We also shared a crabcake which was very good, though not as great as the best crabcake ever at Bacchanalia (which has permanently ruined any other crab cake for me):įor our entrees, mom and dad shared a pasta with rock shrimp (not pictured). When I spent a summer at NYU with my friend Dana, we went to Fresco during restaurant week and had a fabulous 3-course lunch for $19.99.Īlas, this week isn't restaurant week but we had our fair share of terrific dining.įirst we shared a mozarrella salad-my mom added the onions (she's an onion maven)-and it tasted great, especially since the mozarrella is homemade! It's like the fine dining equivalent of standing outside the Today Show studio with a large piece of poster board that reads: "CARLOS IS MY BABY DADDY!" In fact, my parents just one week ago spotted Katy Couric while lunching at Fresco. Scotto, and her family are frequently guests with Matt Lauer and Katy Couric. Fans of the Today Show because Fresco's owner, Mrs. All in all I'd give it a firm, well-deserved 'B.įresco is a sprightly Italian joint on Madison Avenue where powerplayers and fans of the Today show come to dine. I wouldn't run back there kicking scissor kicks in the air, like I had to do in my 6th grade production of "Oliver" during "Consider Yourself." That I wouldn't do. I can't say that I loved my meal at 'Cesca. That sauce you see is bitter orange and it was a nice complement. All in all, I'm glad I took the leap.įor dessert we shared a marscapone cheesecake which was really nice and really light: CAMP SIMCHA TOUR DE SIMCHA LIVENOW PLUSPlus the polenta was creamy and went great with the liver sauce. But the pancetta-crispy, flavorful, almost sweet-masqued the liver's bad qualities and amplified its good qualities. I mean it's a flavor I could get used to, I suppose. I think just the liver itself would, as Grandma Cassandra predicted, kill me-not for its fatty content, but for its gamey body-part-tasting flavor. I am a brave soul and I am here to tell you that: the pancetta part made it ok. I do have an anti-liver fanatic grandmother who, whenever someone orders chopped liver, announces with vigor: "Liver's an organ meat!" Which, apparently, means that it will kill you.īut I've never eaten just a cooked liver, let alone one cooked with pancetta. And of course Jewish people-myself included-will occassionally tackle chopped liver (which, admittedly, IS good). A staple of my father's childhood, liver and onions doesn't send a chill down his spine the way it does mine. Now for those of my parents' generation, there's nothing really shocking about liver. Mom and dad got their swordfish (not pictured). Nice, but meager compared to our scallops. I loved them.ĭad got the mozarella roasted red pepper salad he got last week: Notice the dark golden brown crust at the top of the scallops? They were perfectly caramelized. Mom and I shared a scallop risotto with what might have been the best scallops I have ever tasted: Mom and dad rather timidly ordered swordfish.īut first there were starters. Should I not now test my own capacity for the foreign and exotic? I quickly jumped at the opportunity and said: "I'll have that!" Did I not just challenge my readers to try food they hadn't had before? (See The Upper Left Corner). He put up with my mother's inquiries of "what, honestly, is the best thing on the menu? Tell us the truth." He revealed his amor for the pancetta-wrapped liver.īut I felt a tingling of inspiration. Our waiter came over and proved to be a good combination of knowledgable and fun. So mom and I sat on the booth side:ĭad sat on the table side (notice the Medieval Times chandelier in the back) (and why's that guy got a napkin on his face?): The table was a half booth, half table situation. We passed the wood-burning oven on the way: The bantering hostess led us to our table, near the back. The walls are a rather soothing creme-colored with Medieval Times chandeliers hanging from above. I don't recall the exact content of the bantering, but let me tell you: it was really good banter. We walked in and right away the hostesses started to banter with us. The first thing to mention about 'Cesca is the jovial, relaxed atmosphere. With this and Tom Valenti's other pad, Ouest, Upper West Siders are eating like never before. 'Cesca is located on the Upper West Side and is creating quite a stir there because up 'til this point, the Upper West Side had a bit of a sagging food culture. They told me I had to go when I came to New York this week. As you may recall, last week my parents declared their love for 'Cesca.
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