The Deli from Benjamin Chew on Vimeo.
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Innocenti Evasioni *
Innconeti Evasioni
Via Privata della Bindellina
20155 Milan, Italy
02 33001882
Official Website
Innocenti Evasioni in Milan was the first Michelin starred restaurant I visited on my week long trip in Italy last month. Located about 15 minutes taxi ride from the city center, this restaurant is situated in a quiet and small residential street.
Two chefs Tommaso Arrigoni and Eros Picco took over Innocenti Evasionin back in 1998, and turned it to a Michelin starred dining establishment. The menu changes monthly and the chefs take on Italian cuisine is an incorporation of their own modern twist. It’s best described as “playful cooking” (in a 2011 article High End Dining in Italy.) by former NY Times food critic Frank Bruni.
Once my dining companion and I arrived for our 8 pm reservation, we were the only ones in the dining room along with sommelier and the two servers. Unlike in the U.S., dinner in Europe usually starts at 9 pm, so for the first hour we had the place all to ourselves.
The dining room is quiet and serene. It overlooks a Japanese garden that serves as back drop. The space is full of round tables covered in white table cloth and red-cushioned old wooden chairs. The walls looked like they needed to be repainted, and red tiled flooring seemed like it was there on their opening night. Though outdated, the décor added to charm of Innocenti Evasioni.
Our dinner started well with an amuse-bouche of fried pasta, with vegetable puree and thinly sliced raw fish. We were both eager to savor our very first meal in Italy, that we decided to forgo the bread basket despite of the aroma and appeal it exuded.
For starters, we had the Octopus and the Cardi or Cardoon, the only vegetarian dish in the menu.Cardoon’s similar texture to a half boiled potato is seasoned accordingly. The octopus meat on the other hand was firm and tender, breaks easily using minimal force. The dish is plated with tomatoes, cheese and powdered dehydrated olives sprinkled throughout the plate. It’s one messy plate of goodness. Both dishes were quite palatable.
Our pasta dishes were the freshly made Ravioli and Gnocchi. I liked the ravioli and it stuffing of mushroom, which was topped with cream sauce and beans. But the gnocchi, with its fish cheek confit and shell fish sauce, also packed a lot flavor.
The Fillet of Beef for the main course is a lovely piece of flavorful beef. The beef’s outer layer was gloriously roasted, creating a crusty texture while the inside is soft and juicy. The sauce added a touch of sweetness to the meat. The other main course was The Swordfish. Presented with pieces of thinly sliced mushroom, it blankets a nice cut of sword fish meat that is moist and clean. In addition, this was drizzled with puree’s of spinach and nutmeg, which provided another level to its multiple layers of flavor.
We let the sommelier pick a bottle of white. We gave her our budget and wanted something fruity with some acidity. She came through with an excellent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that paired well with our meal.
To cap off an excellent meal, we had the dessert sampler which was more than enough for two. It consisted of four dessert items from the dessert menu that the kitchen handpicks for the table. My dining companion, who is a devout dessert enthusiast, enjoyed the sampler very much.
We were tempted to go for the tasting menu priced at 68 Euro’s. but instead decided to go a la carte. Tasting menu is usually more economical way to go when dining in Europe, but at Innocenti Evasioni, a la carte prices are reasonable. Between the two of us, we both had three courses each and shared a dessert sampler and a bottle of wine for 157 euros (212 US dollars).
The service was top notch, attentive and polite. Language barrier was never an issue and that night, one of the chefs, Eros Piccos, was present. He introduced himself to us, explained the menu and took our orders. He even brought some dishes to our table. A gesture in which I was unaccustomed to back in the US since I have never had a chef introduce himself/herself before the start of the dinner in my years of dining out. It’s usually during or at the end of the meal, the chef decides to show up in the dining room.
My visit at Innocenti Evasioni gave me an idea what the dining culture is like in Italy. It’s a slow paced where diners can take their time and not be rushed unlike in places such as New York. In between courses takes a little longer than what I’m used to. The restaurant allows you to digest your previous dish before the next one arrives.
Innocenti Evasioni delivers high quality food with hospitality to match at a reasonable price. A top notched restaurant that is worth the cab ride outside the city center.
Before I went on this trip, I did my homework on the best places to dine in Milan, and yet I was still undecided up until that morning. I guess some things are just better left to the last minute because my experience at this restaurant was nothing short of phenomenal. I was glad that I had my first dinner ever in Milan at the Innocenti Evasioni.
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Shalezeh
*This venue is now closed.
When the Michelin guide awarded Shalazeh on the Upper East Side a star in 2010 and 2011 it was not enough for the dining public to travel north of Manhattan. Except for the people that live in the neighborhood, no one has heard of this Persian restaurant. Nevertheless, the few people I know that have dined at the place all have nothing but good things to say.
Located in the Yorkville section of the Upper East Side, Shalazeh is a neighborhood restaurant where the locals are the majority of the patrons. Regulars are greeted like family members, while new comers are welcomed with opened arms.
The interior of Shalazeh is simple, the spacious front space is dominated by tables covered with white cloth and chic French windows that open up on good weather; a portion of walls are exposed bricks while the rest are purposely colored in rust. A large 19th century map of Persia and its regions are on display next to marble bar; and a curtain in the middle of the restaurant serves as an entrance to a more intimate space in the back.
When I first visited this restaurant and I must admit that I have very little knowledge about Persian cuisine. The menu, however, listed dishes that looked very similar to that of other nations in the Middle East.
My entrée was the Saffron Chicken breast meat. Marinated in saffron and onion, the scent was unforgivably delightful. The chicken was soft and tender, and with each bite the saffron-marinate comes to life creating a nice flavor profile.
I started with the Yogurt Trio which consists of individual yogurt with cucumber, shallots and beet. It’s addictive—especially when it is graciously given as a dip to the bottomless basket of bread that the restaurant provides. The yogurt was light and each individual has distinguishable flavors of the ingredients.
I was impressed with my previous meal that on my most current visit I brought along three dining companions who were curious about trying Persian food.
Just like my first time at Shalazeh the staff was welcoming and pleasant. We started out with some appetizers that are mainly vegetarian like the Sambusa, Dolmeh and of course the Yogurt Trio which I recommend to them. The Sambusa is an appetizing chickpea puree stuffing and is very similar to what you use to stuff an Empanada. Along with the Dolmeh, these starters are more like an Amouse Bouche. My companions enjoyed the Yogurt Trio a little bit too much that I had to tell them to ease up on the unlimited bread to save room for the entrees.
Our entrée consisted of Salmon Kebab, which cooked so simple. The salmon was moist in the inside and nicely seasoned. We also had the Fesenjoon or chicken stew made with pomegranate juice. The juice provided the sweetness of tender pulled chicken meat. I’m not big fan of lamb but when one of my companions ordered the Lamb Stew I had to try it. The meat was soft, clean and has a lot flavors from the herbs and spices used in the stew. It was tasty but there just something about lamb meat that my taste bud rejected.
The Branzino on the other hand was the best dish I had at Shalazeh; whole fish excluding the head, deboned grilled and sits on a bed of sautéed spinach topped off with asparagus and creamy sauce. The fish was grilled to perfection; the cream sauce is absorbed into the meat of the fish creating a very rich buttery taste.
It is typical in Persian cuisine to have rice to be eaten along with other dishes. In Shalezeh there are two types of rice that compliments their dishes; the basmati rice with lentil, saffron and raisin, (which I prefer with the stews to soak up all its goodness) and the basmati with marinated cherry that goes well with kebabs.
The Roasted Pineapple with ice cream for dessert was to my liking topped off what was already a fantastic meal. The caramelization of the pineapple created a nice texture while the ice cream on top gives the sweetness.
Surprisingly, Shalezeh has a respectable six pages wine list that is mostly French and California. Never would I expect for this restaurant to have bottles that cost as much as $425 to as low $20.
At the end of this dinner, my companions and I were satisfied and in agreement that there were no dishes that we disliked.
My visit at Shalezeh has been no less than stellar. Their food is flavorsome, the staff is friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere is casual with a local vibe.
In a city that has over ten thousands plus restaurant it’s easy to overlook the likes of Shalezeh, but dining here is a wonderful way to experience the flavor of Persian cuisine.
Shalezeh
1420 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10028
(212) 288-0012
Official Site
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NEW YORK Street Food from Luk Thys on Vimeo.
This is a clip about a promo tour, Tom Vandenberghe a street food addicted Belgian chef and his soulmate,food photographer Luk Thys did together with Jacqueline Goossens, a Belgian journalist living in NYC since more than 30 years. They wrote a book about the dynamic street food scene in the Big Apple : “New York Street food : cooking and travelling in the 5 boroughs”. (VIMEO.COM)
Jadis
Jadis
42 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254-1675
Official Site
In a city like New York, choosing a wine bar can be quite the challenge, when there is an overwhelming array and number to choose from—a problem that most major city on earth wish they had. There are numerous wine bars in every neighborhood in this city. The Lower East Side alone boasts quite a few. In this area I’m a big fan of Jadis, a French wine on Rivington St.
The atmosphere in Jadis is cozy and relaxed, which definitely are attributes of a fine wine bar. The lounge area in the back is downright inviting with its comfy dark leather sofas and matching ottoman chairs. It is a wonderful place to unwind with a group of friends.
The rustic interior of Jadis is designed with exposed brick walls and ceilings. There are cabinets that display bottle of wines and shelves with classic novels. The dimly lit space comes alive with the dramatic flames of the candle lights on the top of each table. Soft music fills the air and sets the tone in the background for a romantic setting. The setting is so romantic that at any night of the week, you may find a couple or two occupying one of the dark two top tables, or can be seen sitting by the reflex angled bar in the front area.
It’s not only the setting and the atmosphere that makes Jadis a pleasant place, their food and wines solidify its integrity as a good wine bar in the city. You can’t possibly go wrong with good food and wine at a reasonable price. The wines by the glass cost between $6 to $9 and the most expensive item on the food menu is no more than $19.
The wine list is not overbearing and predominantly French; there are a few from Napa Valley, Germany and South America. Most of the wines are available by the glass, except for the bottles that exceed $45. Bottles of wine are economically price and won’t break the bank.
The menu at Jadis is simple and made to compliment the wine. Due to absences of a kitchen at this place, each dish are premade and prepared behind the bar. I can understand that it can be a turn off for first timers like I was. But when I finally succumbed to trying their food, I was impressed.
Starters like Beef Empanadas, Mushroom Truffle Risotto Puffs and Mini Quiches are tasty finger foods. The escargot on the hand has a buttery flavor. The snails are served without the shell, and have a nice soft and slippery texture.
Other dishes to my liking were the Duck Liver Mouse and the Duck Rillettes. The rillettes duck meat was tender and fatty. The duck liver mouse is thick and creamy. I also had the Venison Terrine. It was interesting since this was the first time I ever had venison. It has a very distinct gamier flavor. All three dishes are better eaten if used with the spread to the bread that it came with.
There’s also the very rich opened face sandwich called Tartine Champetre. The bread is drenched with cream, gruyere and sautéed mushroom. The Quiche Poulet made with tomatoes, chicken and manchego cheese is a buffet of goodness. It just might be the lightest dish I had in Jadis other than the starter plates.
I would never expect that this wine bar would have one of the best Crème Brulee I’ve had so far in this city. I never bother to try their other deserts because of this and I’m pretty sure that I will not be disappointed if I did. But for now, my favorite part of this dessert is the perfectly torched crust and the watery but firm inside of the Crème Brulee.
The owners of Jadis are present every night to assure the quality of service the patrons are receiving is up to par. The staff is knowledgeable with their wines and will even provide recommendation for wine pairing with their food.
Jadis might not have the wine list that your typical wine snob would prefer or the food that will blow diners away, but it does have good food and wine at a reasonable price. So, whether you are on a date or just unwinding after a long day of work, this unpretentious wine bar will make sure that you have a wonderful time.
For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be considered. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a medication set to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you have to ask your dispenser about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In addition, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are ordinarily able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may include erectile dysfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other men even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.