My family and I decided to try this acclaimed restaurant recommended by Forbes Magazine and The Michelin Guide Point of View. Its name, according to Forbes, is from the area code found around Naples, Italy.
Walking into the restaurant feels like an instant trip to an actual courtyard in southwestern Italy. There is exposed brick, whitewashed arches, and a pizza oven as a centerpiece where the most delectable pizzas are made. (They have a puffy but crisp crust and a soft middle!))
We started with the Margherita (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano and basil) and then moved on to a more adventurous Patate e Porcini (fresh mozzarella, sliced potatoes, and porcini mushrooms), which was wonderfully reminiscent of a past trip to Rome 🙂
The menu is extensive and includes appetizers, salads, pasta, risotto, fish and meat entrees. We loved the Polpettine, Polenta, and Caprino (small meat balls, not so spicy tomato sauce, polenta, and goat cheese). Our waiter, and Michelin, both recommend we try the brasato alla Peroni ( beer-braised short ribs with cherry peppers and topped with gorgonzola cheese). We will definitely return for this!
Reservations are not accepted unless for large parties. We had to wait about twenty minutes for a table when we arrived at 6:30 on a Sunday evening. It was well worth the wait!
PS: Leave room for dessert!!
Margherita pizzaDesserts are amazing – all fresh cream!
NYT Recipe, adapted by Julia Moskin. Banana bread is one of my family’s favorites. Ms. Moskin reminds us to “make sure the bananas are very ripe.” The recipe did not call for vanilla, but I added 2 teaspoons. Also, instead of brown sugar, I substituted cane sugar and increased the amount to 1 cup. If you would like to add chopped nuts, stir them in when the batter is combined or scatter them over the top before baking.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BREAD
¼ pound cool butter (1 stick), more for greasing pan
¾ cup dark brown sugar******
2Â eggs, at room temperature
2 â…“Â cups very ripe bananas (I used 4 bananas; the recipe suggests about 5.)
2 teaspoons vanilla******
2Â cups all-purpose flour
1Â teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
optional: 1/2 -3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts******
Topping: 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar sprinkled over the batter.
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and cream together 2 minutes more. One at a time, mix in eggs. Mix in bananas until only small lumps remain.
Stir dry ingredients together and mix into banana mixture just until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Add topping.
Bake about 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf is becoming too dark before it’s baked through, loosely cover with foil.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely before wrapping tightly for storage.
Another Banana Bread: My tried and true recipe! My family feels that I should also include this one.
1 stick of room temperature butter, more for greasing pan
1 cup sugar
2Â eggs, at room temperature
2 large or3 smaller, very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2Â cups all-purpose flour
1Â teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
I usually use a food processor for this recipe, but you can use your electric mixer. Process the butter, sugar, eggs, bananas, and vanilla first. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Lastly, add the nuts, careful not to over process them.
Bake in a 350* oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Sometimes, if the toothpick does not come out dry, I turn off the oven and let the cake finish that way.
In as big a pot or casserole as you have available, begin by lightly browning your sausages and ribs—and, if using, braciole and pork chops—in lard over medium heat. Yes, you read that right: lard. You can use olive oil if you like, but for the real taste of ragù, lard is a must. (And there is no better fat for browning, by the way.) Brown as many pieces at a time as will fit in your pot in a single, well-spaced layer. (If you crowd the pieces of meat, they will steam and not brown.) Do not rush the process; take your time and brown them gently, so they render their fat and don’t darken too much. Remove the pieces to a bowl or dish as they brown, replacing them with other pieces.
When all the pieces of meat are brown, remove any remaining in the pot and add a generous amount of chopped onion and allow it to sweat until it is quite soft. Then add a clove or two of chopped garlic and, when you can just begin to smell their aroma, add back the browned meat. Turn the meat with the onion and garlic and simmer them together gently to allow the meat to insaporire (absorb the flavor of the aromatics), seasoning with salt and pepper as you turn. (If you have some spare red wine on hand, add a splash at this point and allow it to evaporate completely. If you don’t have red wine, not to worry; Angelina actually didn’t add wine to her ragù, but many recipes call for it, and it does add a nice additional layer of flavor.)
Then add the best quality canned tomatoes that you can find , passing them through a food mill into the pot, enough to cover the meats entirely. (Some recipes call for tomato paste, but I find this makes the sauce too heavy.) Nestle a sprig or two of fresh parsley among the meats. Lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce to simmer very slowly for at least 2-3 hours, until the sauce is thick and dark and very flavorful. Along the way, add your meatballs, which you will have fried separately in oil.
Sunday Sauce is best made a day ahead, but you can use it immediately if you like.
*Note: I make this sauce using 2-3 28oz. cans of Muti chopped tomatoes. (No need for a food mill.) I also use 1 large beef short rib, one large pork chop on the bone, and sometimes some sweet pork sausage. (Definitely use olive oil.) If necessary, after final seasoning, you can add some honey to taste.
Ingredients for Meatballs (Dina)
For every pound of meat, do: 1/2 ground beef (80%), 1/4 ground veal, and 1/4 ground pork, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of salt
Add to taste, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and garlic
Take stale Italian bread, soak in water with a little milk, then break it up to make breadcrumb/like mixture.
Mix it all together, make meatballs, and fry them in oil. Add to sauce.
Note: My interpretation:
garlic: 1 large clove, finely chopped, should be enough for 2 pounds of meat.
Parmesan cheese: about 1/4-1/2 cup, freshly grated, for 2 pounds of meat.
*Stale bread: For 2 pounds of meat, let about 4 slices of bread sit out for a few hours. Remove crusts and cut bread into cubes; it should equal 2 cups. In a shallow dish, cover cubes with water and milk; drain.
A new, contemporary Chinese restaurant on the upper west side of Manhattan offers a different take on Chinese food.
Owned by two recent graduates of Columbia University, the menu flies to the four corners of China for its inspiration.
Dishes from Hunan province — where sour and spicy flavors and dried, smoked, and pickled ingredients are prized — have a major presence on the menu. Sichuan food is also a frequent menu inspiration. (We ordered their Hunan Style Fried Rice, which is spicy, and asked for a milder version. They kindly complied.)
If you are not an adventurous eater, the menu has a section devoted to American Chinese food where you will find old favorites such as Sesame Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Prawn with Garlic Sauce and much more.
Their vegetable selection is extensive. We started with Okra with Garlic Sauce, and I’m looking forward to returning and trying some of their other offerings. All the dishes were not only delicious, but beautifully presented as well. Yes, to a repeat!!
okra with garlic sauce
Update: May 22, 2025. This blog post was written in February, 2022, so when returning to the upper westside, we decided to revisit this wonderful Chinese restaurant. Major disappointment. Restaurant is now rather shabby, and the food was fair to middling. One dish was especially terrible – their soup dumplings. Skins were inedible. Sorry, I can no longer recommend this restaurant.
â–¢ Lime wedges (to serve – optional but recommended)
Instructions
LEMONGRASS CHICKEN
Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through – about 6 to 8 minutes in total.Â
Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.
NUOC CHAM SAUCE
Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
ASSEMBLE
Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.
Note: After marinating the chicken, I placed it in the pan and cooked each side until golden brown. I didn’t shake off the marinade and brushed more on while it was cooking. Since I used the whole thigh with skin, I then oven roasted it for about 15 minutes at 400* to make sure it was ready. Served it whole on top of noodles. 🙂
I never thought I would ever say this, but “run, don’t walk” to Edith’s Eatery on Leonard Street in Brooklyn. It was amazing! The food is influenced by the Jewish diaspora and explores the global flavors and cultural experience of Jewish cuisine, however one doesn’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it.
Another restaurant I would like to recommend is Maman, a French bakery and cafe located on the upper west side. It is one of a chain of restaurants located in the city, but there are also two in Brooklyn and two in Canada.
For desert, we shared a hazelnut praline croissant bun. Delicious!
I would suggest that you arrive at both restaurants before 11:00 am, otherwise the wait time can be lengthy.
This is a stock picture of Syrniki Pancakes. Edith’s version is much grander!
Some of Edith’s offerings
We returned to Edith’s for a family visit and, once again, found the meal to be just wonderful. This time we tried their fish platter with a homemade bagel and bialy (hot out of the oven), and their chicken schnitzel with corn bread, along with our favorite pancakes and the Malawach. Family was really impressed!!!
It’s been awhile since I recommended a restaurant to you (having eaten at several), just none that I felt were worth reporting on. However, this Japanese restaurant had ended the dry spell. It is not inexpensive, but a meal here is a treat. As you can imagine, they specialize in sushi, but their appetizers and entrees were excellent.
To start our meal, my daughters and I ordered gyoza, tofu with fish flakes, scallions, and ginger, and goma-ae, boiled spinach tossed with a sesame sauce. Then, from their kitchen, I devoured (but well-mannered) a tempura udon while they enjoyed sushi. The delicate tempura, consisting of vegetables and shrimp, was lightly battered and deep fried to create a light, crisp coating.
This restaurant is one of four in the city. For me, it’s definitely a repeat!
This is another recipe from The Fairmount Temple Sisterhood Cookbook, Cleveland, Ohio, 1957.
Ingredients:
3 Large potatoes (I used Yukon gold.)
1 large onion
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to your taste)
3 Tablespoons of flour
8 Tablespoons of melted butter, divided (Oil can be substituted for butter.)
3 eggs
Directions: Heat oven to 400.* Add 4 Tablespoons of butter to baking dish and place in oven. Grate potatoes and onion (by hand or processor). Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and drain well. Mix in all dry ingredients, then add rest of melted butter. Beat eggs and blend in. When the butter is very hot in the baking dish, pour in the pudding mixture. Bake uncovered for about one hour or until brown.
Note: Squeeze the grated potatoes and onions in a strainer over a bowl. When the liquid is poured off, there will be potato starch left in the bottom of the bowl. Add this to the mix.
New recipe:
This potato kugel’s crunchy top gives way to a super-soft, almost mashed-potato center, and the soft aroma of onion will fill your kitchen. —Francis Lam
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
6 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded (or about 3 pounds)
5 eggs
1/2 to 1 tablespoon kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons black pepper
2 medium onions, coarsely shredded
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus 4-6 tablespoons more for greasing pan
3/4 cup matzoh meal
¼ teaspoon baking powder, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
When oven is preheated, add 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil to a 9×13 Pyrex dish and put into the oven to heat up.
Whisk eggs together in a large bowl with salt and pepper
Using a food processor fitted with the grating plate (or by hand), grate the onion and then the potato. Quickly add the potatoes and onions to the eggs, and add the oil, matzoh meal, and baking powder, if using. Mix well.
When oil has been heating about 10 minutes, remove from oven.
Add a small spoonful of the potato mixture and if it starts sizzling, it is hot enough. If not, put it back in the oven for a few minutes.
When oil is ready, add the entire potato mixture and spread in a even layer using an offset spatula or large spoon.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until crispy around the edges and golden brown on top.
Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares. Serve warm or room temperature.
Lemon poppy seed cake is my all time favorite dessert. I like this recipe, because it is made strictly by hand. The only fault I find is that I would prefer more of a lemon taste. Perhaps doubling the amount of lemon juice from 2-4 tablespoons and adding more juice to the glaze would give it the lemony taste I’m looking for.
FOR THE CAKE:
5 ½tablespoons/78 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for the pan
1 ½cups/192 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1teaspoon baking powder
¼teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼cups/250 grams granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 tangerine, plus 2 tablespoons juice
4large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½cup/120 milliliters heavy cream, at room temperature
â…“cup/47 grams poppy seeds
FOR THE GLAZE (OPTIONAL):
1cup/120 grams confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2tablespoons lemon juice
½teaspoon poppy seeds, for sprinkling
Directions:
Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan. Place the pan on 2 stacked baking sheets or an insulated baking sheet.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
Put the sugar in a large bowl, add the lemon or tangerine zest, and rub together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic.
Add the eggs, one by one, whisking each vigorously before adding the next.
Whisk in the juice and vanilla, and then whisk in the heavy cream until smooth.
Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, using the whisk to gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter.
When the flour is incorporated, add the butter in 2 additions, again stirring gently with the whisk. You should have a thick, smooth, shiny batter.
Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the poppy seeds.
Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake until the cake has risen and cracked along the center and, most important, a tester inserted deep into the cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.
Take a look at it after about 45 minutes and tent it loosely with foil if it’s getting too dark too fast.
Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, and then run a table knife between the cake and the pan.
Cool to room temperature. Make the glaze, if you like:
Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. If needed, add more juice, a drop at a time, until you have an icing that falls slowly from the tip of a spoon.
Spread it over the cooled cake to coat evenly, sprinkle with poppy seeds and let stand until set. Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for about 4 days; unglazed, it can be frozen for up to 1 month.
The Fairmont Temple Sisterhood Cookbook, Cleveland, Ohio, 1957. Handed down from my mother, cooking stains and all, this cookbook is a treasure trove of delicious recipes. I will be sharing them with you as I try them.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup baking cocoa
Mix the above and set aside.
2/3 cup shortening, softened ( I used butter.)
1 3/4 cups sugar ( If you plan on frosting the cake, I suggest using 1 1/4 cups sugar. Otherwise, it will be too sweet.)
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups cake flour sifted 3 times with 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used all purpose flour.)
Directions:
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Combine buttermilk and vanilla and add. Add sifted flour with salt. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed. Add cocoa mixture and blend well. Bake in 2 greased and floured 9 inch pans at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check if done. It should come out clean.
When cool, frost.
Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting
1/3 cup soft butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
*3 or more Tablespoons of heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until smooth.
Note: Use as much cream as you need to make a spreading consistency.
My Picky Mother 