Olives

For whatever reason, Restaurant Week gets people in a fury. I guess the idea of dining in a what would otherwise be an expensive and barely affordable restaurant for only $35 is pretty enticing. I've been to a couple of places and haven't really been disappointed (except by Butter). I wanted to try a classic like the Russian Tea Room but no one got back to me in time. However my dear mum suggested Todd English's Olives at the Union Sq W hotel.
I would always pass by this place on my way to the SVA dorms back in college and always said I'd go here when I made it big. While I haven't made it "big" per se, I found myself being led to a table and to a spectacular prix-fixe menu.

That's another thing, Restaurant Week may sound like a good deal, but their menus and service usually aren't as good as a normal dining experience. However, this one seemed pretty delicious:

Appetizers
Charred Octopus Flatbread
almond romesco, preserved lemon, toasted garlic

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
chestnut polenta, truffle vinaigrette, parmesan

Cured Duck Proscuitto
rye panzanella, celery, mustard dressing

Entrée
Veal Short Ribs
parmesan grits, honey glazed carrots

Pan Roasted Salmon
chorizo basmati, raisins , curry cream

Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle
whipped ricotta, thyme, parmesan

Dessert
Apple Semifreddo
creme friache custard, cinnamon apple compote, olive oil-walnut granola

Hazelnut Semifreddo
crispy hazelnut mousse, coffee cream, cocoa puffs

They brought out an impressive bread basket: foccacia, and crispy seasoned flatbread with green and black olive tapenade.
My mom got the duck, veal (delicious), and hazelnut semifreddo. I got the grilled octopus flatbread. Ok, so when they said "Flatbread", i pictured a 3"x5" piece of bread or something. But no; it was like a 10"x20" pizza brought out on a huge wooden board. Why do I always order THAT dish? (see The Modern) Honestly, I don't see what the big deal was. The octopus was good, but it got lost with the bread and sauce and everything.
My salmon was cooked perfectly and I liked the touch of golden raisins to an otherwise salty dish, but I wish I had gotten the veal. The flavor was so intoxicating and the grits were satisfying.

The apple semifreddo was a perfect way to end the meal. I wish I could've gotten a cappucino but I would've regretted it as caffeine hits me pretty hard. But they did serve us two mini cupcakes at the end. All in all, a wonderful dinner with a wonderful mom.

Black Truffles

I had the honor and pleasure of being my friend's guest to the $50 3-course Locanda Verde Black Truffle Tasting event by chef Andrew Carmellini. Also, 25% of the proceeds went to the Doctors Without Borders aid for Haiti.

It was an extremely last minute invite (I was literally in bed at 10pm ready to watch Lost or some other show on Hulu) when my friend, Mark, who I see 2-3 times a year at the most, asked what I was doing (nothing) and he said he was going to take me out to dinner to a place with hard-to-get-reservations. Immediately I thought Waverly Inn or The Little Owl. This was so much better.

I probably wouldn't have gone out but lately, I've been feeling like I haven't been spontaneous enough, and I definitely do not go out during the week nearly as often as I used to. Second, I love surprises. Third, I love food.

So we met up and at this point I still had no idea where we were going, I just knew that it was off the 1 line. But we finally got off at Franklin St. and he explained how they had a white truffle tasting and it was a huge success, so this was their sequel, so to speak.

It was amazing. I wish I wrote down the menu/took pictures, but my memory will be the best thing for now. I know I am going to butcher it but here it goes...

First they brought out Foccacia brushed with black truffle oil.

For an appetizer, I got the Truffle Salad. It had a fried breaded cutlet of veal with an egg on top, along side a salad with a thin slice of an Italian ham.

He ordered the Crotinis which I would have preferred. There was one with a butternut squash truffle puree, another with ricotta and truffle honey (our fav), and a wild mushroom with black truffle.

For an entree, he got the squab and I ordered the scallops and lentils and shaved truffles. I thought the scallops were slightly overcooked, but the squab was cooked perfectly and it was so juicy and tender. There was also a grilled slice of squash and a duck meatball. I wasn't a fan of the meatball and thought it was too heavy to be a side of the squab, but it did remind me of a childhood memory that I can't quite put my finger on.

For dessert, there was a truffle vanilla ice cream with shaved truffles over a bed of chocolate cookie crumbs (not a fan of the crumbs, but the ice cream grew on me). At first the taste was so pungent and complex, but in reality the cream just enhances the truffle taste even more. Still, I preferred the walnut tart with what I think was truffled whipped cream. The sweet and nuttiness complemented the truffles really well and neither was overpowering.

I felt like a judge on Iron Chef (one of my dreams!) and I would give it high marks all around. I'm sad I missed the white trufflepalooza but I am so happy to have been a part of "Back in Black".

Also, the ladies room was beautiful. You know you're in a classy place when the restrooms are tolerable and nicer than your own bathroom.