Wine at the Ten Bells

I visited The 10 Bells down on Broome between Orchard and Ludlow on Sunday and was surprised it was so crowded on a Sunday at 6pm. It was probably due to the fact that they were reviewed in the Times the previous Sunday. While doing a lap around the u shaped bar I was lucky enough to bump into 2 guys were parting ways with their friends, so I quickly snagged their seats. The place is small, but situated so you don't feel like you are on top of your neighbors. They have about 18 wines by the glass, divided between bubbly, white and red and a more extensive list of bottles mainly from France and Spain. Since the wine is served in very small glasses, a bottle is the way to go. I was waiting for a friend, but took the liberty to order us a bottle of the Rioja "Arbanta" 06 "Llorens" (Spain) at $45. It was full and rich and delicious! So much so that we ordered another bottle, which would have been ok, but the bartenders are generous with the free rounds, so needless to say, I was thankful the next day to actually not have a job! The food leaves a lot to be desired. An almost inedible terribly salty ham and cheese empanada, unimpressive prosciutto and cheese cigars, and mundane Spanish Tortilla, illuminate the fact that this is more of a watering hole for wine lovers who need something to absorb the tasty wine, not for a culinary experience.

The 10 Bells

247 Broome Street b/t Rivington and Ludlow

212-228-4450

Otto Enoteca ad Pizzeria

Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria has become one of my favorite places to go when I’m looking for really good food at a reasonable price. The restaurant is huge, with a bar up front, where throngs of people drink copious amounts of wine selected from an extensive list featuring wines from Italy while waiting for their station to be posted. You see, in place of a reservationist finding you, they have a cool old style train schedule on the wall that constantly changes to alert you that you are up for a table. If you are lucky and can find space to sit at the bar, I wouldn’t waste any time waiting for a table and would place my order ASAP!

I have been numerous times, and have found the best way to experience all the delicious food that Mario Batali offers is to share with the group. The Antipasti are served in small bowls, so be sure to order a bunch such as the Lentils ‘Toscana’, Shrimp with Chickpeas and Chilies, Cauliflower ‘Alla Sicilian’ which is sweetened with plump raisins. To round out the antipasti, I always get a salad, such as the Arugula with tomatoes or Escarole and Sunchoke which are usually good, but sometimes the chef uses a heavy hand with the salt. There are also the usual array of meat and cheeses with a melt in your mouth prosciutto and creamy Gorgonzola Dolce.

The Redhead

As soon as I heard that the Redhead served bacon peanut brittle I was hooked and became obsessed with trying this decadent snack! I had high expectations, and was not disappointed. The smoky bacon, salty peanuts and sugary coating all worked together to create a symphony of flavor in my mouth. For this dish alone, I am definitely going to return- and for those times I can’t wait between visits, they also offer it in a jar to take home.

The Redhead is located in the former Detour jazz bar and from the layout, it’s apparent it wasn’t originally configured to house a restaurant. In fact, partners Meg Grace, Rob Larcom and Gregg Nelson first opened up as a bar to help their cash flow before opening as a true restaurant. Upon entering you are immediately thrown into a throng of locals and hipsters crowding around the bar waiting for a table. If you’re lucky, snag a seat at the bar or one of the high tables upfront to save yourself the wait that usually hovers around 45 minutes. We started out with a few glasses of wine from the short but vast wine list, ranging from a Long Island Merlot to a Austrian Gruner Veltner. The cocktail list included drinks such as the Ginger Snap, a mixture of Gosling’s rum, ginger syrup, and fresh citrus and the Redhead Gibson elevates the regular combination of gin and onions with fresh cracked pepper.

Momofuku Ko

I pressed the reservation button and low and behold there was a vacant spot available on Sunday at 7:10 pm. I almost fell off my chair since this was supposed to be one of the most difficult tables to secure in the city. This mostly has to do with the online only reservation system they use to fill up their 12 seat restaurant, but if you are persistent, a table at Momofuku Ko is only a few obsessive site refreshes away!

After scoring my res, I reached out to my foodie friends to see who could join me. It was looking like I was going to have to post an invite on chowhound, but luckily Tracy was free to join me for dinner. Then, the countdown began (as did the ribbing from my family for blowing off a Palm Sunday dinner, but I think any sane person would have made the same choice!)

The space is miniscule, consisting of an open kitchen where diners are seated around a counter and can watch the construction of each dish as they are prepared. Each night, the chefs puts out a set prix-fix menu consisting of 10 dishes for $100, as well as a beverage pairing ($50/85/100) which I highly recommend getting, since it elevates the total experience.

Scarpetta

One of the best things about staying in NYC during the summer months, especially on holiday weekends, is the ability to score a table at otherwise booked restaurants. So, to celebrate my birthday this year with my mom and sister, I made a dinner reservation for the Sunday before Memorial Day at Scott Conant’s year old venture, Scarpetta. I was a huge fan of L’Impero, so I was well versed in Chef Conant’s culinary repertoire, which I’m happy to report has not changed much at all. The restaurant is located on 14^th St. near 9^th avenue and is so non-descript from the outside, that I was surprised that I had passed it numerous times without giving the building a second glance. Upon entering the restaurant, one finds themselves in the front room that is dominated by a long bar and also has a smattering of tables reserved for walk-in. Beyond the bar area is the main dining room that is warm and inviting with a glass ceiling that give one a bit of a feeling of eating outdoors.

As soon as we were seated, we were given the bread basket with accompaniments- spicy Stromboli, salty foccacia, eggplant caponata, mascarpone cheese and olive oil-almost a meal in itself. The one aspect of Scarpetta that was a bit disappointing is that they did not offer the prix-fix deal they used to have at L’Impero. But, being resourceful women, we decided to order a bunch of dishes to share so we could overcome our feeling of deprivation by creating our own four course meal. To begin with we had Asparagus Soup with plump mussels, Soft Shell Crab with a sweet pea puree and Yellowtail Crudo that tasted like it just jumped out of the ocean onto the plate. To accompany dinner, we ordered a bottle of medium-bodied red whose name escapes me, but I think it was a Barbera d’Alba.

The pasta dishes are the crowning grace of Scarpetta. We opted for the Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil, whose flavors are so concentrated it tastes like there are a bushel of tomatoes in each serving. The lush Agnolotti Dal Pin has a rich filling of chicken, beef and pork and is balanced by a light sauce of mushrooms and parmigiano. The other pastas that I was lusting over included Black Maccheroni with mixed seafood, sea urchin & bread crumbs and the Cavatelli with braised rabbit, parsnips & mint.

To start the winding down of the meal, we opted to have the Black Cod whose delicate flavor melded well with the caramelized fennel & tomatoes. The Pancetta-wrapped Veal Loin with sweetbreads, turnips and butternut squash was a salty sweet symphony in my mouth. Also on offer were a Sicilian Spiced Duck Breast along with Seared Scallops.

Being completely sated, we had to skip the cheese course and just shared the Coconut Panna Cotta which was the perfect ending to a magnificent meal.

Scarpetta

355 w.14th St. at 9th Ave

212-691-0555

www.scarpettanyc.com

Dinner

Mon-Thu: 5:30pm-11pm

Fri-Sat: 5:30pm-12am

Sun: 5:30pm-10:30pm

Bar open daily at 4pm