re. CAP: YELP Wine & Tapas at Spuntino

RER 7.14.15

Last Tuesday night, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas in Clifton was brimming with Yelp Elites and their plus ones. 

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The yelpers were treated to yummy light bites like a fresh beet watercress salad, ahi tuna with watermelon, and yellow tomatoes topped with house-made mozzarella.

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We sampled sinful pork belly, garlicky spaghetti pomodoro, and hot pizza with an assortment of toppings. Each offering representing the eatery was delicious and paired delightfully with an adult libation (read: wine and beer). 

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A little bourbon tasting including three different varieties was also available for the yelpers. The night culminated in four flavors of gelato and strong espresso. It was good food and a yelping time.

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7.20.15

RER 7.14.15

RISKY business: Almond

RER 4.15.15

Dining out is always a risk. You never know what is going to happen or what you’re going to get…Or how long you’re going to have to wait.

Almond is beautiful. There is no way of telling from the front that the restaurant is that expansive and varied in feelings and décor.  We walked all the way from the cozy front, lined with windows, to the very back, next to a billiards room and an area that evoked a library. We passed a skinny bar, a mish of subway tiles and a variety of textures. It was lovely, as lovely as I wished it to be.

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Part of it was our fault, perhaps. The four of us sat at the table and studied the wine menu. We could not decide on wine. Picking appetizers and entrees was a breeze, but choosing a bottle of wine was proving impossible. As logical dining guests we asked the server for a little assistance. He was less than helpful; in fact, he practically walked away in the middle of our inquiries. Like, poof.

Finally, after much deliberation and a little eenie-meany-miney-mo, we chose our wine. We received our wine, were given a taste, and were poured glasses before our server was prepared to take our orders. He forgot a pen. He seemed to be very distracted and spread thin. Every time he walked away, we feared he wouldn’t come back, so when we ordered with a rush, hoping not to lose him.

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The appetizers came to the table— pretty and just large enough to share. The smoked bluefish served with a giant potato pancake and creamy yogurt sauce, was salty with a barrage of textures from the chewy smoked fish to the crunchy pancake and silky sauce. Cheese Fries Quebecoise was a messy slew of French fries, topped with globby cheese curd, brown gravy, and thick fat bacon. It was addicting and briny, but not amazing.

And then we waited. We waited a long time. Our bottle’s contents vanished and eventually our glasses emptied, and the dishes from our starters were swept away ages ago. The volume fluctuated as other tables quieted while chewing on their entrees or roared as drinks appeared, but we maintained skeptical chatter, waiting.

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Finally, after a solid 40 minutes had passed, our gorgeous entrees arrived. Each looked like spring danced on the plant, bringing pastel hues, fresh scents and floral accents.

The almost tender wine-soaked short rib was dark, but lightened by more pink bacon, a scant number of chewy soft gnocchi and a bed of greens, wilted with the heat of the meat. Eight ravioli plump with grainy fava beans and mealy cheese circled each other in the shallow bowl, playing keep away with the discordant mint sauce.

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Thursday’s shrimp scampi special was a riot of colors—peachy pink meaty shrimp, green and eggplant floral garnish, bright read grape tomatoes and the warm yellow of yolky pasta—with a lightness that was refreshing and mildly satiating. The delicate crab and uni butter pasta emitted a hum of nonchalant flavors except the occasional prick of chili flakes and the crunch of pretty white flowers, but little else.

Despite the stunning presentation of each dish, the luxury of the ingredients and the ove zealous use of edible flowers, the food was a let down. Flavors did not always add up and the portions weren’t worth for the price.

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And the wait for our food and service even was unacceptable. Unfortunately, I do not remember much other than waiting and being disappointed. I wanted to love Almond with its sexy menu, beautiful venue and my high expectations… but like I said, dining out is always a risk.

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4.15.15

re.CAP: STAYcation

RER 4.6.15

We are not so great at planning. We got as far as whoot whoot, Spring Break! and that’s about it. So we hung out around the homestead and grazed all along (click the links for more of the dets). We tried and re-tried spots during our scrumptious staycation.

RER 4.4.15

While close to home in Jersey City, we visited Brightside Tavern for a greasy brunch

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 Downtown Yogurt for frozen treats,

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The Bistro at Grove Square  for a mid-afternoon munchie 

 

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and Porta for an off-time pizza.

RER 4.11.15

RER 4.11.15

We ventured into the City for a re-do at Asellina,

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a second dessert at Max Brenner, 

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and an international auto show.

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And in Hoboken, we indulged in favorites like too delicious La Isla for lunch 

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and burger bold Bareburger for an almost too late dinner.

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RER 4.10.15

We had a good time tasting new things and making things up as we went along… nomnomnom!

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4.13.15

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un'ALTRA volta: Asellina

RER 4.8.15

I had a chance to go to Asellina again, so I went with fresh eyes and an open mind. Walking to the restaurant was like retracing my steps, like déjà vu, vague but palpable, but I was oddly excited.

The moment I stepped in the door, I remembered how much I liked the vibe of the eatery: the dance music remixed and familiar, the minimalist lines and sexy feel, classy but updated. It all came back to me, but I refused to hang on to past impressions.

This time, the tempo of dinner felt to be more on my own terms. We were promptly seated, and again, we sat with our menus at our table for a while, though not out of neglect, but out of luxury. We took our time to acclimate and take it all in.

Before we knew it, our server had checked in multiple times and we had already chatted with the manager. Our server made us feel at home, creating the kind of atmosphere I longed for the last time. And the manager spoke with a sincerity that made us feel at ease and ready to take on the menu with his recommendations. We clung to his favorites, hoping his guidance would pay off.

We started with cocktails. The Squillo was really refreshing, sweet from mango vodka with floral notes from muddled cucumber. The Civetta too felt like summer, though stronger with rich bourbon.

Moments later, little arancini arrived as an amuse-bouche. A fried crunchy layer encased the cheesy hot middle, evoking classic Italian, refined with a truffled fava bean puree underneath.

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The colors of the beet and burrata starter were ravishing, like precious stones. Sweet beets, roasted and multi colored, met perfectly with the creamy innards of the burrata. Tanginess was brought on by a delicate raspberry puree, a garnet color and of spring-like freshness.

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The lamb shank entrée was sizeable and satiating. The meat rested on a thin smear of Gorgonzola laced polenta. It was braised lamb, fragrant with rosemary and herbs, the epitome of savory and hearty. While the squid ink pasta dish had a similar aromatic element, strong of garlic and butter, it was both lighter and more decadent. The perfect al dente black linguine lapped up the salt and sauce and the acidity of the grape tomatoes burst the richness of the dense seafood like the meaty shrimp and lobster.

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We finished with tiramisu, the only ending to an Italian meal. The dessert emanated comfort with just enough sweetness to hold us over.

I felt like I was at a completely different restaurant than the last time I visited. I found myself more immersed in the ambiance and the food than the frustration and waiting. The evening was pleasant and delicious, this time, leaving only good tastes in my mouth.

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4.8.15

RER 4.8.15

NYCRW: Asellina

RER 3.4.15

Sometimes the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Nothing could be more true about my experience at Asellina for New York City Restaurant Week. I was so excited to see one of my favorite friends, catch up and eat really good food. The first two happened, but the third was like the worst cliffhanger, dangling too long with an anti-climatic ending.

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The dinner date started strong with the aroma of my friend’s bourbon, the loud dance remixes, and almost too trendy décor. But waiting at the table too long, menus in hand, mouths watering, poisoned it. It gave us plenty of gab time, moments to soak in the sights and a chance get hungrier, but we were starving for the attention of the staff.

Eventually, we ordered and were not too deterred (although, I might have said  “Let’s just leave and get pizza” a few times); we had red wine and each other. After time, the music felt louder and our hunger intensified due to frustration.

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Finally our beautiful appetizers arrived— both the mozzarella in carrozza and the tagliere Piomentese were stately and minimalist. Perhaps things were looking up... The first was a glorified mozzarella stick, heavy and fried, while the tagliere was rich and decadent with pate, dried meat and tangy cheese. The accompanying focaccia remained tempting to dull hunger despite its greasiness.

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Our mains came out quickly, which created an uneasy tempo for the meal. A cast iron pot held a thick pool of cheeses, soft gnocchi and textured artichokes, ushering the scent and tastes of comfort, but nothing memorable. The roasted veal shoulder was tender, but forgettable with no flavors to ignite the senses. Its polenta waffle was intriguing, but too greasy and laden with garlic, an effort to make up for what was lacking.

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Now, dessert was on the horizon, our glasses of red wine were emptying, and we were becoming weary of the place, an itch to escape hung heavy. The desserts were like artwork to be looked at and not touched, or eaten. Two cubes of dense chocolate ganache were interrupted by salty, almost savory brittle— rich and chocolaty, smooth and crunchy. The pretty millesfoglie also had a savory bend to it. While the wild berries jam brought brightness to the meaty puff pastry and mascarpone zabaione, it was still too dark and dense. (Sidenote: I could not bring myself to finish, which is unheard of, but something was extremely off-putting, maybe it was just the culmination of an unsatisfying experience.)

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I did not leave happy, only craving something delicious and pizza, and regretting the meal. Perhaps too much flavor was injected into the concept of Asellina and not enough was inserted in the food—a pretty façade for underwhelming food and worse service.

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3.4.15

RER 3.4.15