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| 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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| RER 3.4.15 |
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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RER 3.4.15
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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| RER 3.4.15 |
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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| RER 3.4.15 |
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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| RER 3.4.15 |
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.
RER
3.4.15
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| RER 3.4.15 |
