Barbuto
Last minute I was invited to Barbuto in the West Village and am very glad I said yes. Not because of the food. Ok well, partly because of the food. I'll get to why in a minute. As I sat at the bar waiting for my dining partners to arrive I chatted away with a woman who was a 'regular'. Oh how I dream of becoming a 'regular' at an establishment. But therein lies some problems.
- One, I am financially unable to frequent a restaurant enough for the staff to recognize me.
- Next, There are waaaaay to many people in the city for my infrequent trips into a place to establish my presence
- Lastly, the turnover. There is high turnover in restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Just when I'm starting to make friends with someone, they are bound to leave me and find another 'regular' elsewhere.
Recently I was bestowed a Starbucks gift card. This delighted me because I love my chai latte's and also it allows to me to visit my Starbucks at work a lot more then normal. Every time I go in I wait .4 seconds to say my name when they ask in the hopes that they will look at me and say, 'oh hey! tall chai latte AND it's on the house.' Sigh, one can only hope.
So my new lady friend was and remains regular. I mean, A regular at Barbuto. She is financially stable, goes enough to this place to be recognized and a nice restaurant like this does not have high turnover. Rather it is bustling with staff that is highly knowledgeable of the menu and comfortably welcomes you to sit down and spend a few hours amongst friends. And let me tell you about these friends. A man walks by and I say to my to cohorts, my, that looks like Bobby Flay. Indeed, it was. Then his wife was recognized by us followed by Michael Symon. Apparently, Gabrielle Hamilton and another female chef were present along with the two chefs of the night, Jonathan Waxman and Marc Vetri. Whew! After I had my panic attack, then realized I am now a New Yorker and must follow the cardinal rule of being a New Yorker and celebrity spotting: do nothing, be subtle in your gawking, but again, DO NOTHING. Let the tourists look like morons.
Here is what we had (tasting menu/beverage pairing):
On the table - Wild Mushroom Bruschetta w/ Modelet Brut Rose, Angrois, NY
First course - raw shaved brussels sprouts w/pecorino & toasted walnuts
- celery puntarelle salad with anchovy dressing w/Sorachi Ace, Brooklyn Brewery
Second Course - Rigatoni w/Spicy Duck Ragu w/Pinot noir rose, Copain 2010
- Robiola francobolli w/chanterelle mushrooms & thyme w/Savuto odoardi, 2006
Third Course - Lombardia style pork ribs
- Veal breast "al Latte" w/fried sage
- Braised greens w/caramelized onions & ricotta salata
- Fennel Gratin w/'Soffumbergo' Comelli, 2008
Dessert - Olive oil cake
- Caramel Panna Cotta
I was pleasantly full and drunk at the conclusion of the meal.
3 out of 5
Sugarfreak
Located in the heart of Astoria Sugarfreak is not a bakery. Yes, this is what I thought until I was told otherwise. It is the home of Louisiana Homestyle Cooking. If you like the style design of 'shabby chic' (See Rachel Ashwell and you'll know what I'm talking about) then this is the cutest, most comfy place to go. Cut out snow flakes sat behind the bar while mismatch curtains filled space between booths. Adorable. After speaking with the bartender while I waited for my dining partner to arrive I was told his top 3 favorite menu items. I'm telling you, if you want to talk to the interesting people and get the gossip on the restaurant, get to the place early, sit at the bar and talk with the bartender or the 'regular' who happens to be sitting right next to you.
I decided on the Blackened Catfish with a side of macaroni and cheese. And it came with a salad to make things a little healthy. I sipped on Stella Artois. My partner ordered the fried catfish with sweet potato fries. It was at my urging that the fries were ordered because they had never had them before. Gasp! For dessert we shared bread pudding soaked in Bailey's. Yes, you heard right. Delicious.
And yes, I did visit the bathroom. And I did not want to leave. I felt like I was in the most quaint outhouse of my life. With a radio perched above my head playing old timey music, a chain to flush the toilet and a metal pail as the sink I was in bathroom heaven. I cannot wait to go back and try some jambalaya!
3 out of 5
