First Course - Spasso

A friend and I go out to a new restaurant once a month. Last night we visited Spasso. We go immediately after work so by New York terms it's a little early. There was one table of 3 gentlemen comfortably seated in the corner when we arrived and probably did not leave until an after our departure. It's that kind of place. S and I split every dish in half and make an effort to sample as much of the menu as possible. The waitress who made herself sparse and subtle, sliding plates under our hungry faces as we continued our conversation. Below is a list of our menu which the restaurant did a great job of timing. My dining partner usually eats very quickly and we are making a conscious effort to slow down  really enjoy the food presented to us.

• Crispy Eggplant Arancini, whipped housemade ricotta, roasted tomato
• Orecchiette, rock shrimp, crab, breadcrumbs
• Seared Mackerel, citrus, Castelvetrano olives, herbs, balsamico
• Seasonal Mushrooms alla piastra, vincotto
• Dark Chocolate-Caramel Crostata, maldon salt
• Drinks: 1 glass of house red, 1 glass of house white

The dish I kept returning to today as I sat in front of my computer was the mushrooms. Juicy and chewy. The full caps of the mushrooms were like a decadent chip which I needed to remove myself from the conversation to reflect and taste every time I picked up a new one.

And of course as a choco-holic I devoured my half of the Crostata. Carmel oozed out of every bite I fought away from S. The salt added a fun punch of the end of each bite. Mine and my friend's complaint was that we wanted our red wine at room temperature and this was served a bit chilled.

Overall I believe both S and I would recommend this little neighborhood place with an open kitchen bar allowing a nice view to the action.