drbbaldwin's Profile
Underwhelmed
We were underwhelmed by Restaurant August’s food and service. Not quite up to what we expected from New Orleans' "best restaurant." Amuse bouche - outstanding. Fennel soup and pork belly 1st courses - very good. Rest of meal - ho hum. Husband ordered 4 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Wine for 2nd course didn't arrive until he was almost finished. Wine listed on menu for 3rd course was replaced by another without our knowledge or consent. Waiter said "they ran out." What??!! Very noisy. Would probably not go back. On the other hand, NOLA was fantastic.
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Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
One day in Alba..
mvecin - Look for Erica's post on this board which has an extensive discussion on Alba. Based on her experience it sounds like Profumo di Vino in Treiso is a winner. I'm going to Alba in October and have been doing a good bit of research. Based on that, La Libera is another good bet as well as La Piola. Both are in Alba centro.
Dining in Milan
Was in Milan in May 2008. Here's a belated report on restaurants --
Key :
*** great food, memorable experience, would go back
** OK food, nice experience
* OK food, but not worth the walk
No stars = Do not under any circumstances go here!
**Trattoria La Milanese, Via Santa Marta 11
Trattoria Milanese is a much-recommended restaurant, both for its food quality and authenticity. Several large rooms with communal type tables. Very traditional Milanese menu. What we ate: We got a complimentary plate of fried squares of polenta and fried zucchini flowers. Then a rich brodo and a piatto of salume, prosciutto, lardo for starters. DH had the costelleto Milanese, a HUGE breaded bone-in veal chop. I had the half portion of risotto and a half portion of osso buco. We had a bottle of wine but I didn’t write it down. DH had creme caramel. We both had café macchiato. Cost: 96 euros (all restaurant costs mentioned will include all courses, wine, sparkling water, coperto.)
***L’Assassino, Via Amedei 8
Great restaurant. About a 15 minute walk from the Piazza Duomo. Pretty pink interior. I had picked this restaurant as someone on Chowhound had mentioned that they serve a seafood fritto misto which is one of my all time favorite dishes. What we ate: For starters, sformatino di verdure, then a serving of pappardelle di carciofi, and DH had culatello di zibello, which he had been wanting to try. Excellent so far. Then I had fritto di scampi and calamaretti, and DH had tortelloni di magro con asparagi. Fantastic! The fritto had the sweet but briny taste of the sea encased in a golden crunch. The pastas were freshly made in house. We drink a Gianni Voerzio Dolcetto 2006 from La Morra. DH has his favorite dessert – mixed berries with gelato. The service is very good, and the manager comes to talk to us. (We are the only English speakers in the place though they seem to appreciate my attempts at restaurant Italian.) He loves American national parks and has been to the U.S. 14 times. We are ready to leave but the manager brings over vin santo and cantucci. Cost: 109 euros.
***Hosteria Borromei, Via Borromei 4
We got our choice of pretty outdoor tables on a covered patio decorated with pots of red flowers and yellow tablecloths. We started with wine – a Terre de Franciacorte, La Valle “Albus” from Lombardia. It’s cool and citrusy. I started with a salad of raw shaved artichoke and grana padano dressed with olive oil, lemon, and pepper. DH had insalata caprese with fresh mozzarella. Then I proceeded to tortelloni of ricotta and asparagus, tossed in butter. It was drizzled with an egg yolk sauce and bits of chopped tomato so that it looked like a flower on the plate. DH had a veal scallopine with porcini mushrooms. We asked the waiter about the porcini – yes, they were fresh; the weather extended the season. Excellent. DH finished up with berries and cream. Caffe all around. Cost: 94 euros.
*Alla Cucina della Langhe, Corso Como 6
This restaurant supposedly features dishes of the Langhe in the Piemonte and so we start with a 2005 Valospi Barbera d’Asti Superiore. The menu has some Langhe dishes but it’s actually more of a mixed bag. We got a complimentary amuse bouche – a tasty focaccia of onion and tomato. Starters were culatello di zibello for DH and bresaola dressed with lemon and EVOO for me. Then I have gnocchi with tomato and basil. DH has the infamous Milanese veal cutlet “primavera” – topped with a salad of fresh arugula and tomato. DH tops off with panna cotta caramel. Caffe all around. Cost: 98 euros. The food was good, but not great. But if you’re looking for a restaurant in the midst of the Via Brera.Corso Como bars and the action, this is an OK pick.
***Da Giacomo, 6 Via Pascale Sottocorno
The restaurant is very pretty inside, in light greens and yellows. While we read the menus, the waiter brought us a starter of hot cheesy pizza with small bits of fish and capers on it. We looked at the wine list -- select a Pieropan Soave 2005 Calvarina. The food here was fantastic. There were many seafood selections and we started with a zuppa di frutti di mare and a tortine di patate and porcini with a sauce of sweet prawns. Then I cannot resist – spaghetti alla vongole veraci. I was in garlic and clam heaven. DH went for a whole steamed Sicilian spiny lobster. It was surrounded by little ripe cherry tomatoes that were extra sweet and marinated red onions. There was a light tangy sweet dressing over all. The lobster is unbelievable – and huge. He followed up with his usual berries and crema. Caffe. Cost: 156 euros and worth every cent.
***Nabucco, via Fiori Chiari 10 (near Brera)
There are outdoor tables under a cover The waiter recommends a white wine from Sardinia -- 2005 Cantina del Vermentino. I started with a plate of grilled vegetables – eggplant, endive, red peppers, radicchio, tomato, zucchini. DH had prosciutto and melon. Then I had the dish I had been dreaming of since I saw it on Nabucco’s web site menu – their specialty, spaghetti chitarra con aragosta. “Square” spaghetti in a spicy fresh tomato sauce with garlic and a split lobster tail on top. DH had a trio of tortelli in different shapes – spinach & ricotta, beef & mushroom, and porcini & smoked mozzarella – in a sage and butter sauce. Pink panna cotta with strawberries. Caffe as a digestif. Cost: 112 euros.
Al Pont de Ferr, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55 (Navigli)
Al Pont de Ferr is a Slow Foods pick. As soon as we enter, my internal alarm went off. No tablecloths. Paper napkins. Cheap stainless like at the school cafeteria. Menus in English. I asked for one in Italian. The dishes were not recognizable as Italian, much less Slow Food. Fois gras? Two amuse bouche came first – little ice cream wafer cones of smoked salmon mousse. Then a curried bread served with salted butter. The plate of cured meats that we shared for a starter was the only thing that resembled Italian food – prosciutto, coppa, and slices of a dark red sausage. I ordered a beef tartare which like carpaccio usually comes dressed with lemon, olive oil and parmigiano. This was four raw meatballs with a few drops of a balsamic glaze. It had no flavor. DH ordered a roasted pork with potatoes and onions. It was so-so. No dessert, no coffee. We leave, disappointed that our last meal in Milan was so bad. In retrospect, I think that the restaurant must have changed hands. Oh well…. Cost: 84 euros.
Ravenna
My DH and I were recently in Ravenna (the mosaics are gorgeous) and we lunched at Bella Venezia which is on Via IV Novembre near the main piazza. The food was very good but just as good was the people watching. This part of Ravenna is "no cars" so there was a constant trickle of folks of all ages on foot and on bicycles. Try the tortellini filled with scamorza cheese. The house white is inexpensive and good.
Report on Osteria Giusti, Modena
When I did all my research for this trip a while back, I never saw this web site. Everything I saw said that you had to call. The web page say Copyright 2007 so it may be very recent, and I just missed it. Thanks!
I've always found that asking the concierge/clerk at your hotel is the best way to make reservations. They are happy to do it.
Report on Osteria Giusti, Modena
Just got back from two weeks in Milan, Bologna and Lago di Como and wanted to report on the famous but elusive Osteria Giusti.
Our hotel in Bologna (Orologio) had attempted to make a reservation for us several weeks in advance. When we checked in, the concierge reported that contact with Giusti had never been established; the hotel’s phone calls and fax had not been acknowledged.
We went to Modena as a day trip from Bologna, and armed with the name of another restaurant as back up, we stopped at vicolo del Squallore 46, on a narrow alleyway. A sign outside said ‘completo” but I opened the door to see three of four tables vacant. The owner (who we learned later was Nano Morandi’s son) came out and I started to explain that we tried to make reservations. But after just three or four words, he gestured to a table, saying “Yes. Yes. Sit. Sit. Welcome.” So we quickly sat before he changed his mind! He never even asked my name.
A pretty little yellow room with only four tables. Beautiful china, glassware and linens. The wine list is very nice with many famous names and labels. We ask for a recommendation. He suggests Lambrusco! I am taken aback given that behind my chair is a display of Chateau Petrus bottles dating back to 1967. Now I actually like lambrusco but we feel the occasion needs something more. He has just the thing. He opens a bottle and pours, and it is delicious. He hans us the bottle. It is a 1999 Barbera d’Asti. His own Giusti label bottled by Coppo.
Antipasti:
Gnoccho fritto- five airy puffs of dough, each topped with a small slice of cured meat. I recognize salame, proscuitto and lardo.
Fried minestrone fritters topped with a drizzle of aceto balsamico.
Primi:
we each have a half portion of the amazing tortellini in brodo – the pasta is stuffed with a mix of veal, mortadella, proscuitto, parmigiano. The capon broth is clear and rich.
Secondi:
Cotechino fritto – slices of cotechino sausage dusted with flour and grated cheese, sauteed, and topped with a savory zabaglione
A trancio of pork, slow braised in white wine and herbs, served at room temperature with an agrodolce jam of red onions. It sounds so simple but it was a heavenly combination of flavors.
Dolci:
Two half slices of a thin crostata of amarena cherries. We finish off with our usual cafe macchiato.
We ask about the wine and the owner shows us into his cellar across the alley – Gaja, Pio Cesare, brunellos of all sorts. We buy a bottle of his Barbera as a momento to be enjoyed at home. We then ask about aceto balsamico and he shows us into his shop which usually isn’t open again until 3:30. We buy an expensive bottle of aged vinegar and a less expensive bottle for salad dressings.
What an experience! Try to snag a table if you can. Only open for lunch.
Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna suggestions?
Also just back from Milan and the Bologna area. In Milan, I highly recommend L’Assassino, Via Amedei 8
Da Giacomo, 6 Via Pascale Sottocorno
Hosteria Borromei, Via Borromei 4 (lovely covered patio for lunch)
Nabucco, via Fiori Chiari 10 (near the Brera)
Do NOT go to Al Pont de Ferr, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55 in the Navigli which is listed in Slow Food. I had read many good reviews, but it must have changed hands as the food is horrendous and the service is to match.
Bologna: One lunch and dinner
Just back from Bologna --
I highly recommend Caminetto d’Oro, Via del Falegnami 4, not far from Diana. Also Trattoria Leonida, vicolo Alemagna 2, was great for the traditional pasta - garganelli and garmigna. If your teens like pizza, La Mela was very good and inexpensive -- wood fired ovens. Also seafood dishes. Via de' Fusari 5 just steps away from the Piazza Maggiore.
Cheese in Paris
Many restaurants offer a cheese course and you can select from the chariot with the server's help so you will have a wide selection. I found that even those cheeses we can get in the states taste entirely different when they are fresher. My favorites include Epoisses, Delice de Pommard (coated in mustard seeds), Soumartrain, any goat cheese but the little crottins de chavignol are especially tasty, bleu de Bresse, Fourme d'Ambert. DK Books makes a fabulous little volume on the cheeses of France. Also check out McCalman's books on cheeses to get some ideas of flavors associated with the different types of cheese.
Beaune Restaurants
I went to Ma Cuisine and was really underwhelmed. Favorite by far was L'Ecusson. Also try to go to Gevrey Chambertin to the Rotisserie du Chambertin - order the entrecote for two. Wonderful cheese course also. Better for the wine than the meal but still a good experience is La Table d'Olivier LeFlaive in Puligny-Montrachet. 14 wines to taste with your lunch.
AMALFI and around...Part One of 5 days of fabulous eating
I recognize the food descriptions, dear ekscrunchy from Fodor's! I read your report there as well. I always love your trip reports. Thanks for the winderful info -- my mouth is watering. Husband and I will be in Milan, Bologna and Bellagio shortly, anticipating 14 glorious days of food and wine. Hope our experience is as divine as yours.
Planning a trip to Italy and looking for suggestions
I second the recommendation for Bologna - my husband and I will be there in 2 weeks and I have done a great deal of foodie research to prepare. It's the food capital of Italy for sure. After looking at recs here and other websites (also the SlowFood book), I have made reservations at the following restaurants which seem pretty appetizing -
Caminetto d’Oro, Via del Falegnami 4, Bologna
Trattoria Leonida, vicolo Alemagna 2, Bologna
Osteria Giusti, Modena
Il Tartufo, via del Porto 34, Bologna
Also contact Parmagolosa if you'd like tours of facilities making parmigiano cheese, proscuitto, and balsamic. You can reach them at info@parmagolosa.it.
Ciao.
Restaurant near S Maria della Grazie, Milano?
Mille grazie, badwaiter. On your advice and after some research, I've scratched Papa Francesco and even Don Carlos off my list. I kept L'Assassino (also Tuscan) which I had read some good things about and because they often serve fritto misto di pesce, my favorite. My must-eats now include La Milanese, L'Assassino, Hostaria Borromei (I decided to do this one instead of Stendhal; it's only an 11 minute walk from the Castello and a short taxi ride to S Maria delle Grazie. I had to fit it in somehow!)), Alla Cucina della Langhe, Da Giocomo, Nabucco, and Al Pont de Ferr. Like I said, too little time... But I will eat and drink well in Milan! Thanks also for you best wishes for out trip. After Milan, we venture to Bologna and then to Bellagio.
Restaurant near S Maria della Grazie, Milano?
Grazie, badwaiter. I was hoping I'd see a reply from you as I have read all your Milan posts with interest.
According to Via Michelin walking directions (we always like to walk if we can), a direct shot from the Castello to Santa Maria is about 22 minutes. Although Stendhal is a little off the most direct route, Via Michelin says that walking from the Castello to Stendhal is about 12 minutes and from Stendhal to S Maria is about another 14 minutes. Does that sound right to you? Good to know that the food is good there. I'll check out Ganmbarotta and Da Giocomino also.
What other Milan restaurants do you particularly favor? I'm looking for smaller family type trattorias with authentic cooking. Preferably within walking distance (30 minutes or less from the Duomo; we're staying at the De La Ville.) I've been looking at Trattoria Milanese, L'Assassino, Hosteria Borremei, Nabucco, Papa Francesco, Alla Colline Pistoiese. I'm kiooking at Don Carlos for one more upscale splurge. And of course Luini for its famous panzerotti. So many restaurants and so little time!
Mille grazie per le informazione. Ciao.
Uses for Hot Pepper Jelly
Best use I've found and so easy - in fact I keep a jar of pepper jelly just for this - melt a little pepper jelly in the microwave and whisk with bottled Italian dressing for a salad dressing that has a sweet and tangy kick. Excellent on an "italian chopped salad" of shredded lettuce, tomato, celery, cucumber, carrot, olives, pepper rings, chopped salame and provolone. I also do the same thing with seedless raspberry jam to make a raspberry vinaigrette. Change the amount of jelly to suit your personal taste.
Restaurant near S Maria della Grazie, Milano?
I have a Friday 2:45 PM booking to see the Last Supper at the church of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. Will spend the morning touring the Castello Sforza. Anyone know of a good restaurant near the church or en route from the Castello to the church? They are 2 in the neighborhood listed in the Michelin guide - Artidoro at Via Camperio 15 and Stendhal Antica Osteria, via Ancona, 1 angolo via San Marco. Both are 1 forker's. Anyone familiar with them? Even a good wood-burning oven pizza restaurant would be great.
Thanks in advance!
