our time : Maritime Parc

It was the last date night before all hell broke loose. I exaggerate… just a little. But it was the last time we would sit down, peaceful and calm, happy and hungry, before the storm. It was the storm of parent-teacher-student conferences and a frenetic work schedule that seemed limitless.

This was our time.  

We held hands in the hushed restaurant and laughed with the backdrop of crisp contemporary and the winking sky-line.

We spent too much time examining the Maritime Parc menus that we were faintly familiar with, weighing the options as if these were our last choices. To do the prix fixe or not do the prix fixe? To do the wine pairing or not do the wine pairing? We mixed and matched. We indulged.

We oohed and awwhed at the refined array of appetizers like the intensely savory French onion soup mussels, salty with bacon and briny with the sea. Or the decadent lobster gnudi that slid on the tongue like exotic silk and cream seeped with luxury, studded with sweet squash and crisp, bitter Brussels sprout leaves.

We wanted to taste every entrée offered, struggling to imagine each flavor and dish without proof. But we couldn’t. We wouldn’t. We made up our minds and clung to old favorites, specialties that we could not escape, nor did we want to. We plunged our forks deep into lemon scented spiraled strigoli pasta with plentiful seafood gem obstacles.  We reveled in the succulent scallops, using the sides of our forks cute our prizes and shift earthy bright green peas and clear corn to create tiny voluptuous bites.

We chatted and chuckled. We observed soon-to-be-married couples, exploring tasting menus and venue perks, and sipping pretty colored cocktails that danced in the mood lighting. And we devoured dessert, despite our satiety from our lounging dinner.  We noted the sweet, the spice, the cold, the warm.

We relished. We enjoyed. We slowed down and savored all of the morsels and washed down all the delicious memories with bubbling prosecco. We lived this meal.

This was our time.

RER

2.4.16

starring SALAD: Park & Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery

RER 7.18.15

It’s funny when a salad is your favorite dish of the meal, especially when you’re gorging on gastropub fare. It happens, and it happened at Park& Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery. You never would’ve guessed that a beet salad would be the star of your show when cheesy pulled pork mac and cheese, succulent scallops with dense risotto, and garlicky oil-drenched chorizo and scrimp sidled up to your table.

RER 7.18.15

But it was. It was fresh and it was last. And it was beautiful. Sweet ruby beets, velvety in texture and in color, resting on emerald mesculin lettuce, provided a cool kind of warmth with a royal delicacy. Pale pink rings of pickled onion and herbed goat cheese shone like diamonds against the darker richer hues, while the salad glimmered, sparkling with cayenne candied almonds. This was just a salad, but the combination of the flavors from the sweet beets, the spicy nuts and aromatic cheese was magic, only rivaled by the raucous textures and crunch.

RER 7.18.15

Everything looked just as scrumptious as that broach of a salad, but flavors fell flat, textures were off, and execution was a shadow. The pulled pork mac and cheese, a special for the evening, was hot and melty, just like you like it, but the meat was so sparse in the sea of fluctuating cheese.

RER 7.18.15

But the two scallops had promise, the sweetness of the sea and salt with a healthy dose of pepper. It was the truffled risotto dotted with wild mushrooms that held back the small starter. The rice was not cooked enough, with dry chewy centers, and the risotto was lacking the creaminess you were expecting.

RER 7.18.15

Shrimp and chorizo go together, forever, but the oil became spicy almost until you could not bare it. The crunchy bread dulled the heat and softened with the oil, enabling the shrimp and fatty chorizo.

Park & Sixth’s (gastropub) refined renegade menu offers classics with a twist to amp up “dive bar bites,” but the lovely beet salad wove into your memory as those gem tones emanated in the night.

RER

7.18.15

LITERARY devices: The Shakespeare

RER 6.3.15

Sometimes a catch-up session with one of your favorite gals can cure all, but a fat burger and thick fries and a yummy Pimm’s beverage most definitely can help. After a tasty drink and a not so tasty snack at The Archive, the gal pal and I headed to The Shakespeare for something a little more substantial (and delicious).

Walking down the stairs to the lower-level entryway felt like we were breaking the rules and crashing a secret clubhouse. Dim lights and hot hostesses greeted us, along with dark walls and a kind of inexplicable British warmth.  Tables crowded in close, creating an intimate space and communal conversation and spirit in the dining area. Pictures and paraphernalia took over the deep read walls, fighting for attention in harmonious contention. Candles dripping hot wax lined a congested mantle piece warming the room and emanating the feeling that it was dark and late outside.

Pretty punch hypnotized with Bourbon, mint iced tea and floral cucumber and sweet Pimm’s and Chambord with tangy sweet lemonade quenched thirst and amplified smiles.

RER 6.3.15

But the creamy rosemary and herb-laced pot of homemade ricotta swimming with olive oil and aged balsamic, soothed raucous feelings. The smooth cheese spread across the warm bread with sensual ease and filled the proximity with delectable aromas, pleasant and revealing.

RER 6.3.15

And then there was the burger—fat and stacked high on a little wooden board, accompanied by tall wide “chips.” Its toppings were dreams, mingling to create refined pub fare and complex bites, memorable and comforting. Thick rashers of super smoky bacon straddled white melted cheddar crowning a perfect house blend patty. Salty tart thin sliced pickles, pungent spicy rings of red onion and dark green strands of lettuce added brightness to the fatty meat and buttery sesame seed bun. It was more than a burger; it was catharsis and a feeling.

The Shakespeare offered ambiance and attentive service. It dished up lovely refreshing drinks and flavorful food evoking pub moments. It was perfect for gossip and support and hearty laughs.

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come

-William Shakespeare 

 RER

6.3.15

RER 6.3.15

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.

RER 4.8.15

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.

RER 4.8.15

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.

RER 4.8.15

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.

RER

4.8.15

RER 4.8.15