Sorella

Sorella makes me happy. Sure, it's pretty hard for good Italian food to do anything but. However, the fact that two women in their 20s opened this spot after a trip to Northern Italy is truly an inspiration. This is exactly the kind of place that I'd love to call my own - the kind of place perfect for good friends and family to gather. I'm not saying I've ever really wanted to open a restaurant. In fact, I can easily say I much prefer being on the receiving end. But, I can still dream of supporting a close friend in following their dreams and then claiming at least part of their grounds as my own- every restaurant needs a good appetite! Yes, that would be the ideal. If only it were my friends who had gone to Italy and come home to set up Sorella.

The varied layout in Sorella is excellent for nearly any social gathering imaginable. As you walk into the restaurant, most of the front room is occupied by the bar - excellent for glasses of wine or a full meal, and definitely ideal for both. Just a few steps towards the back, there is a large communal table with stools - intended for large groups, but open to friendly diners. The back room of the restaurant, while still elegant, is more laid back with table dining in an indoor garden-like setting. Regardless of where you end up, the food will keep you happy. Inspired by the Piedmont region in the northwest, the menu focuses on wine and small plates. While there are 3 special entrees offered each night, the restaurant's actual intentions are to inspire both sharing and wine consumption. And this place has no problem doing so.


Whether you are seated at the bar or at a table, a white paper cone full of fresh baked bread sticks will accompany you from the start of your experience. These are delicate, thin and topped with just the right amount of salt. If you weren't already planning to eat there, these will surely whet the appetite. While everything we ordered was offered as small plates, the sizes are actually quite generous. I recommend the arugula, prosciutto, black fig and Parmesan salad. We then shared the semolina fritte which is a wheat product similar to polenta. This side is a must. It's not quite as dense as fried polenta and there is an excellent sweet flavor in this dish. My favorite dish was the tajarin - a traditional egg pasta from the Piedmont region - served with lamb ragu, black pepper ricotta, pistachios, and mint - a truly outstanding flavor combination driven by the pepper. I was less impressed with the gnocchi prepared with a fresca cream sauce, brown butter pears and chives. These were mini and not quite as soft as I would have liked - almost resembling a sort of Israeli cous-cous. But, the grilled quail served with Benton's country bacon, black rice, apple, cranberry and arugula brought us right back to the great food and the good life that defines the Piedmont region.

And so, when it came time for dessert, I realized I'm not the only one who'd like to call this place their own. Whoever Molly may be, she has made her way onto the menu and her presence is most certainly known. Molly's birthday cake is a delicious nougat cake with chocolate fudge filling and frosting - and topped with a lit candle, of course. No matter the date, it's the perfect excuse to make a wish and I was more than happy to pose as Molly for the night. There is just no denying that Sorella was designed as a tribute to Piedmont and to great friendships. Here's to becoming a Molly and hoping her wishes come true!



Sorella
95 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
website
FOOD RATING (Out of 5):

Rayuela

I must already be missing warm weather as I keep finding myself in restaurants celebrating warmer climates. And after hearing word this week that Winter 2009-10 is predicted to be one of the coldest in history, I’m starting to resent my sweaters and coats a little earlier on this year. Whether it’s rumor or not, I wasn’t quite able to warm up last week. It’s that in between time of year - definitely too cool for air conditioning, but not quite cold enough for heat. In the cinder block walled office I work in, the cold air certainly knows how to linger. And, when Conde Nast decides to break my heart and announces the end of the Gourmet era, it may as well be below freezing outside. In times like these as technology can be blamed for the demise of print as much as for the failure to turn up the heat, I turn to food to warm me up. Just thinking back to my meal at Rayuela quickly gets the blood flowing.

There is an energy in this Latin American restaurant that comes from much more than it’s southern location in the lower east side. Despite the moderately expensive menu, this is one of those spots that I would eagerly recommend to group diners. The dining options both downstairs and upstairs are conducive to large parties with its long tables and booths that actually create a designated area separate from other diners. That will also give you a chance to sample from the ceviche, the appetizers, and the main courses - all excellent for sharing.

I always remember my mother saying, "don’t fill up on bread” at the start of any dining out experience. I was usually starved and ready to eat just about anything, but was always glad I listened to her once my actual meal arrived. Well, sorry mom, but at Rayuela, I’m going to encourage all to disobey my mother: eat the bread! I don’t necessarily hope that you fill up on it since you will definitely want to enjoy the food soon to follow. However, this “bread” is absolutely delicious. While it looks like a good old-fashioned roll, this is a much denser, richer version - almost a sort of cornmeal-roll combination. Whatever the secret, I was for once extremely jealous of my pregnant friend as she had the excuse of eating for two that night. As I started to go for a second piece, I did hear a faint echo of my mother’s voice.

It’s probably a good thing I partially listened to her as even the guacamole starting off our meal was unique. This had a nice kick and was combined with grilled shrimp. I also recommend starting with the red snapper ceviche marinated in a ginger soy citrus sauce served with a rainbow of julienne peppers, cucumbers, jalapenos, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. While I was drawn to the jumbo lump crab meat salad, I actually would not recommend it - the flavors were much milder than any of the other dishes on the menu. Each and every main course, on the other hand, was bold, rich and and full of flavor. If you are in the mood for a fish, I highly recommend the grilled Chilean sea bass with manchego yuca mangu served with a chorizo-salsa verde salad. But, I would not miss out on the meats. Breast of duck is marinated in sugar cane with a confit of duck, spinach, asparagus, and guava sauce and served over a yellow corn arepa. And you cannot go wrong with the grilled beef tenderloin with oven roasted potatoes, mushrooms, diced spanish onions, pork belly, and cabrales fondue.

While I’m quite certain the mini heat wave on Sunday was no more than a tease, I have a feeling the cold will very soon be here to stay. And, most sadly, the departure of Ruth Reichl and the rest of the Gourmet crew is definitely a cold reality. Food writers have got some serious shoes to fill especially as the colder weather usually keeps us closer to home and draws us to the kitchen. As I now have fewer reasons to stay in and with no warm weather getaways in the line up for (at least) the upcoming month, I plan to take advantage of the Rayuelas of the city. I love seasons - and I have no doubt that it’s because of food that I get through the coldest of them.



Rayuela
165 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
website
FOOD RATING (Out of 5):

La Barra

Since traveling to Mexico in March, Mexican restaurants have become so much less appealing to me. It's not because I consumed too many tortilla chips and guacamole while down there, but rather, the contrary. The food was just so good that I know I will just be disappointed by most New York City restaurants' attempts at the cuisine. In fact, in my own attempts at avoiding mediocre Mexican food, my cravings have definitely heightened over the past several months. It was not until I received a call from La Barra to stop by the new Cevicheria in the lower east side that I decided it was time to at least give them a shot at satisfying those cravings. And, let's just say that my days of pining away for authentic guacamole are over.

The team behind La Barra, while living in the US for the past several years, hails straight from Mexico. This was not only apparent in the upbeat vibe of the staff and the chefs in the open kitchen, but even more so the minute the guacamole and tortilla chips were served. These were identical in both taste and presentation to the Cesiak and Tulum guacamole I had thrived off of at least daily during our 5 glorious days in Mexico earlier this spring. As I spent much of my vacation trying to figure out why guacamole down in Mexico was so much better than the variations served at some of the fanciest, most expensive restaurants in New York City, I did the very same during my meal in the lower east side. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to crack the code. While the question still remains, I can at least share the location of the secret recipes with you.

The rest of the meal continued to remind me of the fondest culinary memories of my Mexican journey. Besides guacamole, ceviche was another staple throughout the vacation. And it just so happens that this is a specialty of La Barra. Their mixed ceviche with scallops, sea bass, and shrimp was excellent. It was hard not to slurp down the entire bowl of this refreshing combination. As the weather slowly starts to warm up, this is the exact dish that I know I will be seeking out - and thank goodness I know exactly where to find it. Who really wants to be sent on a goose chase in hot, humid temperatures? In the ceviche category, I was also really impressed with the surf clams served with habanero, lime, cilantro, onions and olive oil. I had never had these types of clams before and loved the taste, texture, and preparation. Just when I thought I had tried all of my old favorites, two different tostadas were placed in front of me. Maybe I had never had a proper tostada before, but these were out of this world - like no others I have tried. Both the crab served with salpicon and avocado as well as the yellowtail tuna with chipotle mayo, avocado, and pico de gallo were excellent. Again, every ingredient used just felt so fresh and crisp.

I definitely did not come home from Mexico raving about any of the desserts. I will admit that I was there during Lent and so I really didn't indulge in any. But, based on the reviews and culinary expertise of my travel companions, I certainly did not seem to be missing out. However, I think if they had sampled a tres leches cake, I may have quickly found reason to break Lent. La Barra's tres leches cake would have definitely been worth it. This overly moist sponge cake, soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream, would make me forget about Lent any day of the week. And while dessert may never really be the highlight of Mexican cuisine, I will definitely no longer be as quick to overlook it. Don't get me wrong - guacamole and ceviche are still at the very top of my list. It's just that now knowing that I can get the real deal of my personal Mexican favorites right here in New York City, my summer has now been made!



La Barra
250 Broome St.
New York, NY 10002
(212) 260-3900
website
FOOD RATING (Out of 5):

Little Giant

One of the best things about New York is that you are constantly discovering old friends throughout the city. Just as some of your best friends move away, you realize that many of your oldest friends have been living here all along. You have probably been going to the same bars, restaurants, and parties as them for years and may have never even realized it. Through friend of friends, I recently realized that two of my first nursery school friends have been living in NYC for several years now. Having moved to the south at the age of 5, I had definitely lost touch with them, but was excited to reconnect. It can be overwhelming picking out a restaurant for a group, but even more so when it's for group of people you may not even recognize when meeting up. While food is always top priority, I was also on a mission to choose a spot with character, in a fun part of town, and with a setting where we could actually hear each other. Little Giant ended up being a great place for our reunion.

I have always known that any friend of mine loves food - and it was so nice to see that was the case with even my childhood friends - I could even pick them out at age 3. Every one was up for sharing and trying as many things as possible on the menu. But, in the end, it came down to two words - short ribs. They were absolutely amazing. This was the winner of the night and a definite must. The bourbon molasses braised short ribs were served with rockland plantation stone ground grits and roasted tuscan kale with pine nuts, raisins, and grana padano cheese. Not only was the meat perfectly tender bringing out the hints of molasses and bourbon, but the kale was slightly charred adding great flavor and texture to the dish.

But, I should probably back up to the start of the meal, since we had previously consumed many other great dishes that led up to this glorious one. Little Giant serves organic, farm-fresh fare down on Orchard Street in the Lower Eastside. The chefs bike to greenmarkets and local farm stands to hand pick the freshest and most seasonal ingredients, allowing the chefs to constantly change up the menu. We began the meal with warm spinach dip served with thinly sliced toast, and, unlike the typical version of this dish, you could actually taste the fresh greens. The spicy okra and the buttermilk-chive biscuits served with honey butter were also great accompaniments. While they were of course familiar with biscuits, I was able to introduce my old northern friends to one of my favorite southern veggies - their spicy tomato based preparation did the okra great justice. Another popular main course were the dayboat scallops on top of a butternut squash puree, toasted hazelnuts, and mache salad - all reflecting the bold flavors of the season.

While Facebook had already caught us up on the past few years, we had about about 15 more to catch up on throughout the meal. Over the course of the evening, we were never rushed and never without some form of food or drink in front of us - a great way to cover all grounds. It soon became clear how interesting and different all of our lives had become since our last pre-k gathering. Little Giant had brought together four old friends, making us realize how easy it is to reunite, catch up, and enjoy great food. I already look forward to our next gathering or even run in since we now know what each other look like. And since it's been awhile since I mentioned them - I want to leave you with the final thought - short ribs. I just hope that even as the menu changes, short ribs will always be in season.




Little Giant
85 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002-4564
Phone: (212) 226-5047
website

Macondo

It is a good thing that Macondo did not exist during the days of the original Martignetti Liquors. The Latin American street food served within this restaurant or at the easily accessible bar window out front could have gotten myself and many others into some serious late-night trouble! Not only is Macondo located directly next to the infamous former outpost, but the food really is delicious and reasonably priced.

At three months old, Macondo has an eclectic setting, providing many options for diners. The front part of the restaurant offers an open window with a counter and several stools - a great choice if you are in the mood for a quick bite and a drink. The bar wraps around into the restaurant where the outdoor diners will soon flock as the cold air has officially set in. The long cafeteria-style tables in the middle of the restaurant make this is a great place to come with a group. And, yet in the back, there is the option of smaller tables - still very casual. While the overall attitude is very relaxed, the setting and decor actually create a trendier vibe. This provides a nice balance if you can't quite decide what you are in the mood for - the overall experience will, no doubt, end up deciding for you.

Since last week's visit was a celebratory evening, I decided to start off the meal with their signature cocktail which also happened to be the oddest drink on the menu. The Aguacate cocktail is made up of a combination of honey, agave nectar, midori, cointreau, lime juice,tequila, AND avocado! And while I do not normally order frozen drinks, I did not regret my decision - the list of ingredients alone was unbelievable. The avocado added just enough flavor to separate this cocktail from a typical margarita. Sipping our exotic cocktails, we intensely studied the varied menu which is broken out into several sections - salads, small plates to share, ceviches, empanadas, arepas, tacos, cocas (flatbreads), boquadillos (sandwiches), rellenos (mini croquettes), and sides - phew! We decided it was best to cover all grounds - nearly hitting up each and every category.

I really appreciated that everything was brought out as it was ready - providing a constant flow of delicious food. At the same time, I was impressed with how different, in both presentation and taste, each dish was from the next. As first-timers, we surprised ourselves with an almost flawless order - polishing off nearly every item on the table. The absolute winner of the night was the Buenos Aires Cocos - grilled skirt steak with arugala, jalapenos, red onions, tetilla, cabrales cheese and chimichurri sauce. I had never thought about a Latin American form of pizza - but this did the trick - and I may now have a new category of types of pizza I crave. A more traditional dish, the lamb barbacoa tacos prepared with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and queso fresco in mini flour tortillas was another one of my favorites. The flavors were exceptional and the lamb was perfectly pink.

We also ordered several smaller plates that should not be overlooked. The front runner in this category was the ceviche - sliced salmon and avocado with soy ginger sauce. Through this dish, the chefs are able to pull off Asian flavors while maintaining fresh, authentic ingredients. We also loved the chorizo and shrimp rellenos with pablano aoli. Unlike many croquettes, there was not too much breading and fried exterior - really highlighting the ingredients inside. And finally, I cannot leave out the Brazilian style meatballs with guava sauce and tetilla cheese. These were tiny, but full of flavor.

I really could write about each and every dish that we ordered, but I do want to leave something to be desired! As I left Macondo last week, I was excited to know that I now have a reason to return to this part of town - an area I had always loved. At the same time, I was convinced that my late night escapades on Houston and Allen had come to a close, but it would be safe to return when in need of Latin-American street food. However, it was only a few nights later over the weekend that I found myself at White Rabbit, a new favorite bar, and discovered it is just one block away from Macondo. I have a feeling that Houston and Allen are back in my life this year. I guess it's only a matter of time before I frequent both in the same night!



Macondo
157 E. Houston St.
New York, NY 10002
Phone: (212) 473-9900
website

'inoteca

This is probably not a new find for most of you. But, 'inoteca continues to be a great destination for all occasions. This Lower East Side wine bar will always be a special spot for me. Nearly two years ago, my sister and I threw our mother a surprise birthday party in their wine cellar. Any restaurant that can accommodate and survive an invasion of nearly 30 southerners deserves serious recognition. While we managed to provide our own entertainment, the food, wine, and service were perfect for the party. The evening started with passed bruschetta and prosecco and was followed by a seated family style meal with endless wine. There are few places that could host this kind of event and also be the type of place that you stop into without a reservation. This past weekend reminded me that 'inoteca can flawlessly meet up to both of these challenges.

A friend and I had spent the earlier part of the night down by the newly rennovated amphitheater on the east river. This is an awesome space that we should all know about and take advantage of more often. I felt completely transplanted from the city - realizing that there are actually events in New York that are free! However, I think its proximity to the LES projects is probably the reason that it is not a more frequented destination. But, both the waterfront setting and music proved to be well worth the "interesting" trek to and from the venue. Have you ever heard of Pitt St., Willett St., or Lewis St.? I am still not fully convinced that we were even really in Manhattan! After enjoying a couple hours of an Afro beat/funk band, we had worked up an appetite and decided to head north until we started recognizing street names again. Thankfully, Ludlow was one of the first we happened upon.

There are so many restaurants scattered throughout the LES - some crowded, others less. On a Friday night, I recommend avoiding any restaurant where there isn't a short wait. Anywhere in NYC, especially in a neighborhood full of endless choices, it's just not worth settling for an average meal! 'Inoteca falls into the crowded category, and for good reason. The restaurant really does accommodate an assortment of people - groups celebrating birthdays, couples stopping by for a drink and/or small bite at the bar, those who had reserved in advance, and then, people like us - those who has no idea they were going to end up there just a few moments earlier. Since it was one of those nights where we were seeing where the night took us, we didn't mind waiting at all. 'Inoteca is perfectly set up for unseated parties. Joined by another friend at this point, we secured a spot at one of the many bars surrounding the restaurant and enjoyed their refreshing prosecco and white wine.

The highlight of the wait was discovering a new type of Italian wine - Soave (a dry white wine from the Veneto region). Not recognizing most of the wines on the list, we turned to our waiter for advice. What I appreciated most about his recommendation was that he did not suggest the most expensive wines on the menu. Not only was his choice extremely affordable, but it was delicious - and as he described it, carrying hints of lemon zest. It was also the perfect wine to bring to the table and enjoy with our food. Because it had been awhile since I had been to 'inoteca (and the menu has not changed), we ordered most of my old favorites - an assortment of paninis and salads. These included a salad of beets with orange, mint, and hazelnuts, grilled calamari salad with roasted tomatoes and olives, a prosciutto, fig and gorgonzola panini, and a grilled mushroom, mozzarella, pesto and spinach panini. I cannot say that I had a favorite since they were all totally different and delicious (the paninis, perfectly toasted), but I really did appreciate the small gesture of cutting each panini into three parts for us. Since we just could not get enough of the enjoyable setting (we had a prime location for people-watching), dessert seemed to be the easy way to prolong the meal. The mixed fruit plate, made up of fresh figs, plums, and peaches accompanied with creme fraiche, was a nice, light finish to an oddly, humid September evening.

By the time we finally left 'inoteca, we realized we had been there for nearly 4 hours! Time truly does fly when you are in a fun setting, with great friends, and indulging in wonderful food and wine. While I do love to try out new places, it is certainly comforting knowing that I can return to my old favorites and be as satisfied as ever. Whether you spend months planning an event there or happen upon it randomly one night, 'inoteca always promises an eventful and memorable night.


'inoteca
98 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002-2202
Phone: (212)614-0473
website