So, Boyfriend and I were talking about films a few days ago and it came out that I had never seen any of "The Godfather" movies. You'd think he would have known that already, considering that we've been in a relationship for almost NINE YEARS, but apparently not. He was shocked and demanded that we watch the first movie as soon as possible...which turned out to be last night.
I guess it goes without saying that it's a fantastic movie. I mean, wow...intense much? I don't think I've ever felt my Italian/Sicilian roots (25%) so keenly. However, I do have to admit that, thanks to pop culture (a.k.a. Family Guy, You've Got Mail), I pretty much knew the entire plot of the movie, plus the all key quotes. Still, I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to watching Part II.
I guess all the talk about finally watching "The Godfather" trilogy put Boyfriend and I in the mood for Italian food. We had it three times in the last two days, and for a gal who has been eating nothing but salad all week, it was AMAZING!
On Friday night, we hit up Vesta (30th Avenue at 21st Street). I really love that place, but I wish the location was a little more convenient. Like Tournesol, the seating area is a little small, so be prepared for a wait if your party is larger than two people. Being a wine bar, it is definitely a night scene and the volume gets loud after about 9:00PM. I wouldn't recommend it as a quiet, romantic setting, but it's a great, laid-back place to go with friends and the food is fantastic.
We started with a bottle of Vermentino "Costamolino" 2007. I had the Roasted Butternut & Acorn Squash Soup (delicious!), followed by the Free Bird Half Roasted Chicken with Maitake mushrooms & olive oil mashed potatoes. The chicken was a little salty, which was necessary to give the skin a nice, crunchy crust, but unfortunately the saltiness carried over to the mushrooms. To be fair, this is probably a one-time thing, because friends of mine who have had the same dish before have not complained. It was still a great dish overall and the leftovers reheated nicely later that night.
Please excuse the quality of the pictures. I'm saving up for a better camera!
Butternut Squash Soup
Free Bird Half Roasted Chicken
I *should* have documented Boyfriend's meal, but I had tunnel vision after having nothing but rabbit food for days on end. It's lucky that I even had the presence of mind to photograph my own food...presence of mind that went clear out the window when it was time for dessert. I had read rave reviews about the La Torta del Piccolo Bambino Gesu Christo, a.k.a. "The Baby Jesus Cake."
Holy Cake, Batman!
Boyfriend is lucky he got a bite. It was unbelievably good. The top was sweet and crisp, the inside warm and moist. There was fresh whipped cream on the side and warm butterscotch sauce drizzled all over the heavenly slice. The wine, food, and atmosphere is enough to keep me going back again and again, but I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that the Baby Jesus Cake will be the main reason.
To continue with the Italian trend, we went to Il Bambino
(31st Avenue at 34th Street). Technically the café is influenced by both Italian and Spanish tradition, but it suits my purposes. It's a warm, casual place with a nice wine menu and delicious food options. Those of you that are following me on Twitter may have read my tweet raving about their prosciutto, gorgonzola dolce, and fig spread panini. It was a joy to eat. Boyfriend had the speck panini with apricot butter and taleggio. Both were perfect antidotes for the cold, rainy day. I didn't have wine (though I will be exploring their list on my next visit), but I did try their hot chocolate (yum!). The café has a nice array of baked goods, which are displayed at the front in a tantalizing manner.
Finally, Boyfriend and I have been looking for a favorite pizza place in the area. We absolutely love Sac's over on Broadway. Their coal oven pizza is fantastic and I'm particularly partial to their cheese pie with sautéed Portobello mushrooms in white wine. However, the problem is that their delivery is inconsistent. Last time I order, I waited an hour and a half and received cold pizza. Sac's is a place I will definitely frequent for great food, but I have removed it from my Delivery list. Last night, Boyfriend and I tried Alba's Pizza. A friend recommended it and I was pleasantly surprised. You can order online, for those of you who, like me, are adverse to picking up a phone. The food was here in less than 20 minutes and it tasted like good, solid, NY pizza place food. It was just what we needed to enjoy "The Godfather", in all its Italian glory.
Well, lovelies, I'm off to finish my errands for the day and finish the grocery shopping. Tonight is my first "Practice Sunday Dinner" and I still need to figure out what a leek is, let alone what one looks like. Do you feel sorry for Boyfriend yet?
Astoria has so many more new fun little eating places now! Ten years ago it was all old school Greek, Italian, etc. My friends took us to Vesta when we visited for my birthday in March and it was lovely! I can't remember exactly what I had, but it was delicious, and I know I had some of their excellent brussels sprouts.
ReplyDeleteOMG, words cannot describe how much I miss Sacs and NY pizza in general. Bummer about their poor delivery service.