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 entrée 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
Entrée Price: $15-$20

Filed under Italian, Restaurant Reviews, Wine Bars | Comments (3)

Del Posto

My continuous Batali talk has no end, as I was invited to dinner at Del Posto last night and happily accepted. It was an absolute marathon of a meal- four hours and ten courses with highs and lows at various points. Some dishes were sublime while others nearly tasteless. I can understand why Del Posto often lives in the shadow of the acclaimed, Babbo.

The dining rooms at Del Posto are elegant and sophisticated with chocolate leather seats, ornate marble floors and dramatic oversized light fixtures which create a soft glow. The restaurant has two floors and features a split staircase that creeps up to the mezzanine in the center of the main dining room. I found the restaurant to be really beautiful, reminiscent of some old, charming New Orleans restaurants that I frequented at school.

We opted for the seven course tasting menu then added in some additional pasta and dessert courses (as if it wasn’t enough!). Wines were paired with each course and though I questioned a few of the choices, the sommelier was very knowledgeable and reassured me of the thought process behind each. The service was impeccable: courses were timed well, silverware and stemware replacements were perfectly orchestrated in advance of each course.

I apologize in advance for the excrutiating detail which I’m about to go into, but I think my dining buddies will appreciate it

The meal began with an amuse-bouche of a roasted red pepper and tomato cold soup, potato croquettes, bites of olive and butter tartlets and some chopped zucchini in an egg yolk sauce. These were forgettable. On to the tasting menu:

The first course was an “insalata di scampi” which consisted of a langoustine tail with an heirloom tomato salad. The presentation was beautiful with the head of the langoustine at the top of the plate and the bits of meat lined up to create the body. A nice, light start to the meal, complemented well by an unoaked Piemontese Chardonnay. The second course was a sturgeon filet with caviar. I found it to be lackluster and out of place, nothing to write home about. What the course lacked in food, it made up for in champagne, a killer Grand Cuvee Krug. The third course was an addition: agnolotti (akin to a mini gnocchi) stuffed with veal and boar with a Parmigiano-Reggiano butter. It was subdued, needed more sauce or spice to bring the flavors forward. We move on to the fourth course, a porcini lasagnette which was pretty dry and boring with tiny specks of porcini, paired with a Barbaresco. From there, things started to vastly improve. We had another addition, orechiette with lamb neck sausage and squash blossom ragu. It was a great choice- had a nice al dente texture and married well with the slightly spicy lamb sausage. Number six was a duck course consisting of sliced breast of duck with a toast point of foie gras and tender lettuces. The duck was rich and smoky, delightful with a Brunello di Montalcino. We finished the savory dishes with the king of all meats, a kobe beef deckle which was thin squares of kobe served with young arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The kobe was melt-in-your-mouth tender, salty and rich- everyone’s favorite dish by far. We had requested an Amarone which they unfortunately did not carry so the sommelier swapped it for a Valpolicella made in an Amarone style. It was certainly Amarone- reminiscent and made for a great exchange.

Rounding out the meal was a cheese course: robiola wrapped in chestnut leaves and served with thin slices of raisin and walnut bread. We enjoyed it with a Marsala and all complimented how well the Marsala picked up the notes of chestnut in the cheese. For dessert we were served a zabaglione which was a custard with berries- very nice with a moscato d’asti. Somehow we pressed on and added a budino di cioccolato, consisting of chocolate pudding, chocolate streusel and whipped cream. A bit rich for my taste, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. At the epic conclusion of the meal, the waiter wheeled over a cart filled with a multitude of Italian petits-fours (Italian name for this?) which we, somehow, made room for alongside our espresso.

The moral of the story is, Del Posto can be a wonderful meal if you order properly. If I have the chance to return I’ll focus more on meat dishes and less on pastas. And for anyone else, order wisely and consult with me as I’ve sampled the whole menu

Del Posto: 85 10^th Avenue (betw 15^th and 16^th)
Cuisine: Italian

Filed under Italian, Restaurant Reviews | Comments (2)