restaurants

a voce

in , ,

in the video game of life,
the time warner center at columbus circle is the final kingdom.
{housing at the top, the treasure that is per se}

once you successfully navigate across that vicious traffic circle that is plagued with poorly timed traffic lights,
and speeding horses and taxis,
you're in.

you start in the dungeon,
fending for your life at the eternally crowded prepared food section of the whole foods.
you pass this level only when you can actually find a place to sit and eat your winnings.
{landing a booth = double points}

after that, it's easy sailing up to the third level.
on the ground level, you refuel with godiva chocolates and samples at the williams sonoma.
on the second level, you maybe stop for a coffee at the dean and deluca, but sometimes you don't have enough time to go out of your way before the dragons come to eat you, so you are forced to flee up the escalator, caffeinated or not.

the third level is a bit trickier and usually involves three, maybe four attempts to clear.
and over a longer period of time, too.
this level is home to
annnnd
{the final obstacle before ascending to the final level}

and with it's cute little michelin star,
a voce serves some of the best italian food i've ever had.

if there's anything better than bread & butter at the start of a sit down,
it's focaccia & ricotta.

as an appetizer, the pops and i ordered
cassoncini 
{yes!! a newly discovered dumpling!! i was tickled with excitement!!}
these were little buttery pastries filled with swiss chard and ooozy crescenza cheese,
covered in parmesan,
and served with prosciutto. 

they were like... italy's rival to the empanada.
oh, with their perfect texture and piping hot filling, 
i could have eaten them all day!

the main course:

"uova in purgatorio"
poached eggs, san marzano tomatoes, 
rosemary, pecorino

doesn't it kind of look like ravioli??
the tomato sauce was so fresh and tasty that i think it actually rivaled the sauce at austin's enoteca vespaio.
oh i could go on and on about how much i love eggs!
and this? served with the freshest of fresh tomato sauce? just another way eggs are the man.


spaghetti alla carbonara
with a duck egg
and a dude in the background of the picture that goes to my school but i've never met and that looked right at the camera when pops was taking this. lolzzzzzz

ok, so the point is, i tasted a duck egg.
it was thicker and gooey-er than a chicken egg
and according to pops, it was gamey.
evvs.

the pasta was a little too al dente for my taste.
but,
 then again, 
i was always the daughter standing by the stove and yelling at mum to cook the pasta for longer 
...cause i'm just a mushy pasta kinda girl.

this wasn't my fave dish of the meal,
but it looked and smelled pretty.



pops liked em.


dessert was....
not really in the cards for me,
because when there is a never ending supply of bread at the table,
especially bread as good as a voce's,
i don't stop eating it ever ever ever. 


but pops wanted some sweets, so we gots {from l to r}:

mint gelato
kiwi sorbet
&
lemon granita 

i tasted a bit of each, 
fearing with each bite that i'd actually explode all over the place...
the mint taste was very faint and the gelato itself suuuper creamy.
the kiwi was a bit salty, but in a good way.
and the lemon, very refreshing... and can it be summer already.

it was, overall, an incredible meal.
{the focaccia & ricotta & the cassoncini alone would have made me happy as a clam}
i think i could eat italian food any day,
but this just brought it to a new level.

the restaurant itself was beeeautiful too,
with big bright windows overlooking central park...
<3

so there you have it,
i've successfully cleared level three. 

i've now unlocked the door to the final chamber,
and can start to work my way through
and
*gasp*

don't worry, i've got eleven months to do so,
but that doesn't mean i won't be playing as intensely as
the stoners next store play goldeneye 24/7


if you like food, go to a voce.


xoxo


yeh


a voce is located on the third floor of the time warner center at columbus circle, at the southwest corner of central park.
 it has another location at madison and 26th, but that one is closed on sundays and does not serve brunch. 

artisanal

in ,

may i please wake up in paris tomorrow morning?
i'd like to have a stroll to a little sidewalk cafe and have a morning sit with a croissant and a newspaper,
while i watch little parisian puppies take their owners for a walk.
after that, i would explore little streets, 
and little bakeries, 
and little perfumeries...
and in the evening, i'd go to the market, 
and sample every single kind of cheese until i find the perfect cheese for the perfect fondue.
i'd also buy a baguette,
and eat half of it on my way home.
the next day, 
i'd wake up,
and repeat.

ohh, paris, i can't wait to meet you.

but until i do, i have 
to hold me over.

last week,
after a hectic day of tours and classes,
i took myself on a little date.
i wandered down the east side to france,
or so that's how it felt.

i arrived at the bistro expecting another teensy, jam packed restaurant,
but was relieved to find enough space to do a cartwheel or five across the floor!
and they had booths!
i love booths. 
more than i should.
but it meant i was going to be able to relax.

and relax i did with the first course, which was...

chickpea soup
with thick cut bacon

it was exactly what i needed to warm me up after the cold trek there.
piping hot, 
thick,
but not creamy,
and just the right amount of smokey from the bacon.
not too salty,
but certainly tasty enough.
it was delicious,
in a, main course, you've got some competition sort of way.

the main course:
grilled english cheddar
with apples and bacon

it was a bit odd to me that at a restaurant with over a million zillion cheeses, a cheese counter, and a cheese cave, only had one restaurant week option that involved cheese. 
i had a bit of anxiety about seeing macaroni and cheese,
croque monsieurs,
and fondue
on the menu, and not ordering every single one of them.
but, alas, i trusted madame waitress when she highly recommended the grilled cheese.

and it was great!
the cheese was the star of the show,
as its tanginess stole all of the thunder from the bacon and apples,
but i was down with it. 
i asked for dijon just for kicks,
and to test the spiciness about it,
but really, the cheddar was tasty enough on its own.

dessert
was the aforementioned,
famed,
and illustrious,
crème brulee

i swear, it could have been a meal on its own.
it's deceiving because it looks rather small,
but once you take a bite,
you realize that it's probably more calories than your daily requirement for the next five days combined,
and then,
i'm all,
look at me, 
i have no self control,
 i'm going to eat the whole thing!
it's restaurant week, i'm allowed.

when i dug to the bottom,
i noticed little vanilla flecks. 
how very mysterious and sneaky of it.

i've never had a better crème brulee
{at least not since sister pleaded for a blow torch for her eighth birthday and got one}

i really really should have employed self control though,
because,
not matter how good a meal is,
if i have to waddle around and change into stretchier pants afterwards,
it's just no fun!

regardless,
i'll have to go back here because

1. they're serving a different fondue for every day in february

and

2. look at this menu
i basically could have written it.


it was a great little date, 
my date with myself.
i sprawled out in the booth,
there was no one there to judge me when i ate all of the bread but none of the crust,
and the french family that sat next to me helped me pretend that i was indeed in paris.


i can't wait to go back and bathe in their fondue!


xoxo


yeh


artisanal is located on east 32nd between madison and park

the petrossian

in ,

circa 1994:
"daddy's caviar got taken away at customs because security thought it was a can of bullets," mum explained when a crabby pops returned home from a business trip overseas.
"ma, what's caviar?" asked a four year old me.
"fish eggs, honey," she replied.
"EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, WHAT THE FUCK?*" 
i was exasperated.
*i didn't actually say "what the fuck."



17 years later, this past saturday:
it's 2pm.
i have just gotten out of my tap class.
and i want a hot dog...
make that two hot dogs
 {from the food stand on 66th}
and fries.
also a burger,
maybe some kung pao chicken...
and ice cream,
yes,
mint chocolate chip ice cream!!!

...so what's for lunch?
caviar.

ugh.


it was time.
it was just time.
pops and i had reservations.
and it was just time,
because,
since that one fateful day in '94,
i still had not tasted caviar.
and if it was going to happen at all,
it was going to be with the pops,
and it was going to be at 


as i approached the beautifully carved piece of art at that is the petrossian,
{a building i've walked by and drooled over so many times on the way to carnegie}
i got the same nervous feeling that i sometimes get as i'm about to perform or take an audition.
i was about to try caviar,
and i was scared!

see you must know, 
i only just tried fish for the first time very recently,
and, still, i only really eat salmon.
so this was a very stressful situation for me to the point where butterflies jumbled in my tummy.


without further ado,

the first course:

risotto
with duck and mushrooms

it was pretty tasty,
sorta cold,
  and i sorta ate around the mushrooms because i am still not fully comfortable with them.

the main course:
{oh geez, here it goes...}

for pops:
cucumber and crème fraiche sandwich,
transmontanus usa farmed caviar


pour moi:

cheese omelette,
transmontanus usa farmed caviar




don't think about it, molly, just do it!

and,
 like ripping off a band aid,
i just did it.

hmmm.

mmm.

yeah.

meh.

bored.

totally bored.


it was nothing surprising because, 
it was exactly the smell of fish,
but in my mouth,
and it was mushy,
and jell-oey.

...and i still wanted a hot dog.

pops' sandwich was fine.
but give me some melba toast and some cukes and i'll make you somethin real nice, too.

and my omelette?
i've had airplane omelettes that were better.

oh heavens, i feel so bad dissing such an institution.
but, really, i can't love a place that serves cold food,
runny omelettes,
and {according to the pops who is quite the caviar connoisseur }
lower quality caviar 
during restaurant week.

dessert was:

red fruit mousse 

&

opera cake


both fantastically mediocre.


i'm sorry petrossian,
you are so pretty.
i wanted to like you, i really did!
but unfortunately,
i don't think i'll be back.



xoxo

yeh


the petrossian is located on west 58th and 7th ave, just below central park.

week 5: artisanal, petrossian, redeye grill, a voce, the breslin

in

i will now discuss these restaurants in twitter form 
{140 characters or less}
and then elaborate throughout the week,
as needed.


some people gain baby weight,
i gain creme brulée weight. 
the meal was good,
but richer than donald trump.

the petrossian
i craved a hot dog, but we had caviar reservations. 
world, have you no mercy?
i felt like i was eating the smell of murray's sturgeon shop in mashed up form.

never did i think that 
sushi & spätzle
 could be such a fantastic post concert meal.

a new dumpling,
 some of the best marinara i've ever had, 
a duck egg, 
and a view of central park for brunch?
yes, plz.

carnivores, unite! 
this place ROCKS. 
caramel corn to start, donuts to end. 
meat in the middle.


...stay tuned for my typical ramble about these places!


xoxo


yeh



p.s. i guess i sorta blew it when it comes to trying only ONE new restaurant a week.
but, hey, it's restaurant week, what was i supposed to do??
these restaurants will count as one on the restaurant-o-meter
so, lovelies, i've got 47 more to go!