Tag Archives: il punto

Il Punto- Take 2

14 Sep

 

We had been to Il Punto (on the corner of 38th and 9th) once before.  It was decent, but not some place I was chomping at the bit to go back to, however.  But when Mike’s family suggested we do a family meal there, we were game.  Hell… it’s hard to beat a place right on the corner!

We started with the artichokes, as we did last time.  These weren’t as good, and the sauce I loved last time seemed changed.

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We then ordered “Paper Thin Slices of Wild Boar” which came with mesculin, marinated eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and drizzled with pear vinaigrette.  This was good, but resembled roast beef a little too much to feel very special.  Still tasty though.

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I’m a bit foggy on what was ordered, but this may have been some sort of salad with meat and potatoes? Hmm. Not positive.

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This was the Salmone Alla Brace, which was grilled atlantic salmon served in a nest of julienne vegetables and roasted potato.

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Next was a Lombatina Al Vincotto: A grilled tender rib veal chop with red wine reduction, drizzles with vincotto, sprinkles black turffles, mashed potatoes and swiss chard.  This was pretty good.  Probably the best thing on the table. However…I have no idea what happened to the truffles.

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Someone also ordered a fish.  This may have been a special, because I can’t find it on the menu.  I know it’s not easy to bone a fish, but this one looked a bit like it had been through a war when it came out.

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Mike got the Bisteca Di Manzo Arrostita: char grilled sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and vegetable. This was pretty good.  Well cooked at the very least, though missing the fantastic char that, in my mind, sets steak apart.

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I got the special of pasta with beef and vegetables with shaved truffles.   I need to stop ordering shaved truffles.  They never taste as rich in flavor as I want them too.  This basically tasted like a small diced stew over over-cooked noodles.  Disappointing.  Fair at best.

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Overall consensus was pretty poor on Il Punto.  It was fine… but for the price, it should be much more than fine.  (Most entrees were $25-$30)  I probably won’t go back, but it’s just fine if you need an option in the area.

Total Nom Points: 6 out of 10 (a full Nom Point lower than last time)

 

 

 

 

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Il Punto

26 Mar

I seem to have a tendency to move into neighborhoods that are labeled as “up and coming.”  I spent nearly 3 years living near Penn Station, and now I’m pretty close to Port Authority.  While Hell’s Kitchen has always been close, it’s still not “right on the corner.”  Therefore, imagine my happiness when we went to the restaurant on the corner, and it turned out to be great! 

Il Punto is on 9th Ave and 38th Street… right below all that tunnel traffic and the block that no one likes (9th Ave between 41st and 42nd, right at the back entrance of Port Authority). 

The inside was actually quite lovely.  You didn’t feel like you were in the “seedy” part of town at all (and for what it’s worth… I’d rather be in this neighborhood that is constantly filled with people than in a sleepy part of town where it’s just too easy for things to go unnoticed).  While the restaurant was certainly more traditionally Italian, there were certainly decorations of the more eclectic kind (take, for instance, the little wagon in the photo below or the Asian table besides the main dining area).  It felt more like someone decorated this place along their personal tastes as opposed to just fit a theme.

There were artichokes on the menu, so, of course, I got them.  They were stuffed and baked in their fresh tomato sauce.  The artichokes were decent, but the sauce was REALLY good.  I sopped every last drop up with the bread.  It was sweet but still tangy. Tons of flavor.  The kind of sauce I want to learn to make!

Mike chose the veal shank special.  It came with mushrooms and tasted like a marsala sauce without the marsala. Quite flavorful and delicious.

I wanted to be healthy, so I went with the pear salad.  The pears were poached in red wine with cinnamon sticks… and they were AWESOME.  The salad also had arugula, gorgonzola, bacon, walnuts, and lemon dressing.  It was just a perfect salad.

I wish I could have truly enjoyed the Italian as Italian should be enjoyed (with ZERO regard to calories and fat).  But for what we got, I was really impressed.  It was quite unexpected, and I’m sure we’ll return.

Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10

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