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.

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
Average App/Entree Price: $22/$26
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Poor
You Gonna Finish That? Meh, you can taste the side.

Mario Batali Nixed from Food Network

According to an article in today’s New York Post, Mario Batali has been given the boot by the Food Network. Batali rose to success hosting such shows as “Molto Mario”, “Ciao America”, and a plethora of appearances on “Iron Chef” while expanding his restaurant empire including NYC spots: Babbo, Esca, Lupa, Otto, Casa Mono, and Del Posto. According to the post, the network discontinued Batali’s shows and Batali refused to make future appearances on Iron Chef if Molto Mario was going away. I’m actually surprised that the Food Network cut Mario as many would say that he is one of few chefs on the network with any talent. Perhaps it was his attitude that influenced the decision. Regardless, Batali is wildly successful and really doesn’t need the Food Network to bolster his fame. He is rumored to be starring in a new show with Gwyneth Paltrow in Spain.

Mario Batali Hates on Food Blogs

Mario, I’m hurt. In a recent interview on Eater with Mario Batali, the famed Italian chef rants about why he dislikes food bloggers. He remarks that by hiding behind the veil of the web, food bloggers can be particularly “snarky” and vindictive without any evidence of research or credibility behind their claims. He seems to be a bit bitter about some recent gossip surrounding a Del Posto real estate issue. He has a point that blogs can get out of hand and I am sure there are some folks that post first and check facts second. However, when it comes down to it, food blogs provide restaurants with an obscene amount of free publicity. I am of the school of thought that all press is good press. He should be thanking us bloggers for even caring enough to talk about his restaurants. He recovers a bit in the end by saying that he does not hate the blogger he just “expects more from them.” Though I wrote a glowing Babbo review , I’m very disappointed that he would make such comments. In a highly competitive restaurant world, he should be delighted to have achieved the culinary throne on which he sits and eat a slice of humble pie.

Otto-ly Inedible

My lunch yesterday at Otto started off wonderfully. The atmosphere is rustic and welcoming; our waiter was friendly. We started off the meal with some delicious antipasto- a 3 cheese assortment with fontina, a goat cheese, and an aged parmesan plus a platter of salami and proscuitto. I enjoyed the presentation of stewed cherries, apricots, and truffle-honey alongside the cheeses. We were wooed to the point of exclaiming “I love this place! How good is this?” etc. Unfortunately our entrees took a sharp turn at gross street and the meal was unsalvageable. My friend’s pasta was the single most disgusting dish I have ever had in a restaurant. She ordered the special which was linguine vongole (with a clam and garlic sauce). I understand that Batali has a unique and different approach to Italian cuisine but this dish was inedible. The pasta tasted like someone had dipped it in the ocean and then doused it in chilli peppers. She made a face of disgust as soon as she tried it and offered me a bite to see if something was wrong with it. OH GOD, NO! NO! NO! I exclaimed in sheer horror. “Something is wrong here!” I have never sent anything back in my life but this dish warranted it. We called the waiter over and explained that something was wrong and requested an exchange. We tried to be as delicate as possible and he was nice about swapping out the dish. She went for the carbonara in exchange, hoping that would be a safe bet.

I ordered the Quattro stagioni pizza which was OK but nothing to write home about. It came with four different sections of toppings- swiss chard, mushrooms, prosciutto cotto and peppers. I think I could have gotten better pizza down the street in my culinary wasteland of Murray Hill. It was pretty weak on the cheese and the crust was rather tasteless- certainly not special at all and not worthy of the Batali name.

My friend’s carbonara emerged a bit later. It was edible but I still would not call it delicious. Supposedly Otto is famous for carbonara and I can’t understand why. The pasta was nicely al dente but the preparation was sloppy. I found the sauce to be incredibly thick and too rich. I expected more elegance from Otto. Why do people love it so much? Someone please enlighten me!

Save your money and your time and stick to the antipasto at Otto or skip it all together.

Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria- 1 5^th Ave and 8^th Street
Cuisine- Italian, Pizza
Average App/Entree Price- $7-$14
Food- Poor
Service- Very Good
Value- Good
You Gonna Finish That? Not even worth a doggy bag.