Italy: First Meal!

January in Italy proved to be very, very rainy. Super Rainy. Thunder-boomy rainy. But a girl's gotta eat, so we trudged a few blocks from our rental apartment to find a nondescript restaurant with outdoor (covered) seating.

My first dish in Italy was a seafood risotto. This was okay, but not great. It wasn't as creamy and decadent as I remember risotto tasting in this country (or anywhere!) I wondered if maybe I was remembering the food in Italy to be a bit better than it was in reality. This can't be as good as it gets, can it?

Ready to rock it in Rome! 

You can't go wrong with an Italian red wine, though, and I had a glass of house red. Tart, with a gorgeous ruby color, it was probably the worst thing for an overtired, jet-lagged traveler, but it still tasted lovely.

My fellow travelers ordered another risotto (with walnuts and truffles, yum), the lobster special, and a dish that I think was veal, may have been pork? Regardless, everyone cleaned their plates.

I wasn't overwhelmed by this meal (in fact, I can't even remember the name of this place) but it was very welcoming, tourist-friendly (without being tourist TRAPPY), and molto convenient! Don't worry-- my note-taking gets much better as the trip continues!

Italian, French, Russian AND English! #languagenerd

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Eggs-cellent Eats (Morrell Wine Bar)

I had a bit of a dental emergency recently. If you know me, you know how uptight I am about my teeth. It turns out that I grit my teeth so hard that I actually CRACKED one. Yep. I'm THAT strong. Well, it made eating a bit of a challenge, especially on the right side of my mouth. I wasn't sure what was going to happen at the dentist's office (this was a first for me), so I decided to have lunch BEFORE the appointment. 

Pre-dental work wine

I popped into Morrell's Wine Bar, which at 2pm was pretty empty, and took a seat at the bar. Morrell's is in the heart of Rockefeller Center, a certified tourist destination and a convenient location for many of us working New Yorkers. 

The deviled eggs sounded delicious AND easy to eat, so I ordered them and had a glass of Chardonnay.

They also brought me some delicious bread (I stuck to the softer, oniony kind) and very cold, very hard butter. The bread was chewy and flavorful, and I made sure to keep chewing only on the left side.

The deviled eggs were truffle-scented with fried, crispy chicken skins. Soft, salty, fatty, and a teeny bit of crunch at the end (just enough for a sensitive tooth). 

How are these eggs so gorgeous?? Smooth, perfectly filled, and every bite was a delight. 

The wine was a One Rock Chardonnay from Long Island's North Fork (#drink local), and while I'm not overall a "Chardonnay person," this was great. Light and crisp and lovely.

I loved the wine with the eggs! Why don't I make deviled eggs at home? They are so delicious! Granted, they are not cheap-- Morrell is not a Cheap Eats place, but it is always well-done and satisfying. 

PS: For those of you wondering, it turned out I didn't need a crown after all, just a deep filling. And it hardly even hurt! My teeth and I are doing much better now.

Morrell Cafe & Wine Bar

1 Rockefeller Plaza  

NY NY 10020 

(212) 262-7700  

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Ristorante le Segrete (Rome, Italy)

On last night in Rome-- a torrentially rainy last night-- 2 of the girls from our group joined me for a late night dinner at Ristorante le Segrete.

The restaurant appears tiny when you first walk in, with only 4 or 5 tables fitting in the front room, but the downstairs is spacious and warm. We had a room all to ourselves for a bit!

I ordered the artichoke bruschetta there-- just your basic garlic and olive oil masterpiece in edible form, topped with the most amazing artichokes I've ever tasted. They really are spectacular in Rome!

I paired my appetizer with a glass of an Italian red (can't remember the specific grape/varietal)-- always an excellent bet in Bella Roma.

One of my friends ordered the garlic & oil bruschetta-- I think she was hoping there would be more to it.

They do look a little underwhelming in retrospect-- but she still ate them! She also got the pizza (first pic in this post), a traditional pizza margarita, with mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil, and a perfectly charred crust. It smelled so lovely!

Our other dining companion ordered a dish with fresh zucchini and cream sauce. I want to say these were paccheri noodles, but I'm not sure. She was quite happy with her dish.

My dish is one I try in nearly every Italian restaurant: Cacio e Pepe (cheese & pepper). It's a dish that sounds and looks humble, but packs such a savory punch. This was perfectly al dente, a great chew to them, and expertly seasoned with the perfect amount of cracked black pepper, a spice I'm learning to appreciate more and more. O, Italia-- you are always so delicious!

The food was heavenly, the service was great, and they even take Discover cards!

I loved this spot; it's not touristy, prices were reasonable, and our server always popped up at precisely the right moments without rushing or crowding us. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a more sedate spot for dinner-- get the downstairs seating if you can!

Ristorante le Segrete

Via della Scrofa, 31

00186 Roma, Italy

+39 06 6476 0557

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Queen

**Thanks to Brooklyn Heights Blog for posting this Queen review on their site! If you're new to Stuff I Ate, swing by my Facebook page (here!) and click 'like' to share your favorite Brooklyn, NYC, and other spots! Also, my linkwithin widget is funky today, so click  here to see my other Brooklyn Heights faves-- and leave a comment on YOURS!**

We have a new favorite restaurant in Brooklyn Heights: Queen!
This is especially delicious considering 2 of our favorites in that area closed (Ciao, La Traviata-- I miss your shrimp fra diavolo!)

That's just about all you need to know when it comes to Queen, a long-standing Italian restaurant on Brooklyn's busy Court Street. It's less than a 2 minute walk from a bevy of subway lines, so you really have no excuse for not trying it!

Right off the bat, you get this gorgeous, complimentary plate of carby delights, with a vinegar/olive oil combo on the side for dipping.
(Note--they make their own mozzarella-- and you can order a Caprese salad even though it's not on the menu-- notes for next time!)

Crispy flatbreads, crunchy breadsticks, fresh, fluffy Italian (white)bread, a darker version, and the star-- this delicious chewy and soft riff on bruschetta, crowned with a garlicky tomato sauce that just about sang. They offered us more, but we showed some restraint and demurred. I really wanted to have room for dessert, and I could easily make a meal out of that bruschetta.

We each had a glass of wine as well-- a fruity Merlot for ABF, a luscious Nero d'Avola (only $8!) for me. Perfect!

My friend J insisted that the eggplant parmigiana was the go-to dish. I don't normally order that, but on her recommendation I decided to give it a try. Holy deliciousness. Do you see that gorgeous dish? Tender, thin slices of eggplant-- not the thick, heavy,clunky versions you might have had elsewhere, cloaked in a thin, oozy layer of cheese, and of course, red sauce. I took home the leftovers for lunch the next day, and it was even better.

ABF ordered the chicken parmigiana. Why not go with some classic dishes to test this place's chops? His chicken was surprisingly juicy and tender, and I had at least two bites of this. It came with a side dish of perfectly-cooked penne with a different (yet even more delicious) red sauce. Both dishes-yum!
ABF had checked out pictures on the website that make the portions look teeny-tiny, precious, even, but we both saw for ourselves that they are huge!

The waiter told us they make their own desserts at Queen, so we both saved room. I went with the apple tart, which comes with cinnamon gelato. The tart was clearly homemade, light and delicious. The gelato was much milder than I expected- I wanted a little more cinnamon, but it was still creamy and tasty.

ABF went for the ricotta cheesecake, one of his favorite desserts overall. I've never been a fan of the texture-- I like my cheesecakes dense, heavy, and tangy. This, however, was great. I'm not saying I'd order it myself, but if you like ricotta cheesecake, you will LOVE theirs, which comes with a tangy zig zag of two fruit purées-- kiwi and strawberry this time.

We went all out on this meal, wrapping with cappuccinos (decaf for me). Everything about this meal was lovely from first bite to final sip. The staff were just as welcoming to us as to the many customers who were clearly regulars. I can't wait to go back-- and try the homemade mozzarella!

Queen
84 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 596-5955

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Guest Post: Carpe Donut (VA)

Today's guest post comes from my lovely coworker, CJ. She's the one who first told me about Carpe Donut and their NYC cider donuts truck. She graciously volunteered to visit the VA outpost, near where her BF lives. She's a team player, that CJ!

Hi there, LKP's co-worker CJ here. As you read a few posts back, LKP and I had a delicious experience at the Carpe Donut truck in NYC. So when I next went to Charlottesville, VA, where Carpe Donut originated, I had to do a taste comparison.

My BF & I decided to get some cider donuts as our brunch before heading to a day of lunching & polo at King's Family Vineyard. We packed up a nice lunch for ourselves and set off to Carpe Donut. It was a small storefront, but easily fit the half-a-dozen customers looking for a yummy treat for breakfast.

We placed our order for a half-dozen and two iced ciders, then watched as the magic happened. We got to see our donuts roll off the line and fall into the cinnamon sugar deliciousness where the donut maker tossed them a bit more before putting them piping hot into the bag. He grabbed a jug of the homemade iced cider from the mini-fridge and poured what promised to be a delicious glass of cider.

Our plan was to eat them when we first arrived at the vineyard, but we certainly couldn't wait that long! So we shared one in the car (spilling a lot of cinnamon sugar in the process), but it was so worth it! As with the NY truck, the donuts were chewy and not dense like many other cider donuts. The cinnamon sugar is the perfect touch to create that apple cider taste.

Our iced ciders were cool, refreshing and delicious. We drank them down quickly as we made our way to the vineyard. Once at King Family Vineyard, we bought ourselves a bottle of Viognier and set up our table to enjoy more donuts. I found that the Viognier paired well with the cider donuts, it may be my new favorite brunch find!

Even after cooling down, the donuts were just as delicious. They had a well done quality that added to the taste instead of detracting from it and were still just as light & tasty as when freshly pulled from the sugar.

Polo, Anyone?

If you're in Charlottesville, I definitely recommend trying Carpe Donut and visiting King Family Vineyard for the polo game. And although we really had no idea what was happening in the polo match (all of my knowledge of polo comes from Pretty Woman), it was certainly fun to say we were there while sipping our wine & enjoying our cider donuts.

Carpe Donut

1715 Allied Street

Charlottesville, VA 22903

(434) 806-6202

http://carpedonut.org/ 

http://www.kingfamilyvineyards.com/ 

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Il Melograno

Someone once raved so long and so lovingly over Il Melograno (Italian for pomegranate) that I couldn't wait to try it. Okay, I waited a few years. I'm a busy person!
A friend I hadn't seen in some time was in town, and I thought I'd try a new spot for both of us (note: maybe never do that again). We walked right into Il Melograno for a 630p reservation. They offered us a two-top squeezed in right by the kitchen/entrance, which seemed a little busy, so I asked if we could have a table in the back (my second mistake). No problem!

Oh...hi, there!

It was only then that I noticed four men-- a quartet, if you will-- seated at the table right next to ours. We'd find out in about 10 minutes that this was the band playing. A foot from us. All through the meal.

Somehow over the din of the music, we managed to order. I got the special-- saffron-scented shrimp with garlic and arugula. Done. Divine. I'm not an over-the-moon-for-saffron sort. I get that it's difficult to harvest and therefore insanely expensive, but I still kind of don't get the fuss. However, the dish was fabulous, a modest but satisfying serving, and I was happy. I'm so mixing in some arugula next time I make pasta.

My friend TEN ordered the lamb ragu over freshly-made papardelle (flat, broad ribbons of pasta), with fresh peas dotting the landscape. Our pastas were tender, fresh, and wonderful.

TEN sitting very, VERY close to the band. 

The band was great, but my GOD was it loud. We had to read each others' lips and lean across our food to even hear some of our conversation. Definitely distracting, definitely not the relaxed, laid-back restaurant experience I was hoping to share with my friend!

We did enjoy our food, a bottle of wine, and even managed to laugh at the lunacy of sitting less than a foot away from a trumpet player. We were asked to leave our table at the end of our meal as they 'needed' it, and that just kind of threw me for a loop. Maybe someone loves that EXACT table? Who the hell would WANT to sit 2 feet from a gd trumpet? That ended our meal on a bitter note.

A girl & her pasta 

Something about this was just... off. Yes, the food was lovely. But the service and general atmosphere? Off. And off-putting. I'm not sure I'd go back.. maybe if I could sit as far away from the band as possible?

Il Melograno
501 W 51st St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 757-9290

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