This isn't as radical of a concept as it sounds; check out the savory new offerings at Christopher Norman Chocolates. You can start your meal with some of their avocado cream truffles. Your next course will be a peanut butter cup with a touch of fleur de sel. And, starting next week, you'll be able to sink your teeth into a goat cheese Champagne black pepper truffle. It's never been easier to make a meal of dessert!
Christopher Norman Chocolates, 60 New St., (212) 402-1243.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Thursday, March 18, 2004
A Working Fireplace in March
It’s March, but the frigid weather has me thinking about chestnuts roasting over an open fire. Recently, I warmed myself by the fireplace in the bar at Public. Last night was especially cold, so I reveled in the crackling fire at the entrance of March Restaurant.
The multi-course meal at March is one of the most elegant experiences one can have in the city. The diner chooses the desired number of courses (we opted for four) from a menu divided into raw, vegetarian, seafood, fish, poultry and meat categories.
As we relaxed into our seats, our waiter brought by a basket of hot twist rolls fragrant with rosemary; I knew it would be a challenge to resist them throughout the evening. The amuse bouche was a salmon wonton, tomato on toast and the chef’s nod to St. Patrick’s Day: a bit of corned beef on a tiny cabbage leaf. Our appetites suitably aroused, we then inhaled our raw courses: thinly-sliced fluke sashimi sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives, and a rosette of smoked salmon accompanied by a dollop of zesty lemon cream and bulgur risotto. The sashimi was lightly dressed with olive oil, reminiscent of the crudo at Esca (another favorite restaurant of mine).
I again resisted the temptation of another dinner roll, and our next course began: seafood for me and vegetarian for my companion. I enjoyed four scallop-stuffed ravioli in a rich tomato cream, while my companion’s dish was a surprisingly sweet maitake mushroom with Japanese green soybeans in a mild parsnip broth.
After relaxing over a glass of Pinot Noir, we started in on our entrees (fish for me and poultry for my companion). My sea bass was perfectly seared with deliciously crispy skin, and it rested on another extraordinary mushroom preparation: black trumpet mushrooms mashed into a tasty, root-vegetable-like paste. A slightly sweet port-wine reduction wonderfully complemented the richness of the bass and a few fingerling potatoes completed the dish. My companion raved about his poached chicken breast, served with roulades of dark meat with spinach and pine nuts in the center.
We were then served a bracing fruit-studded apple-wine gelee to ready our appetites for dessert. At this point I was almost full, but I always have room for chocolate, and this night was no exception to the rule. Two small domes of warm Valrhona chocolate cake were a perfect ending for me, and my companion wasted no time in polishing off his frozen coconut soufflé. (He wanted me to inform you that it reminded him of a frozen Toasted Almond bar.) Then, a plate of homemade almond brittle arrived.
Walking out the door, we again briefly enjoyed the fireplace, and soon we were off into the cold night.
March Restaurant: 405 E. 58th St., (212) 754-6272.
The multi-course meal at March is one of the most elegant experiences one can have in the city. The diner chooses the desired number of courses (we opted for four) from a menu divided into raw, vegetarian, seafood, fish, poultry and meat categories.
As we relaxed into our seats, our waiter brought by a basket of hot twist rolls fragrant with rosemary; I knew it would be a challenge to resist them throughout the evening. The amuse bouche was a salmon wonton, tomato on toast and the chef’s nod to St. Patrick’s Day: a bit of corned beef on a tiny cabbage leaf. Our appetites suitably aroused, we then inhaled our raw courses: thinly-sliced fluke sashimi sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives, and a rosette of smoked salmon accompanied by a dollop of zesty lemon cream and bulgur risotto. The sashimi was lightly dressed with olive oil, reminiscent of the crudo at Esca (another favorite restaurant of mine).
I again resisted the temptation of another dinner roll, and our next course began: seafood for me and vegetarian for my companion. I enjoyed four scallop-stuffed ravioli in a rich tomato cream, while my companion’s dish was a surprisingly sweet maitake mushroom with Japanese green soybeans in a mild parsnip broth.
After relaxing over a glass of Pinot Noir, we started in on our entrees (fish for me and poultry for my companion). My sea bass was perfectly seared with deliciously crispy skin, and it rested on another extraordinary mushroom preparation: black trumpet mushrooms mashed into a tasty, root-vegetable-like paste. A slightly sweet port-wine reduction wonderfully complemented the richness of the bass and a few fingerling potatoes completed the dish. My companion raved about his poached chicken breast, served with roulades of dark meat with spinach and pine nuts in the center.
We were then served a bracing fruit-studded apple-wine gelee to ready our appetites for dessert. At this point I was almost full, but I always have room for chocolate, and this night was no exception to the rule. Two small domes of warm Valrhona chocolate cake were a perfect ending for me, and my companion wasted no time in polishing off his frozen coconut soufflé. (He wanted me to inform you that it reminded him of a frozen Toasted Almond bar.) Then, a plate of homemade almond brittle arrived.
Walking out the door, we again briefly enjoyed the fireplace, and soon we were off into the cold night.
March Restaurant: 405 E. 58th St., (212) 754-6272.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Pasta Fights Back
With the popularity of the Atkins diet, you might think that pasta is on its way out. However, it's valiantly fighting back against obsolescence!
The spectacular Italian grocery store A. L. Bazzini sells a wondrous variety of artisanal pasta, including: Spinosi, Martelli (dried for 50 hours at a low temperature), Latini, Manicaretti Rustichella d'Abruzzo (extruded through hand-carved bronze dies), and chocolate egg tagliatelle produced by La Favorita Figh.
After choosing your favorite pasta shapes, check out the olive oil sale near the front door. Add a bottle to your shopping basket, and then rustle up an aglio olio at home. I would have done the same last night, but I was scheduled to meet a friend for a pasta dinner!
Selected Italian restaurants in New York are known for their homemade pasta, and Vice Versa is one of them. From the moment you see the steel-grey awning, you know this isn't just another Theatre District dive serving unappetizingly mushy spaghetti. No, Vice Versa takes pride in their sea bass ravioli, squid ink tagliolini and strozzapreti with duck ragout. My friend and I enjoyed plump pumpkin ravioli in a classic butter and sage sauce and a tangle of spaghettini with sweet crabmeat in a fresh tomato sauce accented with black olives. (Of course, my carbo-loading was not complete until I'd ordered the gooey warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. No matter how many times I see this cake on a dessert menu, I can never resist it.)
A. L. Bazzini Co, Inc., 339 Greenwich St., (212) 334-1280. Vice Versa, 325 W. 51st St., (212) 399-9291.
The spectacular Italian grocery store A. L. Bazzini sells a wondrous variety of artisanal pasta, including: Spinosi, Martelli (dried for 50 hours at a low temperature), Latini, Manicaretti Rustichella d'Abruzzo (extruded through hand-carved bronze dies), and chocolate egg tagliatelle produced by La Favorita Figh.
After choosing your favorite pasta shapes, check out the olive oil sale near the front door. Add a bottle to your shopping basket, and then rustle up an aglio olio at home. I would have done the same last night, but I was scheduled to meet a friend for a pasta dinner!
Selected Italian restaurants in New York are known for their homemade pasta, and Vice Versa is one of them. From the moment you see the steel-grey awning, you know this isn't just another Theatre District dive serving unappetizingly mushy spaghetti. No, Vice Versa takes pride in their sea bass ravioli, squid ink tagliolini and strozzapreti with duck ragout. My friend and I enjoyed plump pumpkin ravioli in a classic butter and sage sauce and a tangle of spaghettini with sweet crabmeat in a fresh tomato sauce accented with black olives. (Of course, my carbo-loading was not complete until I'd ordered the gooey warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. No matter how many times I see this cake on a dessert menu, I can never resist it.)
A. L. Bazzini Co, Inc., 339 Greenwich St., (212) 334-1280. Vice Versa, 325 W. 51st St., (212) 399-9291.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Chocolat Moderne
The month-long hot chocolate festival at City Bakery has come to a close. Fortunately, new additions to City Bakery's Chocolate Room fill the void: exotic chocolate bars from Chocolat Moderne. Last night I picked up several bars in flavors of Sesame Praline, Banana Courvoisier and Apricot Caramel. The latter oozes with sweet jam and is absolutely irresistible.
Chocolat Moderne, 27 West 20th St., (212) 229-4797. City Bakery, 3 W. 18th St. (212) 366-1414.
Chocolat Moderne, 27 West 20th St., (212) 229-4797. City Bakery, 3 W. 18th St. (212) 366-1414.
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