For those of you who aren't up for cooking AND don't want to spend a lot of dough this Passover, why not check out Henry's on the UWS? On Tuesday, March 30th, for just $39 pp, you get a 3-course traditional Passover seder in a lovely modern American bistro setting. Got kids? They eat for $22 pp. Holla! Or should I say, Challah??

Click here for Henry's Passover Prix-fixe menu.

Some breaking news in the restaurant biz from the Board of Health:

The Board of Health is currently soliciting public comments on a proposal to publicly grade New York City restaurants on their sanitary conditions. Under a new proposed system, restaurants would receive grades of A, B or C, depending on the conditions documented during inspections. Each establishment would have to post its most recent grade in full view of potential customers – and those receiving Bs and Cs would be inspected more often than those meeting the highest standards for food safety. The new system would concentrate City resources on the least sanitary restaurants while placing no additional burden on establishments that maintain the best conditions.

Yikes. I mean, I'm all for health and cleanliness, but isn't this taking it a little too far? I know LA has had this implemented for years (they would), but part of the charm of NYC is going to a total dump and having a great meal. And do we think that those places are always SUPER clean?? Um, no, usually not. But we choose not to think about it. I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this; while it may encourage restaurant owners to clean up their act a bit, it could also severely damage the reputation of a perfectly good restaurant. The grades can change from week to week, depending on the times of inspection, so how accurate will it really be? Would you go into a restaurant with a C grade posted right smack in the middle of the window?? Probably not. Would you go into it now that it has no grade? Probably. But that's what our grand city is all about: ignorance for the sake of experience. And they're taking that away from us!

Starting Tuesday, you will be seeing more and more letter grades in the windows of NYC's 24,000 restaurants, and if you're wondering, food carts won't be graded as part of this system. Sure, that makes sense. There's literally video footage of a rat crawling around a food cart, but that's no big deal, I'm more worried about the platinum spoon that fell off it's hook at Del Posto and the chef who forgot to floss at Blue Ribbon.

Good to be back! I have returned from Florida, relatively unscathed. Jewish guilt? Check. Blotchy sunburn? Check. Family recipes from my Safta? CHECK. So excited about those. It's a shame I don't know how to spell half of them, but I'll just describe them: Foshert (my best guess as to how she spells it - Google was no help - they are baked meatballs with a ton of garlic), Cheeseballs (the only one I can spell, made with farmer cheese and farina), and Langosh (similar to zeppoles, they are Hungarian potato cakes - thanks Google for this one). There was also falafel and chopped liver and babaganouj - oh my!!

I want to try the recipes out for myself (even though I aided in the preparation and execution of all of the below) because I feel that's the best way to tell if the recipe translates from her kitchen to mine. You know how grandma's cook; they don't measure ANYTHING, so I had to take pictures of every step along the way, which was difficult because this woman moves so fast (and she's 82 - God bless her), but I think I got most of it down. I have made the Foshert before though, so I can share that one sooner rather than later. But my favorite are the cheeseballs...and they're the tricky ones of course. Below are some pics to get you salivating in the meantime...enjoy!

Falafel with homemade tahini...

Poppyseed Cake...one of my faves...

Foshert...garlicky goodness...

Mmm Langosh...

Pièce de résistance: cheeseballs topped with sour cream and sugar.

 
  
And of course...me and Safta. If you think I didn't eat half that plate of cheeseballs, well, you would be wrong.

That's right - I am off to Ft. Lauderdale to visit my grandmother (isn't that why anyone goes to Ft. Lauderdale?). I will be in hot pursuit of homemade chopped liver, kugel, cheese balls (recipe to come hopefully..), and babka. All the while taking in some sun and enjoying some much needed R&R.

Stay dry all you New Yorkers... and I'll be back Monday.

Heavily Yours,

The Skinny Pig

Restaurants that are backed and operated by a celebrity chef usually don't interest me much, especially when they're located in the meatpacking district. Overhyped and usually overpriced, these words are more often than not, indicative of the restaurant scene in this trendy locale. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and Scott Conant's Scarpetta has something it's neighbors don't: integrity and competence.

Have you ever gone to a trendy Italian restaurant and ordered the foie gras ravioli (or something equally fancy) only to find that there are three ravioli on your plate garnished with a single sprig of thyme? Of course you have. Everyone has...well, everyone in New York City anyway. It might taste ok, but in my opinion, that comes off as pretentious as opposed to satisfying; and sorry, I prefer a satisfying meal any day. Thankfully, Scott Conant gets that. Nestled in a townhouse in the heart of the meatpacking district sits Scarpetta, a lively yet relaxed spot where you can grab a drink with friends, and if you're smart, have dinner too. This past weekend, I took my dad to this dinner instead of my friends because, well, I kind of hoped he would pay. Isn't that the cardinal rule of father-daughter dates?! Moving on...

We were seated way in the back by the wine bottle cellar (that houses 3,000 wines) and were greeted by two friendly waiters who presented us with a wine list and menus. My dad, ever the wine connoisseur, asked for a Zinfandel (I mentally smack my forehead). I was eyeing a carafe of Barolo from Piemonte, but since he doesn't really drink, I compromised and suggested something lighter. Perhaps a bottle of Rosé instead? Yes, indeed, since they don't offer Rosé by the glass. Per the waiter's recommendation, we had a 1999 Calabretti from the Etna Rosato region of Sicily, and it was actually quite nice; not too heavy, dry, and a little sweet. Perfect for a not-so-seasoned wine drinker.

The menu at Scarpetta is modern and refreshing, with offerings like short ribs, polenta, and raw yellowtail, I guess it really depends on what you're in the mood for. I have heard amazing things about the Creamy Polenta with Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms, so we decided to split that and the yellowtail, which is cured in ginger, topped with chili oil and cracked sea salt. When the polenta arrives, a separate waiter appears to personally spoon the truffled mushrooms on top of the polenta. Ok, now this COULD be deemed pretentious to some, BUT it's so good you won't care. "Creamy polenta" is the perfect name for this dish; butter, heavy cream and cheese are integral cogs in the Scott Conant polenta machine I'm sure. The mushrooms add a nice earthiness and depth, which made every bite a little different. The yellowtail was also an excellent surprise, and I know this because my dad actually ate it and he doesn't eat raw fish. It wasn't fishy at all, and the chili oil and sea salt texture added a nice bite.

Entrees are normally a hard decision for me, but I knew I had to try the pasta. Spaghetti for me (I know, I know, but just trust me...), and the Agnolotti Dal Plin for dad. That's the beauty of pasta - you can make it simple or complex, and I'm not just referring to the pronunciation either. The spaghetti arrived in a little mound tossed with a delicate tomato sauce, and I could smell the fresh basil. Mmmm. The agnolotti pasta was filled with braised short ribs and parmigiano cheese in a hazelnut butter sauce. If there's one thing I've learned from my dinner at Scarpetta, it's that you just can't beat fresh pasta. The spaghetti was so good, and the sauce was even better; sweet roma tomatoes, basil, and what I believe was a healthy dose of butter, bind this dish together beautifully. It doesn't look like much on the plate, but believe me, it's filling. The agnolotti was also great, but definitely a more complex taste and I swear, the spaghetti is a tough act to follow. I did enjoy the hazelnut butter sauce though and dipped a piece of fresh bread in it.

Did I mention the bread?? Oops. Warm focaccia and stromboli (Italian bread baked with ham and cheese inside) were presented in a basket served with olive oil and a sweet mascarpone-butter. I salivated a little just now.

The dessert menu was a little tough for me - I wanted practically everything. In my mind, when in doubt, go with chocolate. I got the Amadei chocolate cake with burnt orange-caramel gelato and espresso sauce, and my Dad got the coconut panna cotta in guava "soup". They also give complimentary miniature Italian cookies at the end of the meal too, so...three desserts! If that's not an awesome Saturday night what is? The chocolate cake was amazing - made with Amadei chocolate from Italy, it was rich and slightly over the top, but I like that in my dessert. The panna cotta was like nothing I've ever had before. The guava "soup" made it special; with it's orange hue, it was sweet and slightly tart and complimented the coconut really well. Is it Italian or Tropical? I'm not sure, but I didn't want to stop eating to ask questions. 

Lastly, a few mini cookies with jam to finish the meal, and we were stuffed. Scott Conant's Scarpetta is a welcoming Italian spot that may not be free of hype, but that's because it actually deserves it.

Scarpetta
355 West 14th st (nr 9th ave)
212-691-0555

This past weekend, I took a little time machine and landed in a romantic comedy from the 80's, having dinner no less. Bice in midtown has that classic, fancy-New-York-restaurant vibe somehow (maybe because it's been around since 1926??), and if the service wasn't so damn friendly, I would have been intimidated for sure. It was like that first nice restaurant that you go to with your parents when you're old enough to behave, but still young enough that the chef will make you spaghetti and meatballs because everything else on the menu is beyond your comprehension.

Be forewarned, Bice is expensive (and honestly there are plenty of Italian restaurants in the city that do the same food for a lot cheaper), that said, I still enjoyed the food and overall dining experience anyway - I felt very Julia Roberts circa Pretty Woman. You know, minus the hooker bit.

Fritto Misto and bruschetta

We started out with a lovely fritto misto platter of fried calamari, fried zucchini, crab cakes, bruschetta, and prosciutto wrapped breadsticks. The spicy tomato sauce that was served for dipping was excellent; sweet and spicy, not too chunky and not too thin. I hate when I get watered down marinara sauce for dipping calamari and fried zucchini.  For an appetizer we decided to split the beet salad. Warm beets, yellow peppers, string beans, spinach, candied pecans and goat cheese tossed together with a creamy vinaigrette - how can you go wrong? It was very good; the goat cheese seemed to be toasted which was delicious, and the candied pecans added that crunch and sweetness it needed.

Beet salad with peppers, candied pecans and goat cheese...nums.

Usually when I go to an Italian place, I like to get one pasta dish and one chicken or steak dish; I feel you can't truly judge an Italian restaurant unless you've had their pasta. So we got the special pasta of the night - ravioli stuffed with a veal, prosciutto and cheese mixture in a mushroom demi glace. What a portion this was! There were ten little pillows of pasta (count em below) stuffed to the brim, and to be honest, they were so filling I could only eat a few on top of the chicken paillard I ordered. The chicken was good, the little mountain of vegetables inside it was better. Carrots, zucchini, spinach, onions and peppers all sauteed with what I can only imagine was a big heap of butter...mmm. It was not very original ordering on my part, but the dishes at Bice are very traditional, so I played it safe. One thing I thought was odd about their menu: no shrimp dishes. I was expecting shrimp scampi or something of that nature, but they didn't have ANY shrimp on the menu. That would be the only disappointing thing of the night.

Ravioli special

Chicken Paillard - good way to get your veggies..

AND the one time we didn't order dessert! The desserts looked amazing, and I mean literally like works of art. We were both pretty full so we passed on dessert - dumb move. I saw a few ice cream and cake platters go by with sugar sculptures, wafer towers and the like. There were a few kids at the next table over that seemed to be in utter awe of the presentation. Bravo, Bice, you were able to keep them quiet for a few moments.

I really liked the ambiance of Bice; there was someone refilling my glass, folding my napkin and checking in at just the right moments. I hate being interrupted during a conversation or asked if I need anything while I'm chewing food. Bice could definitely benefit from updating their menu a bit (read: shrimp scampi), but the service was outstanding. You get that casual elegance that Manhattan was originally known for.