Barcibo Enoteca

Because I am a wine drinker I am constantly seeking out places that have good wine with good value.  Life is just too short to drink bad wine and so I often find myself at Barcibo on 69^th and Broadway.  

Not only do they have a fantastic list of Italian wines, but they also have a staff that is extremely knowledgeable and super friendly so they can help guide you through the list to make sure you get a glass of wine that you will like.  Italian wines can feel overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with all their grape varietals, and there are a lot!  They have over 100 wines by the bottle and over 40 by the glass.  They also have a full bar for the non-wine drinkers out there.

Though Barcibo is very popular amongst those who know about it, it is still a bit of a secret.  It is one of the bigger wine bars out there.  They have an upper and a lower section as well as outdoor seating in the summer.   The food there is also fantastic.  We shared a few things.  One of my favorites is the crostini.  We got the crostini with prosciutto and bufala Mozzarella and the burrata with tomato.  

The lump it is sitting on is bufala mozzarella.  YUM!

The prosciutto is so delicious it almost melts in your mouth.  We also had the cheese and meat plate as well as the risotto. 

The portions are very generous

The risotto is really spectacular there.  We had the risotto with the sweet Italian sausage, peas and corn.  Wow!  I have also had the mushroom risotto as well and I can say that it is one of the best I have had.

The atmosphere is warm and sophisticated.  The staff is great and the prices are very reasonable.  This is one of my favorite spots on the upper west side.    Wine bars are all the rage, but not all are created equal.   This one, however,  is top notch.

Barcibo Enoteca

2020 Broadway

212-595-2805

Restaurant Week 2011 is here!

Restaurant Week started in 1992 as an effort to promote dining in New York during the Democratic National Convention. Restaurants, which are natural competitors, came together and each charged $19.92 for a three-course prix fixe.  It was such a success it continued to grow and now it happens twice a year, in January and in July.  It is a great way to experience some of the pricier restaurants in New York City at a fraction of the cost. You get a 3-course meal that consists of an appetizer, entrée and dessert.  Lunch is $24.07 and dinner is $35.00.

Restaurant 2011 runs Monday January 24^th – Feb 6^th.  Many restaurants will continue lunch only through the end of February.  Restaurant week runs primarily Monday – Friday, Saturdays are excluded and Sundays are optional.    You can check out a list of participating restaurants at www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek/ where they have a link to book your table on Open Table.  Reservations fill up fast so try not to wait till the last minute.  However, if you are at all like me and you procrastinate a little too long, I do have a good tip.  Most good restaurants serve full menus at the bar and don’t normally take reservations for bar seats.  You may have to wait, but you will get to eat at that place that has been booked for weeks. 

I am also going to share my top “Undies” secret with you.  Apiary on 11^th & 3^rd normally has a no-corkage fee on Monday nights.  So if you really want a fantastic meal and big savings, bring a nice bottle of wine and have the $35 pre-fixe dinner on a Monday night during restaurant week at Apiary.  It is probably one of the best deals going.  I may just see you there.  I am booking my Monday night table right after I post this.

The best coconut cake in New York City

When I am on vacation (especially if it is the holiday season) I tend to indulge, but it has to be worth the calories!   Coconut cake is one of my favorite things.  When it is good, it is amazing and when it is not amazing I find myself asking why did I bother?  Having searched high and low, I found that there are two places in NYC that you should not miss if you love coconut cake.  They are both different in style, so I recommend you try both.

Believe it or not, Mesa Grill has one of the most outstanding cakes I have ever had.  It is not Bobby Flay's throwdown recipe, but a version of it that his pastry chef Clarisa Martino has perfected.  (Sorry to disappoint you Flay fans)

The desserts she has created are ridiculous.   If you like dessert, you should go there and give yourself a treat.  I also recommend the Mexican Chocolate Pudding.  I don't even like pudding, but this will blow your mind.  However, the coconut cake is possibly the lightest and most flavorful coconut cake I have ever tasted.  The cake is moist, the frosting is light and the taste is mmm mmmm good.   I'm not sure how she did it.  When it arrives you will think that there is no way that you could ever finish this either by yourself or with another person.  However I found myself looking at an empty place and was wishing I had some to take in a doggie bag for later.  It will melt in your mouth and you will feel as though you have just gone to heaven.   Clarisa is an extremely talented pastry chef and Bobby Flay is very lucky to have her.

The second place that you should go to if you like coconut cake is on the upper west side.  Good Enough to Eat is a great place for lunch or brunch.  They have one of the best Turkey Clubs ever.   It also has one of the two best coconut cakes in the city.  It is very different, stylistically speaking, from Mesa Grlll, but it is delicious and worth the calories in every bite.  The frosting is like a cream cheese/butter cream frosting with coconut on top.  It is exquisite.

It is also something that you should expect to get a doggie bag for, as it is rich and probably not something you will be able to finish by yourself, especially if you have had a meal there before hand.  The cake is moist and delicious and will linger in your dreams for weeks.

As I said, I love dessert, but it has be so good that I don't care that I have cheated on my diet.  If you go to either of these places, I can almost guarantee that your visions of sugarplums dancing in your head will include some coconut cake.

Latin Cuisine on the Upper West Side

Nestled on 80th Street is a fantastic Latin fare restaurant and wine bar called Cava.  I have been meaning to get there for ages and now I can't understand why I haven't been going there all along.  The atmosphere is cozy and warm and the walls serve as an art gallery for emerging artists.  They have a great wine list and of course, several different varieties of Cava by the glass.

Chef Jose Rodriguez puts out dishes that are a fusion of Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican and the result is delicious.  The dishes I had were not only super tasty, but the presentation was beautiful.  I had the scallops in a carribean country coconut sauce that were amazing.  

The empanadas were some of the best I have ever tasted.  I had both the chicken and the shrimp empanadas.  We then had the lomita Chilean seabass over spinach and squid ink rice that was to die for

and an exquisite skirt steak skewer served over a carribean tamale.  Watch out Bobby Flay, you might just have some competition for best tamale.

In New York where there are so many choices, it is great to have a place like Cava in the neighborhood.  For a romantic dinner or meeting friends at the bar for a drink, Cava is a hidden gem I am glad I know about.
Cava
185 West 80th St. (Between Columbus and Amsterdam)

Italian tapas in an upper west side gem

I think one of things that I enjoyed most about going to Barcelona was the tapas bars.  It is really nice to go with a friend or 2 and taste a bunch of things and still not feel overly full like we so often do here in the states.  At Salumeria Rosi that is what you will get; the Italian style tapas.  They have an AMAZING selection of Italian wine and cheeses that will knock your socks off.  It is small and cozy, yet sophisticated.    

We started with a sette fagioli (a 7 bean salad in a light dressing).  All the portions are small so we each got just enough that we didn’t feel to full.  We then had a chickpea crostini with 

broccoli rabe and a Torta di porri (A leek torte with pancetta and parmegano reggiano).  Both were exquisite.  Next we had a farrottto del risotto ( a risotto that is made with faro instead of the traditional risotto rice with pumpkin and sunflower seeds) that was to die for.

And unlike getting a risotto for yourself, it didn’t make you feel like you needed to walk 7 miles home before you could lie down because it was small and you split it!  We then finished with a selection of meats and cheeses.  

Salumeria Rosi is small, but they do take reservations.  I suggest making one, especially if you are planning on making a trip on the busier Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings.  The atmosphere is delightful and the servers very knowledgeable and friendly.  It is a slice out of an Italy (plus you won’t have to deal with the weekend crowds of Eataly to get some authentic Italian food).  If you are looking to see where the Upper West Siders eat, then hit Salumeria Rosi.  You will get to taste a lot, not spend a fortune and have a great meal! 

A great New York City wine bar

I am pretty much a wine drinker.  Occasionally I will be enticed by a cocktail or even a beer (I like the good, rich, highly caloric beers), but for the most part, you will see me drinking wine.  That said, I believe that life is too short to drink bad wine.  So when I meet up with friends and we are deciding where to go, I often suggest 8^th St. wine cellar.   It is a cozy little nook on 8th between 5th & 6th, just below ground level.

The food is great; the wine is great (an not overpriced) it has a cozy, yet elegant atmosphere and service that is A+.  Owned and run by 2 veteran Union Square Café bartenders who truly know their stuff, this place is a real gem.  Yes, they do have a full bar and not just wine.  The beer list is cockfull of  fantastic artisinal beers.  The menu is small but what is on it is done really well!  They support local perveyors whenever possible so you are getting good quality there as well.  The Mac & Cheese is amazing, the meatballs are to die for and the small plates like the meats & cheeses or the bruschettas are delicious.  The kitchen stays open late (after 11pm there is a smaller late night menu) and the bar gives last call around 4am.  You will not find a friendlier staff anywhere.  It is one of my favorite bars in the city.  If you are looking for a bar with great atmosphere and wine that will agree with even the fussiest wine drinker,  check out 8^th St. Wine Cellar.  You might just keep going back.

28 West 8^th,, between 5^th & 6^th.  (It is downstairs so make sure to watch for the number so you don’t miss it)