Esca (Heaven for a Fish Freak)

Warning: severe restaurant lovefest ahead.

David Pasternack and Mario Batali’s seafood shrine, Esca, is everything a restaurant should be from its stately dining room to its top-notch service and supreme food. This fish freak was in absolute heaven.

David Pasternack was doing crudo at Esca before crudo became cool. Some even credit him as the pioneer of this Italian raw fish trend in America. With a dash of coarse salt and a slather of olive oil, he brings sea creatures to new heights. But Pasternack is no one-trick-pony. His cooked preparations burst with flavor, honoring the fish and delighting diners. Even on a strange corner of 9th Avenue, Esca was packed at 9:45 on a Thursday evening.

As busy as Esca was, no less than three people smiled as we walked in, for no reason other than to welcome new customers. I’m fairly certain it was Pasternack himself, who I saw gazing across the room like a hawk, for any transgressions. First impressions such as this are key indicators of what lies ahead.

We shared three crudo: sea trout with crushed almonds, orata with meyer lemon and pink snapper with black salt. Each was more fresh and unique than the next. My favorite was the snapper while E loved the nuttiness of the trout. Since it was late, they were out of a lot of options. I planned on ordering the whole fish baked in salt but all they had left was the three-person portion of black sea bass. After some deliberation, we decided to go for it.

It arrived, gorgeously crusted in a thick shell of sea salt. They cracked the shell tableside and the sommelier brought the platter for us to gaze at before they filleted the fish. The whole dining room seemed to glance enviously at the presentation. I had a huge grin on my face , so much so, that the tipsy guy next to us was repeating “AWW, LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS!” After carefully deboning the bass and separating it into two generous portions, they drizzled a fragrant olive oil on top and served it. Don’t let the concept deceive you, the salt was subtly infused into the meat of the fish, rather than making it salty. We also shared a basic side salad and some sautéed cremini mushrooms along with the bass. We had NO problem finishing the portion for three, though it was plentiful ;) The fish was so fresh, I couldn’t bear to leave it over.

I’ve said enough about my recent trip to Gilt and I don’t want to dwell on the negative. But the treatment we received at Gilt vs. Esca was simply night and day. Every question we had, no matter how nit picky, no matter how detailed, was answered with respect by everyone at Esca from the sommelier, to the waiter and the bread boy. Our waiter went above and beyond, informing E of anything he should avoid be it a shellfish broth or bread possibly made with lard. The fact that he knew all of these details was a wonder in itself. Before visiting, I had read some reports of shaky service in recent years. I found it to be the opposite!

My respect for Batali increases with each restaurant of his that I visit. Esca is another example of why I love him. Unfortunately, he doesn’t love me. But that’s a story for another day.

The fact that Gilt has 2 Michelin stars and Esca now has 0 is an utter tragedy. Who are these loony people? Esca was a phenomenal dining experience that I’d love to repeat for my next special occasion.

Have you been to Esca? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Location: 402 W 43rd and 9th Ave
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Average App/Entrée Price: $17/$32
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Quick Bites: Azuri Cafe

The Basics: Taking a little abuse from owner, Ezra Cohen, is worth it for the best falafel in the city. What Azuri Cafe lacks in ambiance and friendly service it makes up for in crisp, homemade falafel patties, more rich in spice and flavor than anything I’ve had in Israel.  Super-fresh salads of white bean, baba ghanush,  hummus, taboule, pickles and more make perfect partners.
Best Dish: Falafel! Though their freshly baked marzapan-rich pecan cookies were great, baked by Ezra’s wife.  They also serve shawarma and various kababs, all Glatt kosher.
Food: Excellent
Service: Good (despite the gruffness, the food is ready quickly)
Value: Very Good
Average App/Entree Price: $11-$14
Location: 465 W 51st Street
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Bocca di Bacco

This newby Italian wine bar in Hell’s Kitchen had both hits and misses with OK food and struggling service. I wanted to love Bocca di Bacco with its vast menu of wines by the glass and a long elegant bar at the front with an impressive Enomatic system. At Bocca di Bacco one can order a $28 glass of Brunello or a $7 glass of Tocai Friulano, the country’s many wine regions are well-represented. On our first visit we sat at the bar, sampled some decadent cheeses (the names of which I forget) and a couple of glasses. We left very pleased and eager to return for a complete dinner.

Bocca di Bacco began to miss the mark on our second visit. Our waitress was inconsistent, disappearing for long periods of time, and returning confused, unaware of what course we were on or what we might need. A gooey wild mushroom funghi bruschetta with melted cheese on top and (I think?) truffle oil was rich and earthy though a scallop entree that we shared as an app tasted far too much like the sea to be fresh. Pastas like gnocchi in osso bucco sauce and a Bolognese were passable though textures were often over-cooked and under-seasoned.

Bocca di Bacco is owned by the same proprietors as Roberto Passon, a wildly successful neighborhood joint nearby. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of the talent was lost in the transfer. If you want a nice glass of vino and a cheese plate, go to Bocca di Bacco, but eat dinner elsewhere.

Bocca di Bacco: 828 Ninth Avenue @54th Street
Cuisine: Italian
Average Entree Price: $15-$20
Food: Good
Service: Poor
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Meh,  you can taste the side.

Hell’s Kitchen

I made my second trip to Hell’s Kitchen (the restaurant, not the location) on Saturday for dinner and found it to be just as enjoyable as the first. Overall, this is a great spot to hit pre-theater or whenever in the neighborhood for decent modernized Mexican food and drinks. I started with a frozen margarita and my friend had a sangria- both delicious and adequately strong. They have an extensive tequila list as well. We shared two appetizers: hoja santa crusted (no clue what that is) tuna tostadas with guacamole and grilled pineapple and tamarind marinated filet mignon chalupas with grilled tomatillo and guajillo sauce. The tender filet and the crisp chalupa was a nice harmony but the tuna tostada preparation was odd- two thick cuts of seared tuna atop the tostadas rather than diced tuna. For entrees he had the grilled wild salmon with sweet corn pudding , baked vegetable cake and salsa rioja while I had the grilled shrimp with serrano sauce, sweet plantain and guacamole. My shrimp was out of this world. It was served with a mountain of crispy carrot and cucumber matchsticks- a delicate crunch with the soft and sweet plantain. Service was very quick and adequately friendly. Overall, a great meal and I would even pay a third visit if in the neighborhood again.

Hell’s Kitchen: Mexican, Eclectic
Location: 679 9th Avenue (betw 46th and 47th)
Average App/Entree Price: $9/$20
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe

Casellula is the brain child of proprietors Joe Farrell and Brian Keyser who had one simple goal: allow people to enjoy artisanal cheeses, wines and freshly prepared small plates in a casual environment. After working in some of the top kitchens all over the world, they decided to break away from the stuffy mold (no pun intended) to start a cafe built on passion rather than attitude. Casellula is brand spanking new- having just opened this May- but is already filling its tiny walls with the cheese heads of the city. After reading Casellula’s site complete with a “spread the curd” blog and bios of the wacky people involved, I knew I was in for a special experience.

Casellula is very quaint and rustic with a handful of tables, a dark wood bar and a tempting cheese case. Smells of grilled cheese and smoked bacon from the open air kitchen travel freely throughout the room. My one complaint about the atmosphere is the acoustics are very poor. On a Tuesday night at 7PM the place was full and we were yelling to hear each other- a cramp in Casellula’s style. Our waitress Perri was more than willing to help us select cheeses from the selection of 35 frequently changing options. The list is grouped by characteristics: Fresh, Bloomy, Pressed, Washed, Blue and Flights. We ordered five cheeses for the table to share- an ashy aged goat, a smoked gouda, a mild camembert, a Cayuga blue and a podda classico. The cheeses were accompanied by condiments such as pesto, pickled ramps, and figs to marry with each. With Perri’s help, we ended up with a great variety.

The wine list left a bit to be desired- too brief for a cafe that calls itself a wine and cheese cafe in my opinion and overpriced. They did have some very exotic offerings from Hungary and Macedonia but I would have appreciated some more modest options as well. I am hoping they will expand on the wine in the future.

Following the cheeses we had a mac and cheese with fol epi, comte, chevre, lardons and caramelized onions to share for the table. This was mind blowingly delicious- by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had. The trio of cheeses were perfectly creamy and sharp and the caramelized onions added a unique honeyed sweetness to the mac. Entrees around the table were: pig’s ass sandwich with ham, cheddar, fol epi, pickles and chipotle aioli; fig flatbread with proscuitto, pecorino and micro greens; wild mushroom flatbread with laura chenel chevre and herb salad; and rogue creamery smokey blue flatbread with applewood smoked bacon and hard cider apples. The sandwiches came in overflowing piles of melty goodness with greens on the side. Though mere sandwiches from meets the eye, the attention to detail on every dish did not go unnoticed. The bacon on my smokey blue flatbread had the most intense smokiness and I loved the contrast of the sweet cider apples with the other flavors. Absolutely sublime.

I will be running back to Casellula as fast as my feet can take me and I recommend that you do the same. Added bonus: they offer a Monday night summer series of cheese classes for continuing education. Who’s comin with me ?

Casellula: 401 W 52^nd and 9^th Ave
Cuisine: Wine and Cheese, Small Plates
Average App/Entree Price: $6/$12
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.