Get me near a plate of complimentary biscotti, a brick oven, perfectly grilled seafood, and homemade torta della nonna, and I can't stay away. This weekend, a friend and I fell in love with a restaurant which fulfilled all of the above characteristics: Baci & Abbracci. (We also fell in love with Paolo.)
A wealth of possibilities lay before us as we sat down in the backyard patio this afternoon: sweet (omelette stuffed with Brie and apricot jam!), savory, brunch or lunch? We couldn't just choose one thing, so we started with butternut squash soup with two plump grilled shrimp and a salad with white beans, grilled scallops, calamari and shrimp with sweet red peppers. We also enjoyed slightly warmed walnut raisin rolls with apricot jam ("Great! Now I don't miss the apricot jam," said my friend, who had agonized over whether to try the aforementioned sweet omelette.)
We diverged in our entrees; I went with lunch: chewy, toothsome little beet gnocchi with sprigs of arugula in an intensely rich, creamy cheese sauce. My friend delighted in the asparagus frittata, served with large potato wedges and a small salad.
Now it was starting to grow chilly outside, so we retreated inside near the oven, where tiny chocolate coconut cookies were coming into existence. Naturally, we were compelled to order dessert. Paolo brought us over a plate of complimentary biscotti and cookies, but we also indulged in a healthy slice of custardy, pistachio-laden torta della nonna which was cross-hatched with chocolate cream. Yum!
Baci & Abbracci: 204 Grand St., Brooklyn, (718) 599-6599. Open for brunch on Saturday as well as Sunday.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
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2 comments:
Wow... beet gnocchi. I think my heart grew three sizes just learning that exists.
Torta della nonna is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Now I can't wait to try this place!
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