Yogurt Gelato
by Celia Cheng
July 28th, 2008
GROM
233 Bleecker St
@ Carmine St
212-206-1738
$$
Grom, the Turin-based Italian gelato shop, made waves when it opened its first store abroad, on the Upper West Side. At $5.15 for a single scoop, it’s rather pricey, but fans swear that this is the best gelato ever. They’re doing so well that they opened a second store in Greenwich Village, taking over the old Joe’s Pizza spot on the corner of Carmine and Bleecker. And I must confess, I’ll go out of my way just to get my yogurt gelato on a cone. Made from all natural ingredients sourced worldwide for the highest quality, Grom’s gelato and sorbet are delightful to experience. You might ask why yogurt gelato when there’s a dearth of fro-yo shops that keep popping up around the City. But it’s the texture of the gelato that makes it so special. This is no frozen yogurt.
Posted in Dessert , Ice Cream , Italian , West Village
Spaghetti w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce & Basil
by Celia Cheng
July 28th, 2008
SCARPETTA
355 W 14th St
(8th & 9th Ave)
212-691-0555
$$$
Scott Conant’s spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and basil is unparalleled. Even the original Underground Gourmet, Milton Glaser, agrees that as easy as it seems, this spaghetti is just outstanding. It was one of my favorite pastas in town when Conant was chef at L’Impero, and I was mortified when they took it off the menu after he left. But a year later, I am thrilled he’s put out a slightly modified version at his new restaurant, Scarpetta. I hear that the secret is the butter and cheese, which makes it rich, but what I love is the fresh fragrant tomato and basil. No one makes it quite like this.
Posted in Italian , Meat Packing District , Pasta
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Pizza Cavolfiore (cauliflower pizza)
by Celia Cheng
October 11th, 2007
GRANDAISY BAKERY
73 Sullivan St
(Spring & Broome St)
212-334-9435
$
Grandaisy Bakery has delicious pizzas whose recipes date back to the original Sullivan Street Bakery. Though the once-owners of a single enterprise have now gone their separate ways, the two resulting bakeries both serve many similar, if not some of the same, delicious goodies. However, the cauliflower pizza is only available at Grandaisy bakery, and it is in my opinion the most delicious of the pizzas, though all of them — potato, tomato, mushroom, zucchini, celery root — are excellent! With pieces of cauliflower, gruyere cheese and specks of parsley topping their signature crispy, thin crust, it’s a delicate but winning combination. On occasion, walking home after having a slice, I’ve had to circle back to get another.
Posted in Bread , Italian , Pizza , Snack , SoHo
Nonna Maria Pizza
by Celia Cheng
September 13th, 2007
BLEECKER STREET PIZZA
69 7th Ave S
@ Bleecker St
212-924-4466
$
Bleecker Street Pizza’s Nonna Maria is a Tuscan thin-crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, homemade marinara sauce — made with canned whole Italian San Marzano tomatoes that will knock your socks off — Parmesan and fresh basil. Unlike regular slices that have a marinara and cheese base, this is more like a bianca with chunks of the delicious marinara sauce on top of the cheese. Bleecker Street Pizza looks like your run of the mill corner pizzeria, but the Nonna Maria is such an unexpected gourmet surprise. I love being caught off guard in this way. And the bonus is that it’s only $2.50 a slice!
Posted in Greenwich Village , Italian , Pizza
website • menu • map • tell-a-friend • print • comments (1)
Carciofo al Forno (wood oven-roasted artichoke heart with white bean purée and cremini mushrooms)
by Celia Cheng
September 13th, 2007
LAVAGNA
545 E 5th St
(Ave A & B)
212-979-1005
$$
When I think of carciofo, Italian for artichoke, an image of the whole deep-fried artichoke like a beautiful dried flower comes to mind. But at Lavanga, it’s the artichoke heart that’s served, wood oven-roasted not deep-fried, with white bean purée and cremini mushrooms on the side. The artichoke heart does not look as flamboyant as a whole artichoke, but what it may lack in appearance it certainly makes up for in its smooth, soft texture. The white bean purée is also subtle but flavorful. And finally, the slightly earthy taste of the mushrooms combines nicely with the other two players. None of the ingredients is overpowering; rather, all three are modest and work beautifully together to create an understated but elegant appetizer.
Posted in Alphabet City , Appetizer , Italian , Vegetables
