Last night I had the pleasure of being spoiled with a night out at Del Posto. I had been hearing great things for a long time, so I was excited to finally get to try the brain child of such culinary icons (Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali). My first impression upon entering was WOW! The restaurant was decorated beautifully, with artful lines and shapes. There were really beautiful balconies on the 2nd level that we had the pleasure of dining on. We all commented made us feel like we were sitting at some grand opera. (Since I only had my iPhone with me, I have one picture to contribue and the rest will come from Google Images)
The wine list was over 60 pages long, and we were happy that one of our hosts had a someliere in the family and she selected for us (and selected well! Though I have no idea what we drank). Our group decided to go with the 5 Course Menu where we all picked an Antipasta, then shared a selection of 2 pastas, then picked our own entrees and desserts. I went with:
- Antipasti: Vongole (raw clams) Marinated with Fried Roman Artichokes & Minted Lentil Dressing. As a lover of artichokes, this did not dissapoint. Like all artichoke dishes, however, it left me wishing there were more archies on the plate.
- Pasta/Primi (for the table): Baked Ricotta Nudi with Swiss Chard Ragu & Fonduta AND Garganelli Verdi al Ragù Bolognese. Both were phenomenal and the perfect portion (individualized for each of us). The Garganelli was especially tasty for a dish that can easily turn out quite boring.
- Entree/Secondi: Sliced Duck alla Scappi with Sweet Pumpkin Polenta, Trevisano & Campari. I have no idea what half the ingredients were, but it was cooked to perfection and had an amazing balance of flavors.
- Dessert: Buckwheat crepe (AKA Crespelle) with apples and cooked pumpkin: It was good, but not GREAT. I wanted more pumpkin flavor.
Overall the meal was delicious, but the atmosphere is what really made it. While I really liked it, I don’t know if it would be up there with my favorites, and I certainly didn’t love it. Glad I got to go and try it out for myself, however!
Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10
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