh and wonderful. The addition of the basil pesto was ingenius and really complemented the mozzarella and tomato perfectly.
Our next dish was the gnocchi di patate all’Amatriciana ($18), which was home-made potato gnocchi in a classic Roman sauce of smoked guanciale, tomatoes and Roman Pecorino cheese. This was one of the best gnocchi dishes I had ever eaten! The gnocchi were cooked perfectly, and had so much flavor packed into them. I loved the smokiness and saltiness of this dish; it was absolutely wonderful.
The next dish we tried was the veal cheeks braised in a sweet white wine sauce with peppers ($32). I had never seen veal cheeks on a menu, and was excited to try this dish. I am glad I did, for the meat was so tender that I did not need a knife to cut it. The lightness of the sauce, as well as the addition of the sweet peppers, was a great balance for the rich and decadent meat.
For dessert we had the chocolate “salami” roll with crunchy almonds, dry cookies and caramel sauce, served with chocolate sorbet ($10) as well as the Marsala wine and whipped egg yolk ice cream with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar ($12). Both desserts were fine, but nothing to write home about.
Sora Lella is a little Roman gem that sits next to the Hudson. The cooking here transports you to Italy, with its authentic and homey flavors. If you can't make it to Rome, take a cab or subway to Spring street; it's the next best thing, and cheaper than a plane ticket!
Sora Lella
300 Spring Street (bet. Hudson and Greenwich)
New York, NY 10013
212-366-4749
www.soralellanyc.com
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( 3 / 256 )Last week an old high school friend and I stopped by Veloce Pizzeria in the East Village for a quick lunch. I had been there before and the place has gotten some good reviews. Gourmet pizza has been very popular in 2009, with such places as Keste, Co., Tonda, and Motorino, leading this culinary fad in NYC. Veloce Pizzeria is part of this culinary trend and the pizza here is really good.
We started with their batter fried calamari with lemon and arugula ($9). I really enjoyed this calamari because the batter was very light and simple. There was no sauce for dipping, just the lemon, which was fine, because that is all the squid needed. It was a great appetizer.
We went with the regular margherita pie ($15); tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. The pies at Veloce are Sicilian style and are cooked in a square pan. The bottom of the pie was slightly burnt which I actually really like. The sauce had a nice sweetness too. As I ate my square slices I actually said to myself "this is really good."
So for some great square pizza, Veloce Pizzeria hits the spot.
Veloce Pizzeria
103 First Avenue (bet. 6th and 7th)
New York, NY 10003
212-777-6677
www.velocepizzeria.com
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( 2.9 / 219 )Last week was fashion week here in NYC and I decided to go to one of the city's newest and hottest spots for dinner: The Standard Grill. This is the restaurant that is beneath the Highline and part of Andre Balazs' Standard Hotel. It is a large restaurant with outdoor seating, many seats in the bar area, and more seats in the formal dining room. I chose my seat at one of seven chairs that overlook the kitchen. It was a Monday night, and the place was packed.
I started with the charred Spanish octopus with sweet potato and chilis ($13). This was a great dish. The octopus was perfectly cooked, and the textures and flavors all complemented each other perfectly.
For my entree I had the Berkshire pork chop with spiced salt ($21). This was a big, juicy, hunk of meat, and was really tasty. The spiced salt came on the side so I could salt it according to my liking, which I thought was interesting. I'm used to having the chef choose the amount of seasoning for me; I'm not sure if I like this or not, but it still was a nice chop. There was a side of apricot and pineapple chutney too which I thought was too sweet for my taste, and I would have preferred either a different side to complement the meat, or nothing at all. The chef, Dan Silverman, also sends out with every entree a bowl of patatas bravas, which were good, and a nice touch.
The Standard Grill is a place to see and be seen. It is definitely a hot spot, and the food here delivers. So if you are craving good food with a great scene, The Standard Grill is the place to be. (Also, this restaurant could have the coolest bathrooms in NYC; unisex in a cavern-like setting!)
The Standard Grill
848 Washington Street (at 13th Street-under the Highline, part of The Standard Hotel)
New York, NY 10014
212-645-4100
www.thestandardgrill.com
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( 3 / 224 )Last night I finally went Sorella, an Italian restaurant in the Lower East Side I have been wanting to go to since it opened. It is a really nice space with two small bars in the front, (for wining, beering, and dining,) and a small dining area in the back enlcosed by a sunroof (or moonroof). The lighting is dim, lit by lights in what look like propellers in the bar area, and candles, perfect for a date. Or dining alone in my case. It has a romantic, yet homey feel.
I took a seat at one of the bars and asked for some recommendations. I ended up getting a watermelon and cucumber salad, the pate de fegato, and the Tajarin.
To start off the meal instead of bread you are given grissini, basically breadsticks. But friends, these are not your ordinary breadsticks. These grissini are made in-house by Sorella's dessert chef and are extremely addictive. I wish they packaged them so I could take some home to snack on. I loved them!
The watermelon and cucumber salad ($13) (which was recommended by chef/owner Emma Hearst) came with cashews, caprino (Italian goat cheese), basil, and pickled red onion. The funny thing is I am not a fan of cashews nor watermelon, yet I thought this salad was fantastic! It was extremely refreshing and was like "Summer in your mouth"! All the components worked really well with each other. The fact that you could take two ingredients I don't really like and combine them into something I enjoy says a lot about this restaurant.
The next dish I had was the pate de fegato ($8), a dish I had seen on their online menu before coming and knew I needed to order. It is a duck fat english muffin bread, chicken liver mousse, fried egg, and bacon. And, it is one of the best dishes I have ever eaten in my life! Of course, you don't want to think about dieting at all when eating this dish, and that is fine (I walked over 40 blocks to the restaurant anyways) it's just an amazing dish. The bacon is candied and delicious, and gives the dish a nice sweetness. The mousse is smooth and addictive. I literally got a tear in my eye after my first bite, it was that good!
I really wanted to try one of Sorella's house-made pastas and went with the Tajarin ($12) with lamb ragu, black pepper ricotta, pistachios, and mint. This dish was unbelievable! The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the combination of all the ingredients was harmonious. I am not a fan of mint, yet the mint in this dish took the dish to another level, giving it an extra complexity and kick that I loved. This was another dish where an ingredient I disliked I really enjoyed. The lamb ragu was absolutely delicious and the pistachios gave the dish some nice crunch, and complemented the mint perfectly. This was a great pasta dish.
I was definitely stuffed at this point but how could I travel over 40 blocks and not have dessert? That would have been a crime, and might even be illegal in some states. I ordered the Bicerin ($8), which is espresso fudge, chocolate pudding, and soft whipped cream. Ironically again, I am not a fan of pudding, but ordered the dish because the staff and chefs recommended it, and I was not disappointed. This was some great pudding. The espresso fudge took this dessert to another level, for the espresso flavor was strong and great. Two little sugar cookies accompanying the dish was a pleasant touch as well.
I should mention that the prices here are unbelievable as well, the most expensive dish being $16, making this place a great bang for your buck! There are also some great wines available for all you oenophiles out there.
Sorella is definitely one of my favorite NYC restaurants. There is a lot of heart in this place, from the homey and romantic feel, to the amazing food. This is a restaurant everyone needs to go to, no matter where they live.
Sorella
95 Allen Street (bet. Broome and Delancey)
New York, NY 10002
212-274-9595
www.sorellanyc.com
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( 2.6 / 339 )The fact that there are stores that only sell cupcakes is an interesting thing. Who knew so many people (especially women) would clamor to a place that solely sells muffins with frosting on them, and that there would be a craze in NYC for this one type of food. I personally think cupcakes are overrated. "Sex and the City" put Magnolia Bakery on the map, but their cupcakes are just fair. Crumbs and Buttercup have popped up, but are their cupcakes really that good? My favorite cupcakes used to come from Sugar Sweet Sunshine in the Lower East Side, and they still make some of the best in NYC. But a few months ago I came across the BEST cupcake shop in NYC: Butter Lane.
I discovered Butter Lane after grabbing a Porchetta sandwich at Porchetta on 7th Street in the East Village. I had their peanut butter frosting on banana bread cupcake and was blown away! It was the best cupcake I had ever had. The combination of peanut butter (which I love) and banana was ingenius.
Then, on a return trip to Butter Lane, there was a special of espresso frosting on banana bread, which again, blew my mind. THIS cupcake was the best cupcake I had ever eaten. The addition of three espresso bean on top, adding a touch of texture, took this muffin with frosting on top to another level, it was delicious and wonderful.
So, for the best cupcakes in New York City stop by Butter Lane, and get your mind blown, or at least be culinarily pleasured.
Butter Lane
123 East 7th St. (bet. 1st and A)
New York, NY 10009
212-677-2880
www.butterlane.com
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