LWF&D goes to Napa (and SF) and encounters Incanto

On Saturday, Mom and I day-tripped into San Francisco to give ourselves a break from all the bucolic beauty of Napa. We had also planned a birthday celebration dinner for me with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, who live out near San Jose. It took me a whole heck of a lot of online research to find a place I wanted to try out, and frankly, my choice was a little bizarre.

Our crew ended up at Incanto, an innovative, Italian, meat-centric restaurant in Noe Valley. When I chose this place, I had based my choice on the menu that had been online that day; of course, the menu changes each day, and when we got there, the menu options for me were... slim. It took about a half hour, complete with a complete explanation of the menu's foreign terms by our very patient server, for us all to decide what we wanted. But ultimately, we were quite happy with the food and the experience overall.

To start, we were given a heap of bread with a ramekin of chunky olive tapenade. From the herb-topped focaccia to the salted herbed breadsticks to the chewy white slices, this was an admirable bread plate. And the tapenade was a salty, toothsome break from the usual plate of olive oil.

Lots of bread for all

Then came the appetizers. Mine was the wild greens and elderflowers; this was exactly as purported-- a mess of unusual greens, bitter and rough-textured, in a tangy vinaigrette.

Those greens are really green

Mom got the garden salad, which was a bit more interesting than the greens. Same concept, though: simple ingredients; vibrant, light dressing.

From the garden

My uncle got one of the day's specials, which I can't for the life of my remember. I think it was some sort of soup? Or some kind of aspic-y creation? Regardless, he and my cousin, who shared it, enjoyed the little dish.

Forever mysterious?

We also shared an order of olives for the table. This was a surprisingly large portion, though (with the exception of the big mama in the photo, which I snapped up immediately) the olives were tiny. Briny and flavorful, these hit the spot.

Olives! Always a fave

Then the entrees came. Both Mom and my aunt ordered the game hen with eggplant, chilli, and smoked capers. It was a huge portion of rustically prepared roast chicken, appealing and satisfying in the way only roast chicken can be.

Big ol' hunk o' chicken

My cousin ordered a pasta dish: Paccheri with duck sugo, sicilian olives, and savory. While it came out a little muted-looking (perhaps a garnish of snipped herbs might have brightened up the plate a little bit?), she enjoyed the flavor.

Needs color

My uncle chose the pork shoulder with peaches and cippolini onions. While the pork comes out pink due to the preparation, "It's cooked!" our waiter promised. It was another admirably hearty portion, and it was well enjoyed.

Pink pork

My choice was an order of "Chantenay carrots and flowers." These were addictive and craveable roast carrots, soft but not mushy, caramelized on the outside, with flower garnishes that took on an almost fried texture. Truly incredible in a way that's surprising to anyone who's ever crunched on a bland carrot stick.

I actually crave these carrots

Oh, and did I mention they offer FREE unlimited house-carbonated sparkling water? If there's a quicker way to my heart as a sparkling-water-loving-diner, I don't know what it is. I only wish they'd provide water glasses that were bigger than the size of shot glasses so we didn't have to keep reaching for the carafe on the table every five minutes.

We had a dessert adventure planned (to say the least... stay tuned), so we skipped Incanto's dessert options. But overall, despite initial hesitation and skepticism from certain members of our dining party, we liked Incanto. If you're a fan of hearty, simple but unusual Italian food served in a bright, convivial atmosphere with friendly, caring servers, Incanto is for you. It can even please a vegetarian, under the right circumstances...

Incanto
1550 Church Street, San Francisco
415-641-4500

The sweets are the stars at DB Bistro Moderne

DB Bistro Moderne is a classic choice for a swanky, pre-theater dinner in the Times Square area. While we didn't have a show to attend, Mom and I ducked in for an early dinner last week, dodging the too-close-together tables to dine on some sophisticated, beautiful food. And what did we find?

Well, we were in the middle of the pre-theater rush, so at times things felt, well, rushed. Or at least sort of-- the upscale version of rushed, if you will. But that also meant that our food arrived promptly, starting with the bread-and-butter course, which consisted of both tiny cheese sticks (think slightly less cheesy cheez-its) with anchovy dip and strikingly green, creamy zucchini dip AND a large cone filled with hearty bread slices, white baguette, and pretzel-style baguettes along with a palette of soft, room-temperature butter. Whew. I ate a slice of the bread, which was sourdough, tangy, and surprisingly good for its plainness. The butter was also admirably creamy and flavorful.

Mmmm bread

Cheesy batons!

Mom went with the prix fixe menu, a relative bargain at $45 for three courses. Her first course, the fish quenelles with sauteed rock shrimp, spring bean fricassee, and lobster emulsion, was a big hit; she described it as "something like a matzo ball." For all those non-Jews out there, that means it's kind of like... um... well... just Google it.

The matzo balls are underneath the foam

Next, Mom's entree was the sauteed sea bream with roasted ramps, onion puree, and tomato confit. While she enjoyed this, it didn't seem to inspire as much swooning as the appetizer. I tasted a bit of the shockingly green puree, and the oniony taste was powerful; certainly not for the faint of heart.

Pretty, though!

My choice, on the other hand, was slightly on the blander side. I chose the "legumes de marche," described as young garden vegetables, ricotta cheese, and beet vinaigrette. This one was pretty much just as you'd expect: a tangle of spring veggies, each perfectly cooked but not necessarily in close harmony with its neighbors. Don't get me wrong-- it was beautiful and very fresh. But aside from a slight overarching bitterness, there wasn't a huge amount of flavor here aside from "vegetable." You know what I mean. The ricotta was delicious but there was so little of it and it was so mild, as ricotta is wont to be-- this salad practically BEGGED for a strong, salty complement (pecorino, anyone?). Ah well. Such as it is.

Also beautiful, veggielicious

On to dessert! Mom's prix fixe choice was the chocolate hazelnut bar, a candy-bar style confection with a thick layer of rich chocolate-hazelnut ganache sitting on a crackly feuilletine-style crust. The accompanying scoop of cookie ice cream was deliciously cool and fresh-flavored. My one tiny bite of the bar was so rich I can't imagine finishing the whole thing, but Mom did an admirable job.

For some reason I was unable to get a non-blurry photo of this dessert. You get the idea.

I was originally brought the wrong dessert, so while I waited for the right one to come out, I munched on the tiny gratis mignardises that were brought to the table. First, I devoured a raspberry macaron, which was nearly perfect: crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, incredibly sweet and tasty and bursting with raspberry flavor. I'm not particularly a macaron fan, but this may have converted me. There was also a bit of chocolate studded with nuts, which was also very rich, and a little slab of semi-fruity cake (date cake, maybe?) that was very chewy and surprisingly bland. Hmmm.

Look at that beautiful macaron!

And then my "real" dessert arrived: gianduja chocolate mousse with hazelnut rice crispy bar, lemon cremeux, and nougat ice cream. I was later told this was the debut night for this dessert, and I'd say it's a success. First of all, it's beautiful-- just take a look! There's a layer of addictively crunchy hazelnut feuilletine somewhat similar to the base of Mom's chocolate bar, all of which is covered with a whisper-thin layer of mousse. Make your way toward the inside of the bar and you'll be surprised by an almost microscopic layer of lemon cremeux making its way in between those two layers, adding a surprising bright note to the chocolate-hazelnut richness (there are also two accompanying dollops of the lemon cream elsewhere on the plate for consuming straight-up). The nougat ice cream (my second nougat ice cream experience in three days, bizarrely) is nutty and creamy, perfect for including in each chocolatey bite.

Unassumingly rich and tasty

Overall, it appears that dessert is DB Bistro Moderne's strong suit. There is clearly talent and creativity in the pastry kitchen; each dessert emerging from the kitchen was more beautiful than the last, presented in incredible architectural styles that you rarely see around town (seriously, check out their version of tiramisu). The savory kitchen is certainly no slouch, of course, in either preparation or presentation, but it's the sweets that elevate DB Bistro Moderne to a four Offset Spatula destination. Go, and be sure to leave room for dessert.

DB Bistro Moderne
55 W. 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues
212-391-2400

LWF&D experiences Nougatine... finally

Nougatine, the slightly more casual part of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's flagship Jean-Georges restaurant, has been on my list of places to go pretty much since I moved to NYC. Now that I'm imminently moving south to Philly, I wasted no time in checking it off my list once and for all, toting Mom along for a delightful dinner.

And delightful it was. We were a little underdressed, to be sure, but we could appreciate the relaxed decor, the friendly and professional servers, and the eye-catching open kitchen bustling with activity at the end of the room. My only room-related gripe was the table: It stood on a tapered pedestal that was thick at the bottom (kind of like a mushroom), which cut drastically into the table's foot room. Kind of a bizarre choice.

But once we got beyond that, it was smooth sailing. One of the greatest things about Nougatine, I discovered, was that they offer wine in half (3oz) pours as well as full pours, which meant I could try two different kinds of wine! I started with a half pour of Domaine Carneros bubbly, which was fantastic, and finished up with a superlative Torrontes that was aromatic, crisp, and pretty darn delicious. Also, notably, for some reason they offer Cristal by the glass (and half glass). Huh.

Bubbles

Two half glasses = more than 1 glass. Yay!

To accompany the wine (and club soda, for Mom), we started with bread. Though the butter was cold and hard to spread, the bread was delicious, with a slight sourdough tang and an irresistibly stretchy inside.

And they give you two pieces at once!

Oh, and there was an amuse-bouche as well. A shot of warm carrot soup was surprisingly yummy; the accompanying rye toast was pretty standard, but it certainly got the job done.

Dollhouse food

To start, Mom went completely rogue and ordered the artichoke with mustard mayonnaise. Crazy town! After a steep but rapid learning curve in terms of how to eat it, she declared her love for the dish. I sense a long and happy artichoke-laden future for her.

The 'choke!

On to the entrees. Mine was warm asparagus topped with mixed mushrooms and a vinaigrette. Though there were only four thick spears (a bit paltry, in my opinion, for an $11 dish), all the ingredients were top-notch and remarkably flavorful. I particularly loved the mushrooms, which were actually the best part of the dish for me.

Lots of flavor, little portion

Mom chose the red snapper, with asparagus, shiitakes, and sesame vinaigrette. It was as satisfying as she expected, with perfectly-cooked fish sporting a crisp crust and a flavorful, Asian-inflected gingery sauce.

Really pretty fish

Of course, dessert was up next. The dessert menu was extensive and enticing, with everything from carrot cake to hazelnut dacquoise. It was hard to choose, but we did. In a startling turn of events, Mom chose the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. She loved it, but I thought it was surprisingly plain for a Jean-Georges dessert: pretty standard chocolate cake, above average vanilla ice cream, job done.

Mod chocolate cake

Mine, however, was transcendent, one of the best desserts I've had in a while, in fact. This was a coconut and mango-passion mint vacherin with exotic fruit chutney. A cylinder of mango-passion sorbet-ish substance sat atop a dish of crunchy meringue, all crowned with whipped meringue and crystallized mint and surrounded by a small-dice tropical fruit salad. The plate was painted with passion fruit puree, and a long stick of meringue provided both garnish and textural and visual interest. The dessert was an explosion of flavors, fresh and vibrant and sweet and satisfying. And the textural range was impressive, from soft and silken purees and whipped meringues to firm, toothsome fruit to crunchy baked meringue. In.Sane.Ly. Good.

Explosion of color and delight!

Oh, and to send us off were three tiny mignardises each: two pates de fruit of indeterminate flavor and a chocolate-covered orange jelly stick. These were ah-kay, nice sweet bites but nothing too special.

Freebies

All in all, though, Nougatine is quite a special place. The food is spectacular, and the service and overall experience are both pretty great as well. It's a four Offset Spatula destination that's perfect for special occasions and any time you want to feel, well, delighted.

Nougatine
1 Central Park West
212-299-3900

Emptying our wallets at Vero Midtown

After an interminable rainy and cold Friday, I found myself at Vero Wine Bar in midtown, waiting for AS to join me. It was early-- about 5:30-- and while it wasn't nearly full, there was about a 15 minute wait for a table while they cleared something off in back. Finally, though, I was seated, AS joined me, and we got to work.

Some wine to start, of course: sauvignon blanc for me, pinot grigio for AS. The pours were generous and the glassware was decent, both pluses. My only gripe is that all the glasses were just a dollar or two more than they should be; without any options under $10, it felt just a wee bit expensive.

Wine

And the same goes for the food. I ordered the "Roasted Vegetable Tower with Jasmine Rice," sans rice (not a huge rice fan), for $14. And this, no joke, is what I got:

I mean, REALLY? Also, how is this a tower?

In terms of size, check out the votive candle in the background-- the entire (did I mention $14?) dish amounted to about a cup of diced vegetables. Granted, it was tasty, just a simple lightly stir-fried mixture, but to say "I felt ripped off" would be a GROSS understatement.

AS ordered the lobster sliders, which she enjoyed. The accompanying fries bore a spice mixture, which made them a departure from the ordinary salt-and-pepper standbys.

Sure.

The high point of the night was when two tiny espresso cups landed on our table, gratis: a light, sweet, eggy custard, gone in two bites. It was a delicious touch.

Yum custard!

And as an aside, a visit to the bathroom revealed one of the smallest bathrooms stalls I've ever encountered-- with the toilet about three inches (max) from the facing wall, it was, shall we say, difficult to navigate.

As we lingered and chatted over wine, Vero morphed slowly from Midtown East Wine Bar into Bumpin' Nightlife Hot Spot. After-workers packed the bar; gaggles of girls packed the tables. The lights were lowered several times until it was nearly impossible to see. The hostess's getup, an insanely revealing bustier/corset type deal, which had looked ridiculous in broad daylight at 5:30, now made a little more sense (all female employees were dressed much more like cocktail waitresses than wine bar employees, it must be noted). All in all, it was a little disconcerting; I tend to visit wine bars because they're laid-back, chill, convivial places to enjoy a delicious glass of wine and a bite to eat. But Vero is cooler than that, and potentially cooler than you, with prices to match. I'm not sure I'd return; with so many wine bars of the former pedigree in the city, I don't think there's room in my rotation for the latter.

Vero Midtown
1004 Second Avenue, at 53rd Street
212-935-3530

Nearing the Wine Century at Lupa

Last Tuesday was the designated Fancy Meal Night during my dad's vacation. To nobody's surprise, I was given free rein to pick the restaurant and precious few instructions beyond "Tuesday." After a quick perusal of OpenTable, I hit upon an odd but somehow spot-on choice: Lupa.

Yes, Lupa is highly acclaimed and known as one of Mario Batali's best, but for some reason I'd never been there. So on a slightly chilly and blustery Tuesday evening, I met Dad at the Spring Street subway stop and we headed to Lupa.

It's a cute little place, charmingly rustic and highly crowded, with throngs of after-workers crowding the front bar. If you mind being packed in next to your fellow diners, don't go here. But if you can get past that, you'll likely have a surprisingly enjoyable-- and surprisingly reasonable, given what it is-- meal.

Our server, it's worth noting, was incredibly friendly and accommodating, even getting into the spirit when I presented her with my Wine Century Club challenge. See, at that point I was 97 wines in, and given my limited knowledge of Italian wines, I basically posed the challenge for her to find some varietals I hadn't tried within their by-the-glass menu. Magic: a glass of Frascati Superiore (white) and a red with nebbiolo, and I was magically at the 99 wine threshold. (Stay tuned...)

98...

99...

What better to sop up all that wine than their focaccia, eh? Two conjoined pieces of pillowy, oil-soaked bread, spotted with rosemary on the crust. This fairly begged for a sprinkling of coarse salt to bring out the flavors, but even without it, it was some gooooood carbin'.

Mmmhmmm.

To start, Dad had the misticanza salad, which he prounced good for what it was, a mix of slightly bitter upscale lettuces and some fennel to round out the mix.

I'm clearly still getting used to this camera

I chose the broccoli rabe with ricotta verdure, an ample tangle of the veggie slicked with creamy ricotta. Surprisingly, the overwhelming flavor of this dish was lemon: there were bits of lemon rind hidden in the mixture, and it gave an otherwise potentially heavy dish a truly light flavor. I wish there had been some more punch in the ricotta (perhaps a bit of ricotta salata thrown in?), but overall, this was quite enjoyable.

Quite pretty, actually

And then the mains. Dad went for a daily special, pappardelle with pork ragu. In typical Italian fashion, it was a small portion, but Dad raved about the taste and quality.

Homely but tasty

My choice was the escarole, walnut, red onion, and pecorino salad, sans red onion. This turned out to be a light and almost refreshing salad, with the bed of shaved pecorino adding a salty bite to the crunchy greens.

Lots of shades of white

And all this, of course, was a mere prelude to dessert. Though there are choices on the dessert menu, look around the dining room and you'll see nearly every table chooses one thing only: the signature Lupa tartufo. It looks innocent enough, but it packs a true wallop. A thick, yielding chocolate shell-- not shatter-hard but almost the texture of milk chocolate-- gives way to pure, intense hazelnut gelato. A shower of hazelnuts crowns the orb, and the baseball-sized confection sits in a pool of hazelnut-studded chocolate sauce. Push through to the center of the tartufo and you'll find a brandied cherry amid a protective case of what seems like chocolate cake (or maybe a bit of brownie?). No matter-- it all disappears in the work of a couple bites.

Oh. Yum.

Lupa was a pleasant surprise. The prices are reasonable, the service friendly and laid-back, and the food (ahem, dessert, ahem) worth returning for. It's the perfect place for a classy meal when you don't feel like going through the classy-meal rigamarole. Go. You'll enjoy it. And isn't that what it's all about?

Lupa
170 Thompson Street, near W. Houston
212-982-5089