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| RER 5.14.13 |
The Young Professionals Party (take a peek at my recap
article for Miss A), a fundraising benefit for Silver Hill Hospital, took place
at the lavish LAVO in midtown Manhattan. LAVO is a trendy
eatery and lounge that caters to the young and affluent. In reviews of the
nightclub, there were mentions of it being a place to see and be seen or a stop
on a tourist’s must list. There is also a LAVO in Las Vegas, where my friend
ate and gave rave reviews. But lunch and dinner would not come cheap, as
appetizers start at $16, entrees range from $21 for the most basic pasta to
expensive $95 specialty steaks, and even the trimmings ring in at $11.
Well, at
this charity event, I was able to get a little preview of what LAVO restaurant
has to offer, other than the beautiful staff, luxurious décor, and the brand.
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| RER 5.14.13 |
The passed hors d’oeuvres ranged from the shrimp cocktail on a wooden skewer to
the more substantial kobe beef meatball
mini sliders. The little sliders were a single tiny meatball placed on just
as tiny ciabatta like bun, topped with a flourish of parmesan. They looked
refined, an upgrade on comfort, but in the end, not as delicious as hoped. The tuna tartar on a crunchy crostini was
fresh and light. Its taste did not linger, and proved
to be a fine display of technique. LAVO also served up single butternut squash ravioli on a darling
plastic Japanese soup spoon. The filled pasta was fresh and felt homemade, but
also invoked fall feelings and flavors, with a little zing from the sauce that
the parcel was nestled in. Various brick
oven pizzas cut into polite squares swung around the bar, just as quickly
as the champagne and white wine. My favorite bold bite was the upscale take on Caesar salad. The crunchy crouton was
layered with a small amount of the restaurant’s well-known Caesar salad, and
then topped with a thin, but substantial slice of rare steak. The steak was
tender and not over cooked, seasoned just enough to go with the creamy garlicky
flavors of the salad. The balance of the different textures was impeccable and
left me wanting more (especially from the other appetizers).
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| RER 5.14.13 |
Dessert also came out in full force. As a self-proclaimed
sweet tooth, I took it upon myself to at least see every dessert the beautiful
staff was serving. There were baby
cannoli dusted with crushed walnuts and creamy filling dotted with
chocolate chips, though they were not as heavy or rich as typical cannoli. The
inner filling in the crunchy shell, was more akin to whipped cream than dense spiced
sweet ricotta. Adorable tiramisu cups
also made their way around the nightclub; tiny plastic cups filled with a
moment of mild cream, studded with mini chocolate chips and topped with a
cookie. Even the coconut macaroons
crowned with rainbow sprinkles were a shade short of the homemade variety. The
tiny cubes of the restaurant’s raspberry panna cotta cheesecake were light and
not as sweet as expected, more of a savory creamy feeling with a small drizzle
of tangy raspberry. I also saw mini
profiterole looking pastries, filled with chocolate creams or custards, delicate
and meditated. The only dessert I saw, and now regret not tasting was the messy
oreo zeppole. It’s presentation and
probability for sticky disaster made it a non-contender for me, even though it
is unique and appealing, just perhaps inappropriate to be passed around at an
event like this.
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| JAR 5.14.13 |
All in all, the passed appetizers and mini desserts looked
much prettier than they tasted. Each bite was well crafted with aesthetics,
balance and subtle sophistication, but somehow flavor was lost. The quality of the
party nosh was apparent, as each taste was luxurious and refined, but perhaps
the moment, setting and mass-produced element, limited the wow factor of the
food. I was far more impressed with the beauty of the staff than the petit hors
d’oeuvres.
P.S. Come check out my foodie ventures facebook page! Follow the things I read and look at about food, day in and day out. I hope you like it!
RER
5.16.13
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| RER 5.14.13 |
