Dovetail @ Mozzarella Salad

Prior to New York Restaurant Week, I inexplicably forwent experiencing Dovetail despite harboring strong sentiment towards eventually dining at the Upper West Side eatery. Having recently been awarded an illustrious Michelin Star, and amassed impressive feedback over the last few years, Dovetail certainly had appeal. In addition, I was drawn to Dovetail among other obvious reasons, for its unique location as it is nestled in the heart of the Upper West Side, near the Natural History Museum, an area seldom known for upscale “sceney” restaurants. Nevertheless, I finally experienced Dovetail during NY Restaurant Week not only because of the unique lunch special, but also because they were open for lunch during the three week promotion, which is unusual for the dinner centric restaurant.

The Mozzarella Salad perfectly set the tone for my meal at Dovetail. Exceptionally beautiful, the salad as both aesthetically pleasing and impeccably crafted. For a moment, I resisted the temptation of taking a bite because I was so enamored with the beauty of the dish. Nevertheless, the food was as exquisite as it was beautiful. The Mozzarella Salad was served with apples, celery and peppers. The quality of the mozzarella was just right as it was not too creamy but rather possessed the essential texture that made it more irresistible. Furthermore, the choice of vegetables were not only a delightful addition that sufficiently complemented the mozzarella, but more importantly, underscored the chef’s unique range and ability to perfect the culinary art of serving vegetables. In fact, the chef, John Fraser, is so serious about cooking vegetables, he has since dedicated every Monday to serve a vegetable oriented (and vegan centric) prix fixe dinner and plans to open a new restaurant in Williamsburg, this spring, that will only utilize vegetables.

Dovetail:

103 West 77th Street,

New York, NY, 10024

P: + 1 (212) 362-3800

Brio Restaurant @ Paccheri alla Partenopea

In New York City, there is certainly no shortage of good Italian food. However, at the same time, many restaurants offer nearly identical dishes that are hard to distinguish from restaurant to restaurant (for instance, the Pizza Margherita at Serafina is nearly identical to Mezzaluna’s version). Therefore, whenever dining out, I prefer to order a distinctive dish that embodies creativity and inspiration. Among an abundance of pasta’s at Brio, one of the most commendable and original dishes served is the Paccheri alla Partenopea. The Paccheri, which is a large tubular pasta, is served with yellow and red grape tomatoes, smoked buffalo mozzarella and olives. Since the pasta is more profound in size than the average fussili or penne, it soaks and fully integrates the flavor of the sauce. By serving it like this, each prospective diner is able to fully appreciate the flavor as opposed to a pasta that is served with too much sauce.  The sauce appeared to be tomato based while integrating a bit of cream thus making it virtually impossible to resist the desire for more. The portion of mozzarella, which was very fresh, sufficed. In the end, the combination of grape tomatoes and mozzarella worked well with the texture of the pasta and flavor of sauce. Among many praiseworthy dishes at Brio, this might be the best.

Brio:

786 Lexington Avenue (@61st Street)

New York, NY, 10065

P: + 1 (212) 980-2300

W: www.BrioNYC.com

Video: New York Taste Event 2013

On Monday November 11th, New York Magazines Hosted its 15th Annual New York Taste Event featuring 40 of the city’s most recognized Chefs and Mixologists. Chef’s including Jonathan Benno, Paul Liebrandt, Joe NG, Dominique Ansel, Francois Payard and Richard Kuo among others were featured in the event.

Dinner and Drinks with Pearl and Ash’s Richard Kuo