M. Wells Diner dishing up supremely delicious & innovative comfort food

M. Wells Diner (21-17 49th Ave., Long Island City)

Brunch Daily 10AM-4PM (Closed Mondays)

"Wowwww, what is that?!?" asks one man sitting next to us at the communal table.  As the server drizzles a small pitcher of heavy cream over the steaming bowl of gooey golden deliciousness bubbling in front of me, every diner around us momentarily freezes to watch the ceremony.  "It's the pudding chaumeur, basically cake batter poached in maple syrup" I reply, rather proud of my dessert selection.  "And according to the server, there's only one left today, so you should probably..."

"Excuse me... server!!!" hollers another guy at the end of the table, cutting me off, "I want the last of that pudding thing this guy is eating, okay?"  The faces of the couple beside me instantly fall, beaten to the punch, as if the prospect of their entire meal has now been ruined.  I feel a little guilty, like winning the $25 lottery tickets to see Wicked on Broadway, when some disappointed couple from Iowa doesn't win during their one time visiting New York City, and I live just fifteen minutes away and have already seen it multiple times.

Lacking on recent kind Samaritan acts, I lean back toward the sunken couple.  "Grab a clean fork or spoon and take a bite of ours before we ravenously devour it... I mean it, go ahead."  "No, we couldn't possibly..." her mouth says, while she and he both reach toward their forks.  I smile as my teeth sink into the sticky, crunchy toffee coating of caramelized syrup that cracks like a brulee and gives way to maple and cream soaked yellow cake dollops, simultaneously piping hot and refreshingly cool from the cream.  Within about sixty seconds, four of us have nearly licked the bowl clean.

"Oh thank you... thank you so much... that was heavenly." The couple grins like two children who just finished a whole jar of chocolate chip cookies that were intended to be saved for later.  They haven't even ordered appetizers yet.  "If you want to try anything of ours at all, please help yourself."  "That's alright," I smile gratefully, "but thank you.  This is my third time here this week.  I'm sure I will have it again."

(Entirely on accident [honest!], I snapped one young patron who brought his own milk.)

Owned by the dynamic team of married couple Hugue Dufour (of Montreal's famous Au Pied de Cochon) and Queens native Sarah Obraitis, the perpetually evolving menu features many traditional Quebecois classics (tourtiere and poutine specials--sans the curds), as well as some American favorites with a few smart twists.  Dubbed a Quebecois-American diner, the menu was slightly different each of the three times I have visited, though several M. Wells favorites remain with slight variations on fillings or garnishes.

Even on the coldest days, expect a sometimes substantial wait for this highly buzzed hotspot.  I waited one Sunday afternoon over an hour and a half, though the payoff was worth every minute.  Obraitis recommends coming right when they open, or around 3PM for the best chance at quick seating.  Short for Magasin Wells (juxtaposing the French word for "store" and Obraitis's middle name), do not be  misguided by the fact M. Wells looks every bit like a 50-year-old diner.  This culinary destination restaurant is serving up some of the most interesting and fantastic dishes in all of New York City, yet at accessible prices expected of a diner--with the occasional exception of daily specials like sturgeon with caviar for $45, still reasonable, if not diner fare.  Then again, even the most simplistic dish titles are merely deceptively pedestrian monikers for exceptionally executed and fanciful recipes.  While Dufour mans the griddle, Obraitis rather sweetly orchestrates the dining room and seats each guest, acting as liaison between the customer and the kitchen, occasionally touching base with a gentle hand on the shoulder to make sure everything is enjoyable.

(Tables are adorned with ceramic doll head planters by Plants on the Brain)

Eclectic decorations foreshadow the free spirit and sophisticated whimsy of the dishes.  Half of the dining car is lined with booths opposite bison leather-cushioned counter stools facing the open grill.  The other side of the diner holds showcases of a rotating selection of daily freshly baked goodies alongside a couple of wooden communal tables, ideal for large groups or diners willing to spark conversation with their neighbors.  It's also where the staff retreats after service each evening for a family-style dinner.

Inspired by the McDonald's breakfast sandwich, Dufour has quite possibly perfected the egg-sausage muffin.  Built on a flawless, warm, chewy English muffin made fresh on the premises, this sunrise flavor carnival is stacked with a thick Berkshire sausage patty that sings of nutmeg and sage, a substantial egg pillow first microwaved for fluffiness and then finished on the griddle, tangy pickled jalapenos, dripping ribbons of melted cheddar, sweet and juicy heirloom tomato, and a generous slathering of homemade mayonnaise.

Simply named "Hot Dog... $6" on the menu, this little puppy is a jazzed up New York classic, like a Coney dog on steroids.  Tucked in a gorgeously toasted New England style hot dog roll, this juicy frank is generously piled with a sweet chili of firm, plump beans and tiny salty charred bits of crisp bacon, all crowned with a tangy mustard grain slaw, knocking any other version way out of the ballpark.

The tortilla española is an exceptional rendition of this classic spanish omelette ($6), literally a cloud of buttery and fluffy egg laced with slivers of sauteed onion and potato, also available with sweet Maine shrimp ($9), both blended into the omelette, as well as garnished with two whole sweet sea jewels, decadently brimming with salty roe.

Not a day has gone by that I haven't described in extensive detail to someone in my life what was one of the most extravagant and luxuriously delicious dishes I have ever enjoyed in my life: the seafood cobbler.  A casserole pan is lined with exquisitely tender brussels sprouts, then cobblestoned with flaky chunks of pollock, all drenched in a thick, velvety pool of bechamel, stacked with two homemade biscuits, and then sealed with a blanket of gruyere cheese, and baked to golden brown.  Forkfuls of butter-drenched sprouts, flaky biscuits, ocean-kissed whitefish, and endless melted rivers of nutty Swiss cheese stringing from the dish... well, food just doesn't get better than this.

The fish 'n chips is yet another exceptional rendition, this time of an English classic, served at M. Wells in the traditional newsprint cone, with hand cut fries under the fried fish planks, as well as a generous boat of extra on the side.  While we enjoyed a version using crispy-battered pollock with skin on, sealing in extra flavor, M. Wells has also recently served them in a popular Australian style using shark meat.  The breading is wonderfully thick yet crispy, and refreshingly greaseless.

Though the chipped fries are substituted here will actual full-length french fries, I have no complaints.  These fried spuds are exceptional, remarkably long and thin, with a crispy coating and tender inside.  Be sure to ask for a bottle of malt vinegar to best enjoy some of the tastiest fried fish around.

Now with their liquor license, M. Wells offers a limited selection of beers and carefully edited wines, along with fresh lemonade, Boylan's sodas, and a killer bloody caesar laced with just a whisper of clam juice and a peppery rim.

The salads on the menu are practically a steal, ranging $6 to $9 and more than enough to share.  The blue cheese salad is generously studded with wonderfully light, albeit mutant-sized crumbles of blue cheese, candied walnuts, and tart julienned green apples.

One my favorite dishes out of everything I have sampled was this refreshing, bright, salad kaleidoscope of shredded green cabbage, plump dried cranberries, crunchy rustic croutons, parmesan shavings, and remarkably tender and and smoky venison jerky, with a light sprinkling of cracked black pepper.

For a somewhat refined yet lumberjack-satisfying breakfast, you can't go wrong with their rotating hashed potato selection; this particular visit it was jeweled with red peppers, toothsome slab bacon, and a perfectly poached egg.

Though you may not find classic Quebec poutine on the menu (Dufour claims the curds here just aren't worthy), who wouldn't drool over this absolutely mouthwatering heap, simply called "hot chicken".  Flaky biscuits are loaded with boneless, juicy skin-on poultry, a teepee of handcut fries, polka dotted with plump green peas, and then decadently glazed with hearty brown gravy.  Stacked like a blazing bonfire of comfort food at its very best, this is a simply must-try dish for any M. Wells first-timer.

                                          

Proof that the best things come in small packages, the Coquille St. Jacques earned a place in my top five of the most mind-blowing delicious explosions of carefully harmonized flavors I have tasted in recent years.  White wine and butter poached succulent scallops and plump mussels sit in a pool of their own reduction alongside herbed breadcrumbs in a scallop shell cradle, topped with mild gruyere and skirted with a delicate piping of creamy potato mash.  Though only a trio of these tiny gorgeous gems arrive per serving, it demanded unprecedented willpower to make them last, and even more to offer a precious bite to my friend.  

I would have to dine at M. Wells every day to sample the full array of what I can only imagine is an entirely delicious menu.  Parsnip soup with foie gras tempted me, as well as a cubano with roasted pork and mortadella.  Bone marrow and escargot is only $9, and they were sadly out of the pickled pork tongue each time I last visited.  Desserts are equally varied and beckon you from behind glass cases, like this wonderfully dense and dunkable cake donut I shared.

I have been told the banana cream pie is out-of-this-world, although I cannot even remotely fathom anything winning my obsession affection the way the pudding chaumeur has.  Even if you don't have room, at least brownbag a Graceland for $3.50.  This Elvis-inspired confection is an exceptionally moist banana cupcake topped with peanut butter buttercream frosting, and puts anything those other cupcake shops are peddling to shame.

Oversized chocolate chip cookies are $2, and warm killer brownies the size of a jumbo slice of sourdough are $4, also available Mex-cellent style with spices and orange zest.

While the menu is gradually expanding, service currently remains every day of the week except Monday from 10AM to 4PM.  Dinner service, though initially scheduled to open last month, has been temporarily postponed, though it will gradually commence just a few evenings of the week.

Regardless of where you live, treat yourself to the brief ride on the 7-train to one of the most unique and innovative restaurants anywhere in the city.  Leave yourself ample time to wait, but if you're game, those waiting are likely to be regulars or return visitors eager to share their anecdotes and personal favorite dishes.  Besides, who doesn't love the nostalgia of eating in a half-century-old diner?

Maharlika: more than just duck embryo and pig snout for brunch

(Balut eggs were a special this weekend at Maharlika)

Maharlika (351 E. 12th St. in Resto Leon)

Open Saturday & Sunday 11AM-3PM

info@maharlikanyc.com for reservations


Next door to Resto Leon, the pizzaiolo at Motorino prepares the dough for one of the most highly acclaimed neapolitan pizzas in New York City.  In the window beyond, a brother and sister nosh on a skillet of cheeseburger macaroni and cheese while their parents enjoy the masala pasta from S'Mac.  On a weekend morning at Maharlika (the pop-up restaurant open for weekend brunch inside Resto Leon), however, unless you have roots in Filipino heritage and cuisine, the only items on the menu you are likely to recognize are french toast and spam.  But if you happen to be passing by--or landed a highly recommended reservation at this ephemeral gourmet phenomenon--skip the pizza and mac 'n cheese for some of the most unique, sophisticated, and inventive brunch dishes and drinks anywhere in the city.

"Our flavors are as bright and bold as our personalities," owner Nicole Ponseca explains of Filipino cuisine.  "Rather than tone down those flavors, we have tried to find ingredients to beautifully compliment them."  And if you don't understand something on the menu, anyone on staff is capable and happy to explain.  Ponseca herself will even pull up a chair to show you how to approach eating a balut egg if this is your first time, as it was mine.  It's the sort of sincere hospitality you rarely find, and a wonderful energy and eagerness to share that somehow makes already delicious food taste even better.

When Ponseca, who is the General Manager at Juliette in Williamsburg, was asked to assist in restructuring East Village sister Resto Leon, she jumped at the opportunity to utilize the restaurant's closed doors during weekend brunch.  Along with Enzo Lim (mixologist from Minetta Tavern) and chef Miguel Trinidad, Ponseca decided to open Maharlika (tentatively scheduled to be open weekends through April), the pop-up approach allowing the team to hone recipes and collect diner feedback without taking out exorbitant loans for their own unique space--although if all goes well, a full-scale Maharlika restaurant is the ultimate goal.

While you peruse the menu, a few treats arrive at the table that begin to acclimate your palate to the colorful dishes awaiting.  The first is a mug of garlic cracker nuts, peanuts coated in a wheat flour dough that is deep-fried, and dusted in a sweet garlicky seasoning.  Quite an addictive little snack, sugary garlic crunch gives way to salty peanut, and pretty soon, the entire mug is empty.

The Bloody Mary is mixed with patis, a Philippine fish sauce that adds a whole new dimension of ocean and brine, almost like a killer bloody caesar.  Sliced fresh ginger root garnishes the Pacquiao Punch, named after the Filipino boxer and politician, similar to a jazzed up mai tai, with rum, citrus, pineapple, and a floater of absinthe.

The drink that knocked my socks off, however, was this sweet little Gin-based medley, blended with citrus and strawberry jam, named in honor of the Baguio nuns, who are famous for their... strawberry jams.  Like slightly tart and tangy liquid strawberry preserves on the rocks, this little mix could get me into a lot of trouble on a Sunday afternoon.

As our second complimentary snack arrives at the table, a plate of surprisingly light and crispy chicharon-style fried chicken skins, Nicole Ponseca fills a tiny ramekin with a house condiment of coconut and sugar cane vinegar infused with chilies and garlic.

After a brief tutorial, my dear friend, Pete, and I took a crack at our balut eggs, a traditional Philippine street food ($5).  A fertilized duck egg with a nearly developed embryo inside, they are ideally consumed in the Philippines at the age of 17 days old, when the young chick is not yet fully developed.  Prepared similar to a hard-boiled egg, the piping hot balut is first cracked to remove a small circle at one end.  After a pinch of salt and sweet and spicy vinegar are added, the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped. Surprisingly delicious, it tasted almost like a smoky chicken stock.

Ponseca told us that even she picks out the yolk bits and then discards the remaining embryo.  While I took her recommendation, savoring a velvety smooth and hearty egg yolk, Pete consumed both the embryo of his and my eggs, exclaiming that it was delicious and tender.

Because I was admittedly a little nervous and jittery, the image quality is lacking, but above was the remaining embryo in my egg after I picked out most of the yolk and egg white before Pete devoured the remainder.

After a balut egg, I figured we could try almost anything.  Our first entree was another popular Filipino dish called sizzling sisig (see'-sig).  Boiled, and then grilled to extreme tenderness, pig snout, ear, and belly are sauteed with onions, garlic, and lemon, served in a sizzling skillet topped with a raw egg which proceeds to slightly cook as it sits on the hot pork scramble ($13).

Accompanied by a bowl of sticky garlic rice, we were instructed to add a few dashes of Maggi seasoning (like a cross between soy sauce and worcestershire) before mixing up the egg with the sizzling pork.  To my delight, this unctuous dish was remarkably delicious, the creamy egg balancing the salty and garlicky bits of pork.  A playground of textures and flavors, it tasted almost like a medley of bacons with scrambled egg.  It disappeared from the table within seconds.

Though they serve a version of eggs benedict with thinly sliced pieces of SPAM, we decided to try the Eggs Imelda (in homage to the infamous politician notorious for her 2700 pairs of shoes, among other things).  Homestyle pandesal (a rather dense and hearty "salt bread") is crowned with a sweet twist on florentine called laing (taro root leaves, coconut milk, shrimp paste, and chilies), a poached egg, calamansi lime hollandaise, and jumbo grilled prawns.  On the side are kamote fries (a white sweet potato best enjoyed with a bottle of banana ketchup).  Between the sweet potato, sweet greens, and rather sweet and succulent prawns, the dish risks hitting a sugary overload for what is usually a somewhat savory breakfast.  The key element that achieves balance in this extremely sophisticated brunch dish, however, is the tart and luxuriously creamy hollandaise, resulting in an astounding benedict unlike any I have ever enjoyed ($15).

Our favorite dish was the tocilog-tocino ($11), 7-up cured pork shoulder served with rice blanketed with a sunny-side up quail egg.  The citrus soft drink not only seasoned and tenderized the pork, but gave it a deliciously crispy and caramel coating that I could enjoy for several consecutive meals.

Truly a meal to remember for a lifetime, we finished with the perfect sweet ending, mango-stuffed Balthazaar's brioche french toast with fresh berries and caramelized macapuno (young coconut), an excellent rendition that would be quite difficult to beat.

After exchanging hugs with Nicole Ponseca, shaking hands with the staff, and saying goodbye to the new friends we made at nearby tables while discussing everything we were learning, we stepped onto the sidewalk satisfied in both stomach and spirit.  Pete immediately grinned at me before stealing the words right out of my mouth.  "We have to come back next week!"

Seating is limited, so be sure to book a reservation by emailing info@maharlikanyc.com or texting Ponseca at (917) 710-5457.

Amuse*Bouche article featured in BORO Magazine

(The Blues sushi roll from Shi in Long Island City, as featured in this month's BORO)

Be sure to check out this month's issue of BORO Magazine, the new guide to Astoria and Long Island City.  My story and photos are published in "Dish to Dish" -- the feature food article, where I ask local chefs and owners to reveal their favorite neighborhood eateries for an edible game of foodie taste tag.

If you can't make it out to Queens to grab a copy, the article is also available online by clicking here.  I had a wonderful time writing and shooting the story, and collaborating with Julian Lesser, BORO's Editor-in-Chief.  Hopefully, this is only the first time you will see my by-line in their beautiful new magazine.

Top Chef lunch tough to top: Colicchio & Sons

(An exquisite scallop on the Surf & Turf at Colicchio & Sons)

Colicchio & Sons (85 Tenth Ave at 15th St.)

Ted Allen in his unmistakable dark-rimmed glasses sits at the bar awaiting his lunch partner who turns out to be none other than the James Beard and Emmy Award winning Top Chef himself, Tom Colicchio.  The two retreat to a private dining room within the heart of Colicchio & Sons, and I would love to be a fly on the wall in that room where it eventually appears through frosted glass that two or three others have joined them for a meeting.  Talk about a culinary celebrity power lunch...

Moments later, an immaculately dressed and striking younger gentleman arrives at the table to take our drink order.  My comrade, Pete, struggles with his beer selection, and after attempting to describe what he is seeking, the man momentarily leaves the table, only to return a split second later with a sampling of three different brews, the copper-colored and ambitiously hoppy Brooklyn Brewery Detonation Ale winning Pete's favor.

We are dining in the Tap Room, formerly the lounge at Craftsteak before it reopened as Colicchio & Sons.  Separated from the main dining room (above) only by an enormous steel-framed glass wine tower, the Tap Room is a somewhat less formal room with an exciting selection of brews accompanying its own menu, a slightly scaled down version of the dining room menu in both intricacy of dishes and pricing.  Beneath us, a madras patchwork rug of various patterns.  Overhead, the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?  The formal main dining room, open only for dinner service, features two tasting offerings for $95 and $135.  Today, we are enjoying a 3-course Restaurant Week prix fixe lunch for $24.07 in the Tap Room, although if lunch was any indication, dinner in the main dining room is worth every penny of its price tag.

Our meal begins with a delicious spin on lox with cream cheese, reconceived here as glistening grapefruit colored medallions of incomparably tender fatty salmon on a bed of velvety smooth creme fraiche; and instead of citrus to cut the richness, tiny cubed cider apples add both a sweet and tart crunch, elevating both the flavors and texture.

We are both left speechless by our second appetizer, a terrine of braised beef short ribs and oxtail, with pistachios and a teardrop smear of piquillo pepper sauce.  Braised to delicate tenderness and formed into a terrine, the duo of exceptionally flavorsome cuts of beef are then sliced like a paté, offering familiar flavors in an unfamiliar but delicious presentation.  The beautiful tangerine-colored piquillo sauce was both sweet and smoky, only mildly spicy, and extremely addictive.

The same gentleman who took both our drink and dinner order turned out to be the Colicchio & Sons General Manager, Scott Sozmen (with an impressive resume that includes Craft, Spice Market, and Per Se), who again arrived at the table when our pizza came.  "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty to ask the chef to do something special," he grinned, "but since you had debated so much between the two pizza choices, I asked him to prepare you a half pie of each."  It was a very kind gesture, and one that we appreciated very much.

The pizzas, available in the Tap Room, are cooked in the gas-fired Wood Stone oven that is practically on the border of the seating area.  The pies appear to be a gourmet high-bred of the more artisan neapolitan pie and a classic personal New York pie.  The crust bubbles in the high temperatures of the oven, and then sighs to create a deliciously doughy and buttery crust with just a hint of crispness along the edges.  The first half of our pie was topped with small dollops of a creamy ricotta, squid-ink colored strands of black cabbage, and paper thin ribbons of speck, which added a wonderful smokiness to the pizza.

Pete proclaimed the second half of the pizza to be best he has ever had.  I will have to admit that it would certainly rank up there in my top five.  Earthy wild mushrooms, salty sopressata, and a blanket of taleggio cheese that has a rather bold aroma, but a surprisingly mild and salty finish.  It is one of my favorite cheeses, and melted harmoniously with the toppings on this fantastic pizza.  But the player here that made the pizza was the generous slathering of soffritto, a carefully sauteed and lightly browned reduction of minced vegetables, garlic and onion shining the brightest.  Usually a base for other sauces, it was a brilliant pizza spread.

Adam Platt named the C&S pork belly BLT one of the best 35 pork dishes in New York, and if the Tap Room Surf & Turf is any indication, I can most definitely understand why.  Here, the pork belly is rendered delicately tender with intense flavor and caramel-colored crunchy outer coating.  The turf sings a duet with the best surf I have savored in quite awhile, two flawlessly seared scallops that fall into delicate slivers at the mere whisper of the knife, each bite a wondrously buttery palate-tickler of a most exceptional filet mignon of the ocean.  As with all of the dishes we enjoyed, Chef Colicchio's expert preparation and manipulation of the most simple, natural flavors proves him far more than a celebrity, reminding us of the artistry that elevated his craft to such fame.  While the dollop of bacon-mayo could quite easily be licked alone by the upside-down spoonful, when scallops and pork are prepared this beautifully, you hardly want to hide the flavor at all, no matter how seductive the condiment.

When a plate makes me laugh, you know that I have fallen in love.  And you could not really do much to peel the smile from face after my initial few spoonfuls of the potato gnocchi.  Push your fork aside, and take full advantage of your spoon, because the broth is intoxicatingly salty, buttery, and delicious.  Enormous potato gnocchi the size of a plump thumb are unbelievably delicate and light, allowing them to soak up the harmony of all of the flavors in this dish.  Black-eyed peas add a sweetness and pop, which complemented the savory and tender chunks of sopressata , all woven with glistening ribbons of cavolo nero (black kale), crowned with a golden-browned dusting of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  In a cast iron dish prepared in the oven, it was a flavor playground that kept us grinning with every bite.

From pastry chef Stephen Collucci came some of the most delicious desserts in the city, each maintaining the integrity of Colicchio's signature stamp of culinary excellence within the framework of simplicity.  The vanilla ice cream parfait was built with spongy cubes of a rich red velvet cake, a lava stream of warm fudge, and crunchy oreo cookie crumbles.  A sophisticated sundae reminiscent of the basic desserts you loved as a kid: cake, cookies, and ice cream.

Zeppoles have never tasted so heavenly than the handful tucked into a folded linen napkin, each warm, surprisingly moist and almost almond-kissed sweet, dusted with a snowfall of confectioner's sugar.  A ramekin of warm butterscotch we nearly licked clean with our fingers accompanies, but the quenelle of malted milk ice cream pushed us over the edge with glee.  Like a sublimely smooth, chilled, creamy center of a malted milk ball, it was yet another simple, delicious morsel that elevated a familiar flavor with innovation.

Peanut butter hot chocolate is usually far too rich and thick for me at the end of a meal (or any time of day, really), but at C&S the thermal glass mug of cocoa is paired with homemade peanut butter marshmallows and a quenelle of whipped cream that swirl together for the perfect warmer before a long winter walk on the High Line, where Colicchio & Sons has seasonally served donuts, cider, and soups (wish I could have tried the lentil short rib they served!) near the entrance across the street from the restaurant.  As the High Line only seems to be offering concession licenses a month at a time, check to see when Colicchio & Sons will next be featured.  Better yet, start your visit to the park in the sky even earlier, and enjoy a full meal in the Tap Room beforehand.

As a very generous final touch and an effort to prove that the restaurant week menu was considered very carefully to reflect the usual menu, we were presented with a gift card for $20.11 at the end of our meal as an invitation to return in 2011 for the full menu offerings.  While it certainly made the meal even sweeter, we would have come back regardless.  Colicchio & Sons is serving up some of the most exciting American cuisine in the city with an unprecedented level of hospitality.

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...