Tag Archives: chicken parm

Quality Italian Steakhouse and the Pizza Pie size Chicken Parm

20 Nov

We have been meaning to go to Quality Italian Steakhouse since it opened. We loved our meal at Quality Meats a few years ago, and I really loved General Assembly (even though it closed) which are both from the same restaurant group (Fourth Wall Restaurants, who also has Smith & Wolensky amongst others).

On a night before a Broadway musical, we decided it was time to finally try the (in)famous restaurant.

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I actually hadn’t realized that “Steakhouse” was part of the name until I saw the awning upon entering.

The inside had the industrial chic feel that I’m a total sucker for.

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And I really liked the little details, such as the “QI” on the edge of each tablecloth, right where it hung off the table.

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They served parker house rolls, which were pretty good, but not my favorite version of them.

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As we were browsing the menu, the table next to us had a live flambee, which wound up catching the entire table on fire for a moment.  It was quite the spectacle, but was handled with grace.

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We decided to split a few things in preparation for the Chicken Parm that they are famous for (more on that later).

First we tried the Artichoke Maccheroni, which was like baked macaroni and cheese with artichokes in it.  It was delicious, but as a total artichoke lover, I was hoping for more big chunks of artichoke.

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And of course we had to split the corn creme brulee, which is always my favorite part of the other restaurants.  This one was very good, but not quite up to the same quality that I have come to love.  If this was my first time trying it, I would have been impressed. But I know how good it CAN be, so I was a bit bummed that the corn creme was a bit loose and the brulee was a bit charred without being as crispy as I have come to love.  But I’m being far too picky, because it was really lovely.

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Our table was then set with a stand, ready for the chicken parm, with some extra greens and seasoning below.

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And then out it came.  Before I could even flash a picture, they were slicing it up and serving us pieces. (To be honest, the man who was serving our food, not our waiter, made me uncomfortable. I felt like he was in a rush and was very annoyed that I was taking pictures, so he managed to shove spoons in the sides and a pizza cutter into my shot each time… grrrr).

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We were served a slice each.

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And boy oh boy… this was so good. It was everything you wanted it to be.  Perfectly juicy chicken with a crispy outside that wasn’t made at all soggy by the thick layer of slightly charred cheese and crispy leaves of basil. I am pretty sure I moaned as I ate this.

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At one point during our meal, our very nice waiter offered to serve us another slice. When we said we could serve it ourselves (to be polite), he said it was actually much easier to serve it from a standing position.  We questioned this until Mike tried to serve the next piece himself…

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It was a tragedy to see that beautiful piece of chicken parm hit the ground.  I wiped a tear.  A waste of very good food.

I absolutely loved that chicken parm.  It was a HUGE portion for the two of us (we had it for dinner the next day) so it almost made it worth the $29 per person price tag. Yes… you read that right… we spent nearly $60 on a chicken parm.

And you know what? I have 0 regrets.

I have to dock a little bit of points for the weirdly rushes service and for the not quite as great as I’ve had it before corn creme brulee, but that chicken parm… man oh man… I want some more RIGHT NOW.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

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Casa Nonna

29 Jun

I had no idea what to expect when the retail space on the ground floor of my building finally got a tenant.  They advertised that “Casa Nonna” and “GoBurger” were coming.  Imagine my surprise when I did some Googling and realized that Casa Nonna was part of the BLT Restaurant Group.

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I have been a fan of the BLTs for some time, and especially love the popovers at BLT Steak.  There has been a lot of press recently about Laurent Tourondel leaving the BLT chain amidst much drama, so it’s getting quite confusing about who is affiliated with what. But nonetheless, Casa Nonna was opening in my building. Score! There is one already in DC, and I hear it compared mostly to Carmine’s.

I was surprised at how big this place is. I couldn’t even get the sprawling rooms in one photo.

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The actual bar area is smaller than I anticipated (midtown usually fills bars long before it fills eateries).

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There is a private room with a large TV.

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Some awesome pasta jars.

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A cheese case (where a waiter cleverly stood behind me and said “CHEESE!” just as I snapped this shot)

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And some very cool tables.

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But what about the food?

The first time we went, we started with garlic bread.  This was INSANELY good.  (Strangely, this wasn’t served when we came back for dinner… so not sure what went on there)

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We tried a few apps, including these beautiful meatballs (which had chili in the sauce, dammit)

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Saffron Parmesan Risotto Balls (creamy inside, crispy outside, delicious tomato sauce)

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And Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Truffled Saba, which was awesome.  I loved the truffle sauce and the ricotta spread so nicely.

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For entrees, one order was Tuna and Tuscan Tomato-Bread Salad, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  When this came out, the person that ordered this immediately said “I made the right choice!”  I look forward to trying this because it looked great.

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Since it was lunchtime the first time we went, there were some paninis and piadinis on the table.

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The branzino came out and both looked and smelled sensational.  It was head-on but deboned.  Nice.

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One person we were with ordered the tortellini, which was described as Little Hats of Ricotta, Tomato Basil Sauce, Parmesan. In the words of the orderer, “they had me at little hats.”

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There was also a pollo paillard salad, which was Grilled Herb Chicken Paillard, Arugula Salad, with Lemon Dressing.

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My first order was the squash blossom pizza.  I had tasted squash blossoms for the first time at Mozza, Mario Batali’s fantastic restaurant in LA.  The pesto on it was good and I really like the fried egg (though I wished there were a bit more.  The crust was crispy without being a cracker, but I can’t say the flavor was popping.

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These blossoms were tasty, but I’m not sure how much they added to the pizza.  I wanted more out of this, though it was very good.

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As for dinner entrees, we tried the Chicken parm, which was good and cheesy and with brocoli rabe.  It was a large serving and was juicy inside. The rabe was a bit spicy, and there was a bit of disappointment that it wasn’t served with a side of pasta.

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For dinner, I chose to have the gnocchi, which came with Lobster, Chanterelles, Pancetta, and Garlic Greens. It was very tasty. The gnocchi had the right amount of give and flavor, while the lobster, chanterelles, and pancetta really added a great series of flavors to the meal.

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For dessert, we had a trio of sorbetti (their flavor selections are Orange Hibiscus ~ Grapefruit ~ Watermelon ~ Red Grape ~ Cantalope ~ Lime Fresh Mint).  I really liked the red grape.

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And a trio of gelatti (flavors: Amaretto Crunch ~ Pistachio ~ Sweet Cream ~ Olive Oil ~ White Chocolate ~ Chocolate Hazelnut ~ Blackberry ~ Vanilla).  The olive oil was good, but nowhere near Otto good (you need the salt!) and the pistachio was missing some flavor. It was hard to tell the difference between the Amaretto Crunch and the Pistachio, for instance.

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I went with the panna cotta, which came with plums and a darling spiral of sugar.  It was tasty and the right texture, but the panna cotta was a wee bit bland.  I’d say the desserts overall were a bit disappointing.

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It was a nice touch that they served a nice ending of chocolate covered meringues.  They were pretty good.

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Overall, I think my opinion of Casa Nonna is swayed simply because I was expecting a BLT experience.  Compared to the BLTs, it isn’t nearly as refined nor filled with flavor, but it was good.  Bordering on very good.  It does share some resemblance to Carmine’s (though you can’t count on the portions to be gargantuan in the same way) with that big restaurant, Italian feel.

One thing I do need to say, however, is that the service was impeccable.  I think this had a lot to do with the fact that there were WAY too many waiters on staff for the nearly empty large space, so they had the time to quickly replace every fork and clear every dish.  But it was nice to see such friendly wait staff.

I look forward to seeing how this place develops.  It has definite potential, but I’m not sure if it has reached it yet.

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10

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Penn Station to Times Square Takeout/Delivery Wrap Up

12 Oct

Midtown Lunch is a fabulous resource for eating lunch in Midtown, obviously.  Through them I have discovered my love for cart food and multiple more interesting lunch time feasts.  Unfortunately, while they are right around my current office, they don’t stretch quite so far as my apartment, which is near Penn Station.  Therefore, I put together my own wrap up that provides a smattering of the food we’ve eaten in the past few months from Penn Station up to Times Square.

I’m adjusting my Nom Points scale for this one to on a scale of 5.  1 being eating sewage, 3 being exactly what I’d expect from an order in midtown, and 5 being well above expectations.

Starting from the South and going North…

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A Seamless Web search for cheese steak (after watching the latest Man vs. Food episode I was craving) brought us to Kool Bloo.  Upon writing this I realized how far out of the jurisdiction this is, however, they deliver to Penn Station so it’s going in.  (There are 4, but I think the closest to us is on 22nd between 2nd and 3rd Ave… EAST side!  Other locations are Ave A at 12th Stree, 6th Ave at Watts St, and 2nd Ave between 38th and 39th Streets… according to MenuPages anyway).

Mike started off with cole slaw, which I thought was quite novel in this beautiful purple shade.  I actually tried it and liked it.

He followed that up with a Mr. Big Beef Burger.  (Mr. Big from Sex and The City? hmmm.) This had a friend egg, American Cheese, and bacon (with lettuce, tomato, and raw onion).  I took a bite and it was one DAMN good burger. 

I went with the cheese steak, but I didn’t go classic. It was called Sinatra’s Philly Cheese Steak which came with provolone and marinara (I added friend onions).  It was tasty but the bread just didn’t hold up.  I like the bread on my cheese steaks to have some crunch (but not enough to cut open my mouth and make a mess) and this just had none.  The steak was also just okay.  I wonder if the regular cheese steak might have been a better choice.

Overall Nom Points: 3.5 out of 5 (3 for the cheese steak, 4 for the burger)

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This is also not quite in the district, but it does deliver to the Penn Station area, so I’m including it too… A craving for Italian had us ordering from Aleo (20th between 5th and 6th).  I’m pretty sure this was a Seamless Web order (as many of our meals are at my apartment). 

The Eggplant Parmigiano Starter was quite good.  Great flavors.

I got the Half Order of Pumpkin Ravioli and was overall dissapointed.  They weren’t really all that pumpkin-y and the sauce was just really just a bit of butter and some flavor that I did not recognize and did not like.

Mike got the Half Order of Pappardelle (pancetta, sweet peas, crimini mushrooms, onions in a parmesan cream sauce) and noodles were VERY tasty.  I have a love for pappardelle and this one definitely satisfied.

Overall Nom Points: 3 out of 5

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Gardenia Deli is a very new “little bitta dis, little bitta dat” deli right near my apartment (8th Ave between 30th and 31st).  It’s one of the few clean delis on that stretch without homeless people hanging out right by the door with the toy crane machine.  We decided to try some of the hot food and found it pretty good for the type of place.  I usually expect greasy and/or flavorless and/or overcooked food but the flavors were great for a quick pick up meal.

Chicken Parm with Ziti

“BBQ Beef” and Rice (the BBQ Beef was much more like pot roast… but they named it)

Overall Nom Points: 4 out of 5

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We ordered from Sandwich Planet (9th Ave between 38th and 39th) one night when we were craving burgers.  I got the Parmagiana Hamburger, which was pretty good.  Enjoyed the bread.

Mike got the Cordon Bleu Hamburger with Guacamole which we didn’t realize came on white bread, but still were overall satisfied with it.

Overall Nom Points: 3 out of 5

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One of my absolute favorite places to grab lunch is Just Salad (we got to the one on 37th Street between 7th and Broadway, however, they also have locations in Midtown East, the Financial District, Murray Hill, and 30 Rock).  Now I’m not a huge salad fan, and will usually avoid it unless I’m feeling overly guilty about a meal the night before.  Just Salad, however, is far from being just a salad.  Their ingredients are really fresh and they have offerings that other places don’t (LIKE SQUASH!)  I get basically the same salad every time I’m there and surprisingly can eat it every day.  It consists of squash, apples, edamame, beets, barley, and pumpkin seeds with fat free raspberry dressing.  DELISH!

Chopping my salad:

My favorite salad:

A close up with their delicious bread (glad they brought it back after going whole grain for a while):

Julia’s sald that was more normal than mine.

I will miss this place when I leave my company (this is my last week).

Overall Nom Points: 5 out of 5

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Baja Fresh(Broadway between 40th and 41st) just opened up across the street from my current office.  On the first day they gave away $2 burritos for lunch and pretty much everyone that worked late that day went there.  I returned the following day to find a line out the door and had the same problem the following day.  One late night at the office, I stopped in around 8pm and found hardly any line at all.  I debated with the guy behind the counter for a while on what I could and couldn’t eat (peppers allergy) and surprisingly all the meats were safe but they had no rice option without peppers.  (Damn! I love rice!)  So I got the burrito with lettuce, tomato, guac, sour cream, cheese, and pork.  By the time I got home (10 blocks away) it was very cold.  I heated it up in the oven for a few minutes and was glad for melty cheese.  It was VERY tasty (the pork especially), however, it needed rice. 


Overall Nom Points: 4 out of 5

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Cart food (AKA Street Meat) is a relatively new love of mine.  I was terrified after a bad cart food experience that shall not be discussed, however, some coworkers convinced me that there were awards for cart vendors and the winner (2 years ago) had to be tried. 

Kwik Meal(South West corner of 45th street at 6th Ave) did turn my opinion around.  I had their lamb over rice (comes with an amazing white sauce, a small green salad with what seems like italian dressing) which contains REAL lamb (not gyro pieces like most).  The combination of mixing the meal, rice, white sauce, and salad is fantastic. 


In the past year or so, the Biryiani Cart(has gotten a lot of buzz (taking home the People’s Choice Award both last year and this year).  I tried to go a few months ago, but after standing online for quite some time was told that I was in line on the spicy side and I had to go over to the cart next door (run by the same people) for anything without peppers.  This cart, while having no line, also didn’t have a non-spicy version of what the cart was famous for (Biryani Chicken) nor eggs which top their meals (and that I was looking forward to).  My lamb over rice that resembled my Kwik Meal purchase but with yellow rice was just so-so and not even worth writing about.  Their Biryani Chicken, however, looked incredible and is a favorite among many of my coworkers.  I only wish I knew what it tasted like.


Overall Nom Points:
Kwik Meal #1- 5 out of 5
Biriyani Cart- 2 out of 5 for their regular (non-spicy) food

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There are a few other places I enjoyed in the area that I didn’t get pictures of.

Cafe Zaiya(main location on 41st between 5th and Madison and on the top floor of Kinokuniya Book Store on 6th Ave between 40th and 41st, opposite Bryant Park.  Also one in the East Village at 69 Cooper Square).  I wish I had a picture of this place.  The main location we went to first is a bit of a treasure find.  It’s hard to navigate, busy, and labeled terribly.  But it’s tons of fun.  It’s hard to determine exactly what you’re eating, but it’s delicious.  I usually get the beef bowl (which is similar to Korean Bulgogi over rice) and it’s probably one of my favorite meals.  It’s fun to go to the upstairs cafe in the bookstore, however, they have less selection. 5 out of 5

Pret A Manger (corner of 38th and Broadway, amongst many other locations in the city): A standby chain I’ve always enjoyed.  Very fresh food that you can pick up and leave with very quickly.  A bit pricey, but still tasty.  I hear their swedish meatball hot sandwich is great (I can’t try it due to the spicy sauce), however, I usually went with the balsamic chicken or one of the salads. 3 out of 5

Pad Thai (8th Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets).  It’s a simple, unassuming restaurant on my way home, but it’s dependably good and pretty inexpensive.  They don’t do much that’s fancy, but if I want some good, non-greasy, quick Thai near my apartment, this is my go-to.  They deliver to my apartment in less than 10 minutes and the delivery man is always very friendly. 4 out of 5

Then there is the infamous, Cafe Duke, on the corner of 41st and Broadway.  It was right next to my office, and seems to be a place that everyone that works in Times Square knows about.  It’s the place everyone goes for lunch their first few weeks on the job, then gets sick of… even though they have EVERYTHING.  Their salads are decent and their made-to-order asian noodle area and their flat bread sandwiches are the highlights.  With that said, I think everyone has their own story or knows someone who has a story of a time they got sick off Duke’s food.  I do not personally recommend the sushi… but I still go back for the other items.  Their yogurt parfaits are especially delicious for breakfast. 2 out of 5

Overall, Penn Station and Times Square aren’t exactly highlights of the culinary world, however, there are some hidden gems in the area.  What are your favorites?

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