Don Peppe

November 27, 2016 in Food

I'm not going to lie, the only reason I know of Don Peppe is because of Entourage. The number of times Turtle raved about the linguine with white clam sauce got me drooling out of control. Finally, I decided to make the effort all the way deep into Queens. Living in Manhattan, this isn't exactly the stroll down the street. You definitely need to make a significant effort. But if you like good Italian food, adventures, and Entourage, I definitely recommend it.

Ambiance / Decor / Service

Let's just say the lighting here is extremely bright (good for photos though) and invasive. The space is large, crowded and busy. It can be a bit overwhelming. If you got a sinus infection or a splitting headache, the ambiance may not be the most accommodating. But I liked it, it was warm, welcoming and got that old school Queens feel.

Food

I actually really enjoyed the food. It was solid homey Italian food. They only have one menu hanging on the back wall. Everything is family style.

1) The baked clams were solid, but not my favorite. I felt there were too much breading and not enough clams. However, the seasoning and flavors were nice.

2) Linguine with white clam sauce was my favorite, it was so well made in my opinion. Simple, flavorful and delicious. The pasta was perfectly cooked and drenched in warm buttery clam sauce.

3) Chicken marsala. At first glance, it looked kind of lame. At first bite, I wasn't too impressed. It is a very light dish. But after getting deeper into the dish, I realized it was pretty well made. The chicken was tender and the sauce was not overwhelming. I found myself craving it the next day.

4) Red wine. Oddly, the house red wine was served cold. I guess it's just something they do? For a house wine, it actually was legit, despite the cool temperature.

5) Dessert. The cannoli and pistachio Tartufo were so good. Such simple Italian desserts well made.

Reservation

They do not take reservations. I went there around 7pm on a Saturday and the wait was about 30-45min. It wasn't too bad and they have a pretty fast turnover.

Price

I'd say about $40-50 per person including tip and tax.

Altura

May 19, 2016 in Food

Food / Quality

I recently had a chance to try one of Seattle's hottest restaurants! I ordered the tasting menu which comprised of 9 courses along with small bits here and there. Overall the food was solid and of high quality. It was an enjoyable culinary experience as one would expect at this type of establishment. I learned from one of the cooks that between himself and the Chef, they collect fresh vegetables from the garden. Very cool!

While good, I wasn't particularly blown away overall. The food was inventive and creative, however, some flavors were not that memorable. I was unimpressed by the fava bean risotto with summer truffles and morels. I found the flavors to be too bitter. It reminded me of something my mother made. Not to say that my mother doesn't make great food—but if she can make it, why eat out? If you are in Seattle and money isn't a constraint then I think it's worth a try. Maybe I eat out too often so my judgement is a bit dulled and am harder to impress. If you are someone who doesn't eat out too often and is looking to splurge, it definitely won't bore you.

A few dishes I particularly enjoyed:

1) Mussels wrapped in pancetta that was served in a little lid full of smoke (I enjoyed the presentation of this a lot! It was also tasty and aesthetically pleasing)

2) Abalone with crispy spinach

3) Wagyu beef and pork chops with various vegetables—absolutely delicious!!

4) Gorgonzola cheese in a cracker with pepper and sage (I thought the presentation was unique and the flavor profile peaked my interest)

5) Hot chocolate affogato

Ambiance / Decor

The ambiance is okay. The decor is very ordinary and has that homey Italian feel. This place is not luxurious. It is definitely very low key, laid back and cozy. The emphasis is on the food and not their home decor skills.

Price

The tasting menu is $137 per person—a bit high for Seattle. Don't get me wrong, the food is great. But the price is a bit high compared to the other restaurants of the same caliber. It's more expensive than Art of the Table and I think you can get better value elsewhere.

Reservation

Make a reservation at least a week in advance and request for the Chef's table.

Fava bean risotto with mushrooms and summer truffles

All'onda

January 23, 2015 in Food

Food

All'onda serves modern Venetian cuisine that definitely has a slight Asian influence. We ordered the bucatini and lumache—the most popular pasta. I was eager yet reluctant to try to the bucatini because it did not look that exciting, but it received great praise. The famous bucatini is composed of smoked uni and spicy bread crumbs. There wasn't much uni in the pasta and I had almost forgotten its presence. It was a little overly "cheesy" in that it there was too much focus on the cheese and not enough focus on the uni. It did not taste as good as I thought it would. It wasn't bad or anything it was just very ordinary. Yet many people seem to love it. So it's worth the try to find out for yourself.

The lumache on the other hand, was very interesting and unique. It is served with aged duck ragu, treviso and chocolate. I enjoyed every bite. It was milky and thick, yet not too heavy. They managed to lighten this deceivingly heavy looking dish. I recommend.

The Japanese eggplants were superb. It was cooked in such a way that it reminded me of the eggplants my mother typically makes. It was very crunchy yet soft and warm on the inside. The polenta with wild mushrooms was also yummy. Overall I like this spot because they combine interesting new flavors yet maintain the hominess of the Italian pasta. It's not my favorite but it's a decent spot.

Quality

Overall excellent quality, however, it was difficult to judge how fresh the uni was.

Ambiance

All'onda is located by Union Square. It is trendy yet quaint. It has a charming vibe with wooden rustic decor. It also exudes a cool yet warm feeling driven by the slight industrial touch.

Price

I would expect to pay around $67-80 per person for a full meal with a drink after tax and tip.

Reservation

I definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. It's not terribly hard to obtain one, but at least 1-2 weeks in advance.

Osteria Morini

November 11, 2014 in Food

One of my favorite joints for Italian food in the city. The pasta is excellent value, especially Monday nights after 9pm when they serve ten dollar pasta. For the quality, ambiance, and brand, $10 is exceptional.

Ambiance

The restaurant has a warm and cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like you're in a small Italian joint in the middle of nowhere Italy. It's not modern or overly pretentious, but still maintains a clean semi high caliber appearance. It's down to earth and relatively low key with wooden decor.

Food

I've yet to try a pasta I didn't like, except the cappelletti—truffle ricotta ravioli with prosciutto—the combination of butter+cheese+prosciutto is extremely strong. It makes me feel itchy for some reason. Objectively speaking it was very good, but in general, the overly cheesy/buttery texture along with prosciutto makes me slightly uncomfortable. However, everyone I know that has been to Osteria Morini loved the cappelletti. I'll admit a few dishes were slightly too salty but their complementing sauce helped tone it down. Overall the pasta is solid—simple and traditional. The pasta is handmade, which is the bare minimum for good pasta. The desserts are also quite good—not too sweet.

A few of my favorite dishes:

1) Garganelli

As mentioned above, I did not enjoy the cappelletti yet I did really enjoy the Garganelli—very similar in taste—but a much better balance of flavors. The radicchio is the main player that helped calm the heaviness of the cream and prosciutto.

2) Stracci—wide ribbon pasta with wild mushrooms

I love wild mushrooms. The wide ribbon noodles are cooked al dente with the rosemary oil moisturizing every bite along with the way.

4) Tortellini di mele

This is more of a dessert pasta in my opinion. It's on the sweeter side but not overwhelmingly sweet. A good replacement for dessert if you're in the mood for more pasta!

4) Torcia squid ink pasta

Not nearly on the same level as the squid ink pasta at Ai Fiori but it is definitely a solid runner-up with crispy brussels sprout to enhance every bite.

5) Tortellini panna

6) Gramigna—macaroni with pork sausage

7) Dark chocolate almond tart

8) Goat cheese custard with figs and grapes

Price

The best value is Monday nights after 9pm. I would expect to spend about $25-35 per person including tax and tip depending on how much you order. For two people, 3 pasta and a dessert is more than enough. Any other day I'd expect to spend $35-50 per person including tax and tip.

Wait

Reservations are not too difficult to get. During peak times such as Monday and weekend nights, I think the wait can be as long as 1.5 hours. I definitely recommend reservations during those times.

Don Peppe

Altura

All'onda

Osteria Morini

Wells Blog

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