Antica Pesa

Welcome to the new, new Williamsburg. Say goodbye to hipster chic farm-to-table establishments, and hello to ultra posh hangout of Madonna and Morgan Freeman, roaring fireplace, mustachioed Italian men, and sometimes Jazz band.

The above scene describes the relatively new "modern Roman" restaurant, Antica Pesa that opened a few months back on Berry Street in Williamsburg.  The original Antica, located in Rome, has been run by 4 generations of the same Italian family and has a reputation for delicious Italian food and a celebrity clientele. 


I can't speak for their Italian counterpart, but here in Brooklyn Antica Pesa seems to be off to a good start. I like the ambience. It's fun. A large dark room (hence the terrible dark photos) with an awesome lounge area filled with overstuffed sofas is offset with white mod lighting and wood tables  giving it a rustic yet modern vibe. The crowd is a mix of young, cool people,  a lot from Brooklyn, with some Manhattanites and tourists thrown in for good measure. I read some reviews crying long waits and terrible service, but that was not my experience at all. Our waiter Alec, was a perfect gentleman; friendly, attentive, and well, adorable. Antica Pesa is perfect for a change of pace. Although I found the food to be good, not great,  it's not your typical neighborhood hang, and could be fun on the right night with the right crowd. 

After airing delightful bottle of rich red wine, a wooden chest arrives at the table with a selection of warm bread. This is always a good start. The food comes out in 3 courses. Autumn Salad with figs and artichokes, a Cheese Plate accompanied with honey and orange bitters and a Vegetable tasting (including beets, fried phyllo, and some interesting yet delicious hummus). Everything is tasty, if not mind blowing.

 Next up,  Cacio e Pepe, their signature dish. Wow. Creamy and buttery but not too overwhelming or heavy. Spot on. Best dish of the night. The Ravioli filled with potatoes and a leek cream, though presented beautifully, is hard and undercooked. Risotto with mushrooms topped with goat cheese is creamy and excellent. 

 Looking back, we probably should've stopped here. A selection of Mushrooms, roasted and fried, and the waiter recommended Bacala comes next. We liked the shrooms. They're tasty, the roasted ones more so than the fried which felt overwhelmed with breading. Bacala was just okay, the fish was small and somewhat bland. 

 Undecided for dessert, we went for the off the menu Homemade Gelatos. Tonight's included amaretto, white chocolate and pistachio. White chocolate was the best of the bunch if you have that sweet tooth craving. 

You'll have a good time at Antica Pesa. The atmosphere, attentive service, and cool vibe make up for some of the food shortcomings. And that cacio e pepe was really really good. 

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Bite Mark: *** & a half

Good For: Date Night, Fun Night Out, Entertaining Out of Towners 

Antica Pesa, 115 Berry Street bet 7th & 8th St  www.anticapesa.com 

Babbo

It's June, and we all know what that means...HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ME!! (It's the 11th if anyone cares.) Yes, I know I'm a tremendous baby, and I know people don't do this over the age of 6, but I truly believe Birthday's are a big freakin deal, and if I wanna go out 12 different times to celebrate, that is exactly what I'm going to do!  

So this June 11th, the restaurant honor goes to Babbo, a tried and true classic, that I haven't been to since my NYU days. I really just wanted Italian food done right, and if anyone knows Italian food, I'm thinking Mario Batali can take me there. Of all his establishments (Del Posto, Eataly, Lupa, OTTO, etc), I feel like Babbo best represents classic, delicious Batali food, without all the bells and whistles of a Celebrity Chef helmed restaurant. 

So about a month prior to the day, I diligently secured my reservation because really there is no other way, they are always packed! Once you do get in, you'll quickly find Babbo is a pretty classy joint without being too stuffy. There's a main dining room, as well as a loft-like seating area on the second floor with a beautiful skylight above. Both times that I've been here I was seated upstairs, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere. My only minor complaint is that service is on the slow side. Ever been to one of those places where there are 8 servers around but you seem to be invisible? It was kind of like this, although when we did find our waiter, he could not have been more professional. 
So we decided to go with a couple of appetizers, 2 pastas, and share a main fish. We were quickly served Roasted Chickpeas Bruschetta to start, and I must say, it was perfection. For apps we got the Asparagus Milanese with a poached egg and parmiagiano, and the Carciofi (artichokes) alla Romano. No complaints here,  both appetizers were excellent.

 After the apps, there was some lag time where we devoured the bread and soaked it in the delicious olive oil, but as soon as the pasta course came out we forgot all about our wait. We choose the Maccheroni alla Chitarra with oven dried tomatoes, red chillies and bottarga di muggine. Don't be afraid of this one guys, it was really truly delicious. The Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati was also wonderful. Creamy, tangy, with perfect al dente pasta and unbelievable cheese that was brought over and sprinkled on top. I wanna tell you this one was our fav, but really you cannot go wrong with any pasta at Babbo.

After another kind of long wait, they brought over the Whole Grilled Branzino with mixed radishes, olives and lemon oregeno jam, and we watched as they expertly filleted that sucker and served it to us on 2 beautifully platted dishes. A perfect, perfect grilled fish. The Jam was interesting, a little on the sweet side, but tasty. We got a side of Babbo Greens with Shallots, which was not very good and definitely not worth getting.

Dessert I'm sorry to say was a disappointment. Maybe I just ordered the wrong one? It was tiny, a couple of bites of fried dough with marinated fruit that we did not even finish.
Regardless, I definitely enjoyed Babbo. Is it my favorite restaurant in the whole city? No way, but the pastas and those appetizers were incredible, and for a fine dining experience without the fancy uptown address, Babbo does the trick. We left happy and full.

Now just 364 days til we start planning next year... :-)

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

Bite Mark: ***and a half

Good For: Special Occasions, PASTA!

Babbo, 110 Waverly Place 212-777-0303 www.babbonyc.com

Frankies 457

Frankies 457 is the perfect Brooklyn lunch spot. I'm not gonna lie and say it is my all time favorite place, but Frankies is always good for solid, homey Italian food with a backyard patio that makes you feel like you're in Europe. Instead of fighting the crowds and waiting for hours or dining at 11 pm, go on a beautiful spring day and sit outside in the back garden. The service is usually pretty good, and the atmosphere has that rustic old school italian restaurant in Brooklyn vibe. The portions are on the small side, so I  suggest ordering a bunch of things and sharing. They have a nice selection of vegetarian options included more than 6 different salads, a whole slew of vegetable sides, cheese plates, crostinis, and pastas.

The Fennel Salad with celery root, parsley, red onions lemon and pecorino is a must order. I like the Italian Tuna Salad with herb mayo, but note it is not really much of a "salad". The Farro Salad with wild mushrooms and ricotta salata is also pretty good, and has nice flavors. I love the Stracciotella cheese here, it is stringly, creamy and delicious. Another amazing thing to get is the Crostini with cannellini, capers, lemon and anchovy. Insane!! The Vegetable Plate is pretty straightforward and a little boring. Skip this and order something a little more exciting. Some rave about the Gnocci with marinara and ricotta cheese, but I found it a bit overrated. 

Overall, I like Frankies. I'm just not gonna marry him. The food while for the most part delicious, is not transcendental. Certain items are definitely better than others. Frankies has become a Brooklyn staple, and if you've never been I would definitely suggest a visit. The same guys also opened a Frankies Spuntino in the West Village. I'm sure I will find myself back here time and time again and with so many options in this Carroll Gardens sect of Brooklyn, that is usually a pretty good sign.  

 Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn 

Bite Mark: ***

Good For: Lunch, Outdoor Dining, Italian Food, Small Parties, Girl's Night 

Frankies 457, 457 Court Street www.frankiesspuntino.com

Supper

As New Yorkers we take it for granted that there are tons of fabulous restaurants close by, but the hard part is deciphering which of these transcend the "neighborhood gem" status and become truly a must hit spot. Supper falls into this later category. Why I never ate here until this week is still a mystery, but it's easy to see why Frank and crew seem to have such a cult following.

Supper is the 3rd restaurant of the Frank Prisinazo (@theunknownchef on instagram) mini empire, including Franks and Sauce. I have yet to try the others, but I can tell you that Supper lives up to the hype. I was recommended this place by some Brooklynite friends who frequent here often and promised it is their "go-to" girls night spot, and I must add to my list. I was not disappointed. It has all the trappings of a repeat place. Often times I love a restaurant, but after one seating I have had my fill and have no desire to return. Supper left me feeling like I could eat here once a week and be very happy and satisfied. 

Supper has a lot going for them. First off, it's a cozy, intimate space on a quiet East Village street. There's dim lighting and a slightly romantic feel making Supper a great option for a date night or the perfect neighborhood gem. The prices are not exorbitant. There's a tremendous Italian wine list. And probably most important, the food is clean, fresh, and flavorful. Let me put it another way. They have a punch card for their famous "spaghetti al limone". This fact alone should be enough to warrant a visit. 

Before I get to the food, a couple of quick tips. Supper is cash only. They are known to do a great job at delivery service (not often the case with good restaurants that offer take out/delivery). It is also vegetarian friendly. It's a good place to know. They don't take reservations and I'm told weekends can get hairy, but their wonderful homey wine bar next door called Sugo Bar, allows you to wait comfortably and have a glass of wine while you wait for your table.

The first sign of a good experience, is the bread. The homemade selection of breads with mouth watering White Bean Salsa here is enough to win me over. Don't fill up on this! I know you want to. We started with the Black Kale Panzanella with whole wheat bread, chopped ripe tomatoes, organic kale, pantelleria capers, basil, evoo, and coarse black sea salt. It's not a pretty salad, but it's tasty and very flavorful. My veggie loving friend ordered the Grilled Vegetable Plate for us to share as well, and as boring as that may sound, it was really just perfection. Beautifully grilled beets, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, green beans and broccoli with extra virgin olive oil and a nice sprinkling of sea salt. Perfect. 

For our main course we got their famous Spaghetti al Limone which was simple and fantastic. Al dente pasta with parmiagiano cheese, lemon, butter, salt and pepper. Refreshing and not too heavy. We also got the Branzino grilled and filleted with a chunky mouth watering tomato sauce with capers and basil. To finish we had the Ice Cream Sundae, with chocolate sauce poured over right at the table. A good ending to a great meal. Supper, I approve. And I will surely be back soon.



Neighborhood: East Village

Bite Mark: ***and a half 

Good For: Date Night, Girl's Night, Romantic, Small Parties (there's a private room that holds 12-15), Veggie Friendly 

Supper, 156 East 2nd Street  212-477-7600 www.supperrestaurant.com