A SOUPer Winter Menu at Il Bambino

(Check out the recipe for this Roasted Pumpkin Soup below)

Il Bambino (34-08 31st Ave)


An edited version of this article appeared in the November issue of BORO.

“Someone could call themselves a chef for 30 years, and still never really understand flavor,” says Darren Lawless, chef-owner of Il Bambino, the beloved paninoteca and tapas bar—one of only three restaurants in Astoria to place in the “extraordinary to perfection” bracket in Zagat’s most recent rankings, with a food score of 26.  “[At Il Bambino] it’s all about flavor and technique…” he passionately explains in a cheerful Irish lilt,  “…knowing how to transform a carrot into a roasted carrot salad.”  The secret?  Quality ingredients and superb technique at extracting and layering flavors.

Most of the dishes at Il Bambino have only a few simple ingredients, but one bite of a panini or a spoonful of the daily soup, and it doesn’t take a food critic to recognize something special going on here.  The split pea and prosciutto soup is really only four main ingredients: peas, prosciutto, onions, and carrots.  Sounds simple, right?  Chef Lawless first sweats the prosciutto, drawing out the savory juices, to which the onions are then fed, until rendered sweet and translucent.  Next, the peas are cooked into the base, like a risotto.  “So much goes on before we even add water,” smiles Lawless, who never uses stocks.  “I always want the featured ingredient to shine through.”  Herbs are only added at the very end, allowing the heat to release the oils just in time to serve.  Vegetarian soups are given just a touch of cream for heartiness, or maybe even a pureed potato to add a velvety smoothness to the body.

While the soups hibernate throughout the summer, their resurrection each autumn is highly anticipated.  On a typical day, the restaurant can easily sell over one hundred 16 oz. servings.  The price for these gourmet ephemeral gems comes to $7.08 after tax, and each portion is accompanied by a toasted crostini slathered with homemade basil pesto, ideal for dunking.

(The Notorious P.I.G.)

Along with this year’s seasonal soups comes the extension of brunch to Fridays, as well as Saturday and Sunday.  New, cleverly-named breakfast panini include the Sir Oink-a-Lot (with sweet sausage), Wake & Bake (with “smoked” mayo), Sweet Ass (prosciutto and fig spread), and the Notorious P.I.G. (smoked bacon, eggs, artisan cheddar, and truffle spread).

(Assorted crostini--these mini sandwiches are exploding with exquisite flavors)

Daily specials this season have included a panini of smoked chicken with bacon mac & cheese.  Among the lineup of upcoming soups, patrons can anticipate the following: smoked tomato bisque (the best seller, usually featured Wednesdays and Saturdays), roasted pumpkin with sweet spices and fresh thyme, split pea prosciutto, potato with roasted mushrooms and garlic, potato-cauliflower with toasted almonds, and—for when it’s really cold—a sweet sausage minestrone with ditalini pasta.  “I froze some of this last year, and bring it out when ever my boys get sick,” smiles a visibly golden-hearted Lawless, who seems to treat his family and staff with the same loving attention he does each of his recipes.

____________________________

Chef Lawless graciously shared the recipe for one of his most popular soups below:

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Nutmeg & Moscato

Ingredients:

7-8 lb pumpkin
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped
2 oz of unsalted butter
1 pint milk
1 cup moscato or dessert wine
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper

Preparation:

Prepare the pumpkin by cutting it into quarters, and then into eighths. Remove seeds, and separate the meat from the skin (discarded skin). Cut pumpkin meat into smaller chunks and set aside. Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the pumpkin and potato, and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the moscato, and boil to reduce by half. Add the milk and cream and simmer, covered, for 1 hour (or until completely soft and very tender). Puree the soup, and season with salt and pepper, freshly grated nutmeg and chopped fresh thyme.

Yields 6 servings.

Seasonal Savorings: Awakening Your Autumn Appetite

(Sauvignon Blanc Jelly at Rèst-âü-Ránt)

(This article was originally published in edited form the Oct '11 issue of Boro Magazine)

As New Yorkers begin to pack away their sandals, shorts, and swimsuits in exchange for denim, wool, and a warmer wardrobe, so also do the city’s eateries hibernate their summer fare in exchange for autumn menus of more comforting cuisine that no longer threatens to compromise bikini curves.  Here is a rundown of some of the seasonal stars now showcased on the menus of four of the neighborhood’s favorite restaurants.

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Few menus in the neighborhood evolve as frequently as Ornella Trattoria, where chef-owner Giuseppe Viterale daily scours the local markets for inspiration to reinvent his favorite regional Italian dishes.  While the weekly specials remain the same (Monday $14.95 Steak Night, Tuesday 1½  lb lobster over seafood pasta for $21, Wednesday any chicken dish for $13, and Thursday any pasta special for $10), Ornella introduces three exceptional new brunch items for the fall.

Hangover Pasta will shatter any notions you had that noodles cannot satiate a brunch craving.  Homemade pappardelle is boiled in milk, adding a unique texture and sweetness to the broad pasta ribbons which are then tossed with savory bits of bacon, a drizzle of truffle oil, and topped with a fried egg—sort of like a carbonara gone crazy.

Classic Italian Lard Bread laced with tender slices of shredded peppered bacon arrives at Ornella via Williamsburg, where it is then transformed into a luxurious pedestal for eggs benedict, a delicious upgrade from the standard muffin.

The Roman Fried Cheese Sandwich could overtake any competitor grilled cheese in a cage fight.  Ornella’s spin on a classic spiedini alla romana, homemade foccacia is generously stuffed with fresh mozzarella, fried, and then blanketed with a creamy reduction of brandy, anchovies, shallots, and capers.

In college, Giuseppe Viterale perfected his personal espresso, and if you coax him, he just might do it tableside for you.  Granulated sugar receives the first few drops of the percolated brew, which he then vigorously whips by hand into an espresso marshmallow, which dissolves into a sweet cap of foam floating atop the Italian coffee.

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The menu at El Ay Si has been described as eclectic and global, but regardless of labels, it’s universally comforting and tasty—also generously portioned and reasonably priced.  Happy Hour extends Wednesday through Sunday from 4-7PM with $5 well drinks, $4 pints, $6 wines, and $8 specialty cocktails, and Bingo on Sundays. Mark your calendar for an old-school Prohibition & Flapper Halloween Party on Sunday, October 30^th.

An iron skillet of rotini spirals swimming in béchamel, studded with applewood smoked bacon, and crowned with golden-baked cheese, this comfort classic is addictively straightforward and soothing.

Both nostalgic and scrumptious, heaping piles of crunchy tater tots are a must-have addition to any meal for just five bucks.  And if you’re up for a splurge, they can arrive “disco style” with white gravy and cheddar, or even loaded with three-bean veggie chili and cheese.

When it comes to nachos, this gargantuan platter isn’t playing around; there’s a reason this monster appears under “Mains” rather than “Small Bites”.  Homemade tortilla chips remain miraculously crunchy, even when partnered with any of the eight topping options—or better yet, “the works” (pictured), with everything from skirt steak and grilled chicken to chili and avocado.

No, you didn’t misread the menu.  That dish is called Chicken Fried Chicken.  It’s a traditional name for country fried chicken, referring to the manner in which it is prepared.  Even steak can be “chicken fried.”  But the country chicken platter at El Ay Si would have a challenge finding a rival.  Juicy chicken coated in crispy batter arrives on a pillow of smashed potatoes, all with a peppered white gravy, and a side of buttery green beans.

You haven’t tasted a hush puppy until you’ve enjoyed one of these jalapeno sweet corn fritters.  Packing the perfect punch of spice, these golden breaded orbs are dipped in a ramekin of pure honey for the ultimate harmony of savory and sweet.

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Whether sharing Cavo's small plates like the veal meatballs stuffed with sheep’s milk cheese in the outdoor sunken garden, or settling down for an intimate meal in Astoria’s most glamorous dining room with cathedral ceilings and contemporary chandeliers soaring what seems like miles overhead, it doesn’t take long to see the artwork on the plate is just as spectacular as the surroundings.  Fall specials include a free bottle of wine with the purchase of two entrees on Mondays, 1/2 price on all entrees on Tuesdays, 50% off the manager’s wine list on Wednesdays, Thursdays Ladies Night Speciqaals, and $20 sangria pitchers each Sunday.

Black angus short ribs are slowly braised for four hours to fall-apart-at-the-touch tenderness, showcased on a dollop of creamy polenta, and then draped with an exquisite red wine reduction with fall vegetables, and a kiss of microgreens.  This mastepiece pairs beautifully with a bottle of Amethystos, a full-bodied charismatic “wine of drama” from the vineyards of Greece.

Striped pasta pockets are stuffed with four Greek cheeses, then served in a creamy feta sauce with a drizzle of truffle oil.  One of the area’s most unique ravioli dishes, it is an absolute must for any pasta-lover.

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It may seem slightly hidden off-the-beaten path, but Rèst-âü-Ránt is just a block away from the 36^th Ave N/Q line, and worth every step.  Featuring an extensive selection of wine, beer, and cocktails, this cozy corner kitchen is the ideal place to share a snack with friends.  Local comedians take the spotlight on Tuesdays at 10PM, music showcases at 9PM on Thursdays, and plans are underway for a Halloween costume party.  The diverse menu ranges from dumplings to fondue, but the fall specials are inspired by the grape harvest season.

A flatbread of homemade focaccia is spread with fresh goat cheese, halved red grapes, and sprigs of rosemary, toasted in the oven.

A trio of Organic North Shore Long Island Sliders are basted in a shallot-merlot reduction, topped with velvety melted gorgonzola, tomato, and a frisee salad, all sandwiched on Turkish somun bread from local Pain D’Avignon Bakery.

Proof that dessert can be light and refreshing, this gorgeously inventive jelly is made from sauvignon blanc and jeweled with whole white grapes, served with a mint sprig and a dollop of fresh cream—reason enough alone to make a visit.

Who doesn't enjoy rosé?--a guest post by Hakan Aktas

Food & wine go hand-in-hand, and to have a knowledge of one without the other is to miss a significant amount of the potential enjoyment their harmony brings.  If you have never taken advantage of a sommelier's expertise in suggesting pairings for your meals, you deny yourself a whole dimension of pleasure that can result from well-advised recommendations.  While my writings (and adventures) focus primarily on food, I do harbor an appreciation for the spirited end of the spectrum, even if not one that allows me to write about it frequently with a huge degree of authority.  So when a friend who recently finished wine school approached me about guest-blogging on Amuse*Bouche to share his passion for wine, I was eager to jump at his offer.  Please welcome Hakan Aktas, and enjoy this first of what I hope will be more posts to come!

Hakan Aktas

I love anything about wine. Drinking it, talking about it; I’d even take a bath in it, that's how much I love wine!  I recently finished wine school at ASA (American Sommelier Association). Over the course of this one year program, I learned how to speak about wine, taste wine, and pair it with food.  My new love: rosé wine.

I wasn’t a big fan of rosé when I first tried it, then I changed my mind as I learned and tasted more. What is rosé wine? Rosé usually comes from red grapes. The difference in color and body between red wines and rosé is a result of how long the juice soaks with the grape skins. Most of us think rosé wine is only enjoyed during the dog days of summer, but I think we underestimate its quality. Rosé wines are becoming more and more popular, and thanks to savvy wine lovers who've discovered that rosé wines fall into the dry category; not all rosé wines are sugary sweet.

One of my good friends, Tunch Doker, imports rosé from the Provence region of France. According to Tunch, rosé "is a drink that you can have for any occasion and anytime, such as brunch, pool side, [at the] beach, during sunset, barbecue, picnics, as an aperitif, and [during] all festive occasions."  I couldn't agree with him more.

Tunch and his life and business partner, Aylin Algan Doker, put a lot of work into their project to show everyone that you can have an amazing rosé wine in a very elegant and sleek shape of bottle at a reasonable price.

These are three of my favorite rosé wines from Tunch's selection:

Image from ChelseaWineVault.com

2010 Vie Vite, Rose, Cotes de Provence, France

Grape Varieties: 45% Cinsault, 25% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 15% Carignan
Aromas and Food Pairing: Cherries and strawberries with notes of
spices. Great with grilled dishes or a tapenade spread.

Image from ChelseaWineVault.com

2010 Vie Vite, Rose Extraordinaire, Cotes de Provence, France
Grape Varieties: 85% Grenache, 5% Carignan, 5% Syrah, 5% Cinsault
Aromas and Food Pairing:  opulent fruit flavors of peach, grape, apricot and black currant. Pairs well with all shellfish and seafood as well as French and Mediterranean cuisine.  A great pairing with spicy dishes.

Image from Breezette.com

2010 Breezette, Rose, Cotes de Provence, France
Grape Varieties: 80% Cinsault, 20% Mourvedre
Aromas and Food Pairing: Fragrances of tropical peach, apricot, spiced
notes and sensations of white flowers. On the palate, crisp acidity is
complimented by exotic fresh fruits. Pairs well with Thai, Japanese,
French and Mediterranean cuisine.

“When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing” - Ovid

Some Im"press"ive Changes at Il Bambino

(Truffled egg salad with speck crostini)

Il Bambino (34-08 31st Ave., Astoria)

I often receive several text messages a day from friends asking for interesting food recommendations that range from "I am at 76th and Columbus and just need good pizza..." to "I am with a lactose intolerant vegetarian friend who also doesn't eat bread, citrus, or anything green, and we need something under $15 in SoHo."  But I would have to say that if one were to archive all of my bizarre text messages, one of my most frequently recommended suggestions is Il Bambino in Astoria.  It is not at all uncommon after recommending it to a friend for me to receive a message the following week saying, "oh my, I have eaten there four times in the past seven days... wow."

If you have been, then you already know what makes it great.  If you haven't, then you really are missing out on something special.  Think paninoteca wuzzled with a tapas bar that also offers a fantastic selection of affordable wines.  The outdoor space is cozy (enjoy it while the weather permits), and long hours allow for everything from a hearty brunch with lots of friends to a cheese plate with preserves and wine with someone special in the evening (open until at least 10pm; midnight on weekends).

(smoked bacon, goat cheese, & spicy mayo crostini)

The seasonal menu recently changed, leaving some of the classics, bringing back old-time favorites, and introducing some new ones.  The crostini come two to a plate, which makes them ideal for choosing a few different ones for sharing.  The panini are absolutely enormous, and perfect for splitting, as well.  And trust me, you will want to share a variety of plates here; entree envy can be extremely intense, because everything served is beautifully delicious and deliciously beautiful.

The best news?  Brunch is now three days a week: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday from 10:30am - 3:30pm.  Brunch features a special menu of hilarious titles that actually make you want to read the full menu: Piggy Got Back, Sir Oink-a-lot, Sweet Ass (prosciutto & fig), The Fun Guy (with mushrooms... get it? Funghi!) Pictured above is the Notorious P.I.G. with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, artisan cheddar, and truffle spread.

One of the newest panini additions features smoked bacon, garlic roasted potatoes, truffle aioli, and parmesan.  Other exciting ingredients appearing throughout the menu include cappa ham, piquillo peppers, BBQ creamed onions, fried eggplant, rosemary ricotta, and apricot butter.

The bread is made exclusively for Il Bambino at Gian Piero Bakery, and cannot be purchased outside of the store.  It grills to the best outside crunch giving way to a wonderfully chewy and moist inside.  A greater selection of gourmet panini would be difficult to find.  All ingredients are sourced locally (cheese from Murray's on the Lower East Side), or made fresh on the premises.

Besides the panini, you can create your own antipasti selection, or choose from tapas and salads.  Something I order every single time I take someone for their first visit is this potato salad, with sliced fingerlings tossed in truffle mayo, with fried shallots, a drizzle of basil pesto, and a snowfall of pecorino. It is the best potato salad I have ever enjoyed, without any contest.

The new menu also brings the return of one of my old favorites, the smothered tomato, a hollowed tomato stuffed with tuna confit blended with marie rose with preserved lemon.  A delicious, light, but filling meal all by itself.

You won't find them on the menu, but be sure to ask about the homemade desserts.  The red velvet cakes in the showcase are tempting (and that frosting is insanely wonderful), but the panna cotta has me dreaming about it.  The flavors vary, but a most exquisitely creamy and delicate panna cotta (vanilla bean, above) sits in a pool of homemade strawberry sauce, with chilled cornflake clusters dipped in chocolate.  Even if you think you are full, trust me, these are worth it.  Even the peanut butter rice crispie treats coated in chocolate are fantastic.

The staff is one of the best in the neighborhood.  Each table has a small glossary on it, making unfamiliar cheese and charcuterie accessible while avoiding the embarrassment of asking, "what's this???"   Il Bambino delivers.  I also call ahead on my way into work to place an order, swing by and grab it, and then watch my Manhattan friends drool at the gourmet goods as they all enviously ask where I got it.  "Astoria," I smile.

* * * * *

Insider's tip:  don't forget the spreads are available on the side for $1.  The basil pesto is killer.  When I order for delivery, I sometimes even ask for two sides of it that I use the next day to toss into my pasta or spread on a sandwich.

Monday nights any wine bottle of $35 or more is 1/2 off with food purchase of $15.

Queens Kickshaw introduces shrubs: delicious vinegar cordials

The Queens Kickshaw (40-17 Broadway, Astoria)

While The Queens Kickshaw has gathered quite a buzz for their grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches (gouda with guava jam, black bean hummus, & pickled jalapenos--just one of my favorites) this gorgeous, eco-friendly sandwich and gourmet coffee shop has now extended to summer hours and acquired a beer & wine license.

Now open daily until 1 a.m. (from 7:30 a.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. weekends--sandwiches start at 11 a.m. daily with Egg & Cheese at 9 a.m. weekends), TQK is offering an impressive and diverse selection of international beer & cider, along with a carefully edited wine selection and cheese plates.

But perhaps the most exciting addition to the menu (offered beginning today) are the vinegar cordials, a traditional non-alcoholic fizz that dates back as far as Roman times, known as the "shrub".  The idea came to Ben Sandler (co-owner with wife Jennifer Lim), when he realized he was discarding an unused treasure in the juices left after pickling the blueberries and golden raisins for some of the sandwich accompaniments.  "We already had P&H Sodas, so I fugured I would try mixing the fruit & spices with the seltzer."  When he asked the guys from P&H what they thought, they informed him it is a traditional drink known as a "shrub", directing him to a 2008 article from the New York Times, which reads, "if chugging vinegar sounds curious to you as well, be apprised that this centuries-old practice has only recently been abandoned."

The two shrubs currently offered feature a base of organic cane sugar and apple cider vinegar infused with blueberry-ginger-lemon or golden raisin-star anise-cinnamon.  These mature sodas are insanely refreshing, smart, sweet, and gently tart... and all-around delicious.  Less adventurous drinkers can still enjoy the delicious homemade P&H Sodas, available in lime, cream, hibiscus, & ginger.

Sandler has even toyed with a jalapeno version of the shrub, admittedly a more acquired taste.  While he hopes the shrubs are embraced by the customers, he laughs to himself, "I thought this would be a great way to avoid wasting something delicious we were discarding, but now we might sell more shrubs than the pickles we produce to make them!"

Nothing to Whine About: A Taste of Over 500 wines...

This year's Toast of the Town, hosted by Wine Enthusiast, will be held at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, with an opportunity to taste over 500 wines, beers, & spirits.  Though a liquid diet is more than acceptable, 35 unique NYC dishes from 35 restaurants will be showcased, as well -- including tasty morsels from such hot spots as db Bistro Moderne, BLT Fish, Bar Basque, and Plein Sud.  The event is from 7-10PM on Thursday, May 5, but VIP ticket holders can arrive as early 6PM for some one-on-wine time with wine makers before the crowd thickens at 7 o'clock.  

A portion of the proceeds will benefit RiverKeeper, New York's clean water advocate.  Representatives from Global Giving will also be onsite to collect donations for relief efforts in Japan.  Click on the banner below for tickets and more information.

Eataly: Squeezing all of Italy into one wondrous food hall

(A selection of Luca Montersino's authentic pastries in the counter at Pasticceria in Eataly)

Eataly (200 Fifth Avenue)

I have now been to Eataly on six separate occasions for a total of probably twelve hours, yet have only really eaten there once.  The first five times consisted of what amounts to hours of bewildered window shopping before my confused and growling stomach was so baffled that I had to leave for a restaurant with fewer options.  Eataly, for an Italian food lover, is like taking a child to the flagship FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue and telling him to choose just one or two toys he might like for Christmas.

With the aim of making high-quality Italian foods accessible to everyone at fair prices, founder Oscar Farinetti opened Eataly on the ground floor of the old Toy Building by Madison Square Park, along with partners Mario Batali, as well as Lidia and Joe Bastianich.  The result is a gourmet Grand Central station teeming with locals, tourists, and foodies in eager swarms, some there to shop for fresh ingredients and unique cookware to prepare food at home, others perusing the twelve various counters and eateries where you can dine within the food hall itself.

An enormous seafood counter offers every fish, crustacean, and mollusk imaginable.  Or diners can grab a seat at Il Pesce where Esca's Dave Pasternack prepares his own renditions of Italian seafood.

The butcher counter and adjacent refrigerated aisles offer a garnet array of every cut, filet, and sausage imaginable.  At Manzo, Eataly's only formal sit down restaurant, diners can even enjoy a 7-course tasting featuring dishes such as seared foie gras with crispy pigs tail, ravioli with roasted meat sauce and black truffles, and an entree of roasted loin, tongue, and tail.

There are rows and rows of every variety of dry pasta imaginable, as well as neighboring shelves of spices, infused oils, and vinegars, where shoppers meander the aisles sipping from glasses of wine purchased by the glass.

Fresh pasta can be purchased by the pound for preparation at home, or enjoyed at dining tables in La Pasta, featuring such dishes as a classic Spaggetone Cacio e Pepe, fettuccine with oxtail ragu, or lasagna with pesto and bechamel sauce.  Last month, the counter even housed whole black and white truffles you could purchase by the ounce.

At La Pizza, diners wait in sometimes monstrous amusement park lines to sample varieties of classic neapolitan pizza from the two brick ovens.  Pies range from a cheeseless Napoli TSG with tomato sauce, garlic, fresh basil, and oregano for $9 to a specialty pie with red onion, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and shaved grana padano (of DiFara fame) for $20.

Behind the neighboring focaccia counter, bakers prepare baguettes and rolls of delicious smelling breads in countless varieties, available for purchase by the whole loaf to take home.

While in line at a cheese counter that rivals any Whole Foods, watch as cooks shape glistening orbs of fresh mozzarella.  There is even an area called La Piazza, an enoteca with standup tables where you can order cheese and cured meat boards, crudo, and glasses of wine.

An entire hallway of fresh produce offers strange varieties of mushrooms, violet potatoes, and multicolored heirloom tomatoes, as well as every fresh herb fathomable.

Or you might choose to stop by the paninoteca,  cafe,  chocolatier, or gelato counter.  As you mill from station to station and drool over the dishes of seafood, cured meats, cheeses, homemade pastas, and antipasti, it becomes next to impossible to narrow down the choices, choosing just one place to sit and one or two dishes to savor.  Thank goodness two very dear friends offered sympathy for my dilemma, and graciously gave me a generous gift card at Christmas in the hopes it would force me to finally treat myself.  In an effort to avoid my prior conundrum, I simply booked a lunch reservation at Manzo, the only dining room partitioned away from the crowds, committing to select from that one menu's options.

Although the menu at Manzo is designed with a distinct spotlight on meat, "Celebrating Razz Piemontese Beef", an outstanding pasta tasting I experienced a few years ago at Babbo remains one of my favorite meals I have ever enjoyed, and so I decided to focus on the pastas prepared here by Mario Batali's protege, Michael Toscano, formerly of Babbo.

Rather than completely carb out on just pasta, we began with the seasonal isalata di stagione, a salad of exceptionally tender root vegetables and brussels sprout leaves, with a whipped parsnip ricotta and a drizzle of honey.  Earthy, meaty, tender, bitter, and sweet, it was a garden of absolute deliciousness.

With the server's affirmation of our selection, we then split three of the pasta dishes between us.  The first was a spaghetti alla chittara, created using a pasta "guitar" over which sheets of pasta are stretched and then pressed through the wires, creating thin strands that were prepared to al dente perfection.  The ribbons were then lightly tossed in a peppery spiced tomato sauce with fresh basil, and crowned with buttery chunks of lobster tail, knuckle, and claw.  Simple.  Decadent.  Phenomenal.

Next came the agnolotti del plin, literally meaning "pinched" pasta pockets.  Tender Piemontese beef was tucked in each of the tiny pasta envelopes, tossed in a luscious brown butter with shavings of parmigiano.

Our final course was one I will remember for many years, the most exceptional gnocchi presentation I have ever tasted.  Here, the light-as-air potato pasta pillows were tossed in a decadent herbed robiola sauce, a rich, soft-ripened Piemontese cheese.  For an extravagant finish, the entire dish was blanketed with luxurious black truffle shavings.  Unbelievable.

On the way out, I had to stop by the chocolate counter, where I indulged in the best deal in the whole place.  There is an actual faucet that simply pours a stream of warm chocolate, specifically Bicerin "700", a rich, velvety, spicy Gianduja chocolate you can purchase by the cup for $1.  With a plastic spoon and a cup of heaven, I headed out to hail a taxi.  Thank goodness Eataly's offerings confuse my ability to make selections.  Otherwise, you might see me there all the time.  In the meantime, check out this incredible recent flashmob at Eataly...