Blowing Julia a kiss through the window of Pearl Oyster Bar on Saturday night. Want…more…lobster rolls…
I only have one complaint about the restaurant. See how comfortable I look in this shot, ensconced in the window seat? That’s because we waited for a table for approximately a year (they don’t take reservations). Granted, it was a Saturday, but I need to eat before 10 PM. We ended up getting the lobster rolls to go and heading over to Meghan’s to eat.
My top picks for where to eat in Hell’s Kitchen:
- Casellula: A cheese and wine cafe with the most inspired, tastebud-exploding pairings I’ve ever had. The “Pig’s Ass Sandwich” is also quite yummy.
- Uncle Nick’s: a Greek restaurant on 9th Avenue with to-die-for mussels in white wine and garlic sauce (warning: you will smell like garlic for days).
- Riposo: A casually chic wine bar that happens to have one of the least expensive and best brunches in the area (please try the eggs benedict served over prosciutto and melted mozzarella on garlicky toast).
Man, was this DB episode at Trattoria Casa di Isacco fun to shoot. I pretty much had to be rolled out of the place when it was all over.
Meal generously comped by the lovely Isacco.
Schaller & Weber bacon
Pearl Oyster Bar Lobster Roll
The Saigon
Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato Soup
Me and my cocktail
Last night, Kendrick and I attended the press preview of Ducks Eatery, in Spin New York (the awesome awesome awesome ping-pong place where Meghan celebrated her birthday).
On Tuesday, Megan, Eric and I were treated to what was seriously one of the best meals of our lives at one of my favorite restaurants, Trattoria Casa di Isacco, while doing a little filming for an upcoming DB episode. Isacco started us off with plates of Sobrasada Iberico (sort of like a pork pate, served on crusty bread) and Jamon Iberico de Bellota (absolute top-quality cured ham from acorn-eating, free-roaming pigs in Spain), and then inhaled sizzling platters of garlicky shrimp and rosemary-crusted squid. We sampled some of their house-made raviolis (oh my goodness, is the lobster ravioli ever delicious) drenched in creamy sauce, and then moved onto a parade of desserts, including champagne and honey-soaked pears and a platter of perfect manchego cheese. All of this was served alongside some of the best wines I have ever tasted in my life. The final touch: a tasting of Isacco’s homemade grappas (hence my ruddy cheeks in the above photo).
My favorite thing about this restaurant is that it’s on 9th Avenue, directly south of the Port Authority, and is a total hidden gem. There are only about ten tables, so call ahead for a reservation…and give Isacco a big hug for me when you see him (which you most certainly will; he’s there seven days a week).
Sir Alistair Rai one-shoulder blouse.
This might be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten: potatoes, caviar and cream. I’ve never been a big caviar fan, but apparently that’s because I’ve never had the good stuff.
THE TOP 10 PLACES TO BUY CAVIAR:
1. Browne Trading Company (Portland, ME)
2. Russ & Daughters (NYC)
Lunch at Restaurant La Case de l’Isle included BBQ ribs, bufala mozzarella with tomatoes and balsamic reduction, tempura prawns, and perhaps a little more Ott.
I order caprese wayyy too frequently; it’s a great fallback if you’re not sure about the quality of a restaurant’s food, because there’s a limit to how bad it can be. This caprese? Was good.
Salmon with Brussels Sprouts
Valrhona Chocolate Cube with Caramel
