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All Posts Tagged: ‘del posto’

Two for Eight

7/15/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Alto and Insieme; Scarpetta and Il Buco Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »abboccato, alto, bar milano, del posto, felidia, fiamma, il buco, insieme, l'impero, scarpetta

NewsFeed

6/30/08

2:00 PM

Maremma’s Farewell Feast

fabio trabochhi, anne burrell, cesare casella

From left, Fabio Trachocchi, Anne Burrell, and Cesare Casella, around 1 a.m.Photo: Josh Ozersky

Though Florent got all the attention this weekend, another restaurant closed too: Cesare Casella’s Maremma. The Italian restaurant lasted only three years, but it had its fans, among them a disproportionate number of chefs, food writers, and Italian nationals. Representatives from all three groups showed up to close the restaurant on Saturday. In tribute to Casella’s trademark bouquet of rosemary, a lot of the men, and even a few of the women, tore branches off the restaurant’s rosemary plant and put them in their breast pockets. Casella was his usually merry self, if a little subdued, but the guest list was surely gratifying: Del Posto’s Mark Ladner, Centro Vinoteca’s Anne Burrell, Cesca’s Kevin Garcia, Fiamma’s Fabio Trabocchi, and a dozen other peers and friends.

More: NewsFeed »anne burrell, cesare casella, cesca, del posto, fabio trabocchi, fiamma, kevin garcia, maremma, mark ladner

Two for Eight

6/27/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Abboccato and Felidia; Il Buco and Del Posto Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »abboccato, alto, bar milano, del posto, felidia, fiamma, il buco, insieme, l'impero, scarpetta

User's Guide

6/25/08

1:30 PM

Premium Proteins of New York

Black sea bass used at Le Bernardin. Photo: Melissa Hom

The days of a restaurant describing its proteins in generic terms — “prime beef,” “tender veal,” etc. — are long gone, banished by the small-farm sensibility, the Haute Barnyard movement, and the pride of a thousand restaurants that go to the trouble to let you know just where your proteins are coming from. Watch the slideshow to learn sourcing secrets from some top New York chefs.

Slideshow: Premium Proteins

More: User's Guide »del posto, gramercy tavern, le bernardin, lure, meat, porter house new york, the harrison

Two for Eight

6/13/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Fiamma and Insieme; San Domenico and Scarpetta Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »abboccato, alto, bar milano, del posto, felidia, fiamma, insieme, l'impero, san domenico, scarpetta

Two for Eight

5/30/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Abboccato and Del Posto; Scarpetta Fully Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »abboccato, alto, bar milano, del posto, felidia, fiamma, insieme, l'impero, san domenico, scarpetta

NewsFeed

5/21/08

1:30 PM

Opinionated About Dining Unleashes ‘Most Overrated’ List

OA Fine Dining Survey

The collective gastronomes who supply the reviews for Steve Plotnicki’s emergent Opinionated About dining-guide empire are nothing if not snippy; all you have to do is check out the new “Most Overrated Restaurants” list currently on the book's Website. The top dishonors go to One if by Land, Two if by Sea, but the meanest comments are reserved for Il Mulino (“It has turned into an expensive, modern-day Mama Leone’s with a true turn towards the tourist”), JoJo (“Once the gleam of [Jean-Georges’s] eye, now the bastard son at the family reunion”), and Del Posto (“I pity the poor investors who funded this $12-million abomination.”). If this kind of thing appeals to you, the full Opinionated About dining guide itself is now available online, albeit in flipbook form.

Most Overrated Restaurants 2008 [Opinionated About]

More: NewsFeed »del posto, il mulino, jojo, one if by land two if by sea, opinionated about dining, steve plotnicki

Mediavore

5/20/08

10:00 AM

The $175 Kobe Burger; Black Truffles in Trouble

• In the latest development in ridiculously priced food, Wall Street Burger Shoppe has introduced a $175 Kobe burger that comes topped with — what else? — truffles, foie gras, and gold. [NYDN]

• The U.S. Agriculture Department raised its food-inflation forecast for the third consecutive month; if the figure rises again next month, it could match inflation in 1990. [WSJ]

• Ilili’s chef-owner, Philippe Massoud, may listen to disco when the mood is right, but he doesn’t allow any music to be played in the kitchen of his restaurant. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]

More: Mediavore »burger, del posto, foie gras, ilili, inflation, kobe beef, pastry chefs, philippe massoud, truffles, wall street burger shoppe

The In-box

5/14/08

5:00 PM

Where Can I Bring My Wheelchair-Bound Buddy for a Great Meal?

allen and delancey

Plenty of room for everybody.Photo: Noah Sheldon

Here's a letter from our in-box:

Dear Grub Street, I have a friend in town Thursday night and want to take him out for dinner. Cuisine and/or price is not really an issue: sushi, tapas, seafood, Asian/Thai-fusion, Italian, Mexican/Spanish — any and all will do! But my friend is in a wheelchair and I am stumped about some spots that are still fun, cool, delicious, and can accommodate entry/exit as well as restrooms for him. I think Stanton Social might be accessible, but am not sure. If you could offer up any great suggestions, I would be so grateful! I'd prefer to stay somewhere below the 40's if possible.

More: The In-box »allen & delancey, craftsteak, del posto, frank bruni, gramercy tavern, morimoto, stanton social

Two for Eight

5/ 9/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at i Trulli and San Domenico; Del Posto and Il Buco Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: Haute Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, babbo, del posto, felidia, i trulli, Il Buco, insieme, l'impero, san domenico

NewsFeed

5/ 6/08

9:30 AM

Brooks Headley Takes Over the Del Posto Dessert Program

Brooks Headley: progressive but Italian.Photo courtesy Insatiable Critic

When Nicole Kaplan left her post as Del Posto's pastry chef, Joe Bastianich told us that her replacement would be somebody good. And apparently that somebody is Brooks Headley, formerly of Compass. It seems on the surface like an odd choice, given the latter's reputation as an avant-garde dessert man (his signature at Compass was a “deconstructed Key-lime pie”), but Bastianich says, “He's a brilliant talent. He truly understands the tastes and sensibility of real Italian desserts.” The new dessert menu reads very Italian, admittedly: crespelle di polenta, frozen ricotta, rhubarb-and-rose-hip jam, say, or panna cotta with candied spring fennel. “He really gets it,” Bastianich swoons.

Related: Nicole Kaplan Leaves Del Posto

More: NewsFeed »brooks headley, del posto, desserts, joe bastianich, nicole kaplan

Two for Eight

4/23/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Morandi and Insieme; Del Posto and Il Buco Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: Haute Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, del posto, felidia, i trulli, Il Buco, insieme, l'impero, morandi, san domenico

NewsFeed

4/ 9/08

11:15 AM

Del Posto’s Mark Ladner Gets His Due at Last

The hidden hero of the Batali empire.Photo: Patrick McMullan

If you have any interest at all in the Batali-Bastianich restaurants in general, Del Posto in particular, or great, one-of-a-kind chefs who haven't ever gotten their due, check out the Observer's profile of chef Mark Ladner. We've always said that Mark Ladner is one of the great unsung heroes of New York dining — both from his work at Lupa and now with what he's done at Del Posto as its executive chef. Rangy, nerdy looking, egoless, and utterly passionate about the art of Italian cooking, Ladner hasn’t received a fraction of the ink afforded some of his flashier rivals, but if you can find anyone in the business with a bad word to say about him, you get around more than we do. The profile is also surprisingly candid about Del Posto, which Ladner considers a work-in-progress. Del Posto, he says, is “probably the least successful of all [the Batali restaurants], but we’ll win in the end.” As long as he's cooking, they already have.

Clark Kent in the Kitchen [NYO]

More: NewsFeed »del posto, mario batali, mark ladner

Two for Eight

4/ 7/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at A Voce and Felidia; Babbo Fully Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, babbo, del posto, felidia, i trulli, Il Buco, insieme, l'impero, san domenico

Celebrity Settings

3/ 6/08

5:00 PM

LeBron James and Anna Wintour Cozy Up at Waverly; Moby Makes Out at R Bar

Courtside at the game?Photo Illustration: Getty Images, johnnyz's flickr

We weren’t surprised to read in "Page Six" today that Anna Wintour dined with LeBron James at the Waverly Inn. We passed their table on Tuesday, and when the ceilings are that low, it’s impossible to miss a six-foot-eight baller extracting himself from the center of a corner booth. James was patiently sitting next to the bathroom when we emerged, causing our waiter to remark, “You made LeBron James wait!” We couldn’t tell whether he was chastising us or congratulating us for no doubt costing the man a Benjamin of his time, but either way we felt a sense of accomplishment unknown since Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand queued up behind us at the Spotted Pig. The rest of this week’s sightings are heavy on the PDA.

More: Celebrity Settings »aleo, Balthazar, Benjamin steak house, bouchon bakery, del posto, gottino, Johnny utah’s, la esquina, la grainne, pershing square, r bar, ray’s pizza, rose bar, sarabeth’s, scores east, serafina, socialista, spotted pig, suzie wong, time hotel, vegetarian, waverly inn, whole foods

Two for Eight

3/ 4/08

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Abboccato and San Domenico; Babbo Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: high Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, babbo, del posto, felidia, i trulli, il buco, insieme, limpero, san domenico

Back of the House

2/28/08

4:58 PM

Babbo Tops Zagat Italian List, Followed by Relics

We can agree with number one. That's okay.Photo courtesy Babbo restaurant

We’re not surprised that Babbo is the city’s top Italian restaurant, according to Zagat's new America's 1,000 Top Italian Restaurants book — its popularity alone is enough, in Zagat-land, to ensure yearly dominance. And in fact, Babbo is a wonderful restaurant, four stars by our lights, and justly beloved. But if you had any doubt how unreliable the Zagat surveyors are, just check out number two: Village relic Il Mulino! Now, don’t get us wrong: Il Mulino is a fine restaurant and uses very expensive ingredients to good effect. The tuxedoed wait staff are as servile as ever. But it should be the second-most-popular Italian restaurant of 1958. Haven’t the matrons of Secaucus ever heard of A Voce? Or L’Impero? Or for that matter Del Posto? Don’t look for any of those at number three: The winner there is another beloved mummy, Roberto in the Bronx.

Zagat names Babbo New York's No. 1 Italian restaurant [NYDN]

More: Back of the House »a voce, babbo, del posto, il mulino, italian, limpero, mario batali, zagat

Foodievents

2/23/08

11:11 AM

Unlimited BBQ and Champagne Brings Out the Carnal Chef at SOBE

Anthony Bourdain blesses Chris Lilly's pulled pork.Photo: Josh Ozersky

Bubble Q, SOBE’s Champagne-barbecue tasting party, may have been visible from the air last night. We made our way through the smoke-filled tent dodging mirror bars and fifteen-foot-high speaker stacks. We were happily waylaid by the endless chef’s tables and Champagne bars. Among the highlights:

More: Foodievents »anthony bourdain, ben schott, bobby flay, del posto, south beach wine and food festival, zak pelaccio

Back of the House

2/21/08

11:45 AM

Bourdain Gives NYC Restaurant Picks (Again)

Fodor’s goes to the Tony Bourdain well today for the latest in their “Top Chef Travels” feature, and though it’s all probably stuff you’ve heard him enthuse about before (Barney Greengrass, Ssäm Bar, Del Posto), we did enjoy his curmudgeonly take on the city’s live-music scene: “I don't know which is worse: to be packed in a room with a lot of people half your age, in which case you feel like an idiot, or even worse, go see someone you've really loved for a long time, like Elvis Costello, and you look around and see all the other original fans and they're all old and hideous just like you.”

Top Chef Travels — Anthony Bourdain [Fodor's]

More: Back of the House »barney greengrass, del posto, momofuku ssam bar, tony bourdain

Mediavore

2/13/08

10:00 AM

Hung to Cook in Midtown Kitchen; Chirico Pleads Not Guilty to Extortion

Top Chef winner Hung Huynh will begin a one-month stint at kosher restaurant Solo on March 2; Justin Smillie, formerly of Barbuto, has replaced Akhtar Nawab at the E.U. [NYT]
Related: Akhtar Nawab to *NOT* Leave E.U., Will Open New Restaurant

If you’re clamoring for a Valentine’s Day tablecloth dinner at White Castle, you still might be able to get one. [Eater]

Master Purveyors will live on: The fire destroyed the offices, but the meat is still safe and sound in the warehouse. [Crain's NY]
Related: Venerable Meat Purveyor Struck By Fire

More: Mediavore »del posto, fishing, freedom tower, hung huynh, joseph chirico, robert parker, solo, steve cuozzo, top chef, valentine's day, wheat, white castle, windows on the world, wine

NewsFeed

1/18/08

4:45 PM

At the End of the Day, Nicole Kaplan Likes Ring Dings

Nicole Kaplan, sundae fan.Photo: Patrick McMullan

We told you on Wednesday that Nicole Kaplan was leaving Del Posto for the Plaza, and today we can tell you why: She’s not crazy about cooking Italian food. “I guess I just missed my style; I wasn’t loving Italian food as much as I thought I would. My style is American food with a strong French–training influence.”

More: NewsFeed »del posto, dessert, nicole kaplan, the palm court, the plaza, the rose club

NewsFeed

1/16/08

1:15 PM

Nicole Kaplan Leaves Del Posto

Nicole Kaplan: moving on again.Photo: Patrick McMullan

Major developments on the pastry front: Del Posto's head pastry chef, Nicole Kaplan, who soared to fame as the chef at Eleven Madison Park (and, incidentally, as the creator of the Shake Shack's custard), has left the restaurant. We had heard that it was to head the dessert program at the St. Regis Hotel or, possibly, one of its restaurants, but the hotel denies this. (We’re still trying to reach Kaplan.) Del Posto GM Alfredo Ruiz confirms that Kaplan has been gone since January 1, but that her full staff is still in place and doing her menu as before. Co-owner Joe Bastianich says, “The split was amicable, and we wish Nicole nothing but the best in everything she does.” Bastianich added that the restaurant is looking at a couple of people and that, when the hire does happen, it will be “big news.”

More: NewsFeed »alex stupak, claudia fleming, del posto, dessert, jean georges, joe bastianich, johnny iuzzini, karen demasco, nicole kaplan, sam mason

NewsFeed

1/16/08

9:00 AM

Italian Chefs Just Can't Agree on How to Make Carbonara

The One True Carbonara (according to ITchefs - GVCI).Photo courtesy ITChefs – GVCI’s

So you think you know spaghetti carbonara? You don’t know spaghetti carbonara. That is the theme of the Italian chef coalition ITChefs – GVCI’s current campaign to educate New Yorkers about the classic dish. TChefs – GVCI’, which stands for Virtual Group of Italian Chefs, is charging four of the city’s top Italian chefs to make it exactly according to the “authentic” recipe for one night. On Thursday, Cesare Casella of Maremma, Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Kevin Garcia of Accademia de Vino, and Ivan Beacco of Borgo Antico, will make the dish according to the master recipe approved by ITChefs – GVCI. Or will they? Like every traditional recipe in every cuisine, "authentic" carbonara changes with every chef that makes it.

More: NewsFeed »accademia di vino, borgo antico, cesare casella, del posto, italian, ivan beacco, kevin garcia, maremma, mark ladner, pasta

Two for Eight

12/20/07

4:00 PM

Tables Available at A Voce and Insieme; Il Buco Mostly Booked

It's 4:30 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, del posto, felidia, i trulli, il buco, insieme, l'impero, morandi, san domenico

Mediavore

12/10/07

10:00 AM

No Plaza for Graydon; Mr. Rachael Ray Drops $35K for Lunchbox

Graydon Carter won’t be taking over the Plaza’s Oak Room, so you’ll still have to head downtown to the Waverly Inn for that truffled macaroni and cheese. [NYP]

Jean-Georges Vongerichten seeks the elusive fifth taste by serving “umami bombs” at his restaurants. [WSJ]
Related: Waiter, There’s a Fifth Element in My Soup

It’s possible that locally grown products have a comparable or even greater carbon footprint than food that travels long distances, so you can stop patting yourself on the back for being a greenmarket fanatic. [NYT]
Related: Local Schmocal [NYM]

More: Mediavore »bensonhurst, camaje, del posto, gilt, gotham bar and grill, graydon carter, greenmarket, jean-georges vongerichten, localvores, lou elrose, oak room, plaza, rachael ray, umami, waverly inn, wildwood bbq

Two for Eight

12/ 3/07

4:00 PM

Tables Available at i Trulli and Insieme; Il Buco Mostly Booked

It's 4:30 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, del posto, felidia, i trulli, il buco, insieme, l'impero, morandi, san domenico

The Gobbler

11/14/07

5:45 PM

Adam Platt Defends His Ratings

After seeing that our good friend Adam Platt awarded Allen & Delancey, a restaurant we especially admire, a measly two stars, we decided to confront him with his misjudgment, and request – nay, demand! – that he explain and even justify his method of awarding stars to us. We knew it was an argument we couldn't win, and what's more that we shouldn't win, given the fact that Platt is arguably the city's top critic, but we also know he would respond to us like the big baited bear that he is. The debate played out via our favorite medium, Instant Messenger.

More: The Gobbler »adam platt, allen and delancey, cafe boulud, del posto

NewsFeed

11/13/07

1:01 PM

Del Posto's Cruz Goler to Take Over Lupa

Lupa: no changes planned—ever!Photo courtesy Lupa

To everything, turn, turn, turn. And so we turn to Lupa! First, a recap: As we reported last month, owner Jason Denton's mighty sword tapped the shoulders of Lupa chef Steve Connaughton, who will head Denton's as-yet unnamed new venture in Gramercy Park. But Lupa's loyal (er, cultlike) customers can rest easy in the knowledge that though the maestro is leaving in December, he'll be replaced by a damn safe bet: Cruz Goler. A ten-year Batali veteran, Goler was the right-hand man of Lupa’s original chef, Mark Ladner, and followed the latter to Del Posto, where Goler was his “go-to guy” in the kitchen. They like to keep it in the family, you see.

More: NewsFeed »cruz goler, del posto, greenwich village, jason denton, lupa, mark ladner

Two for Eight

11/12/07

4:35 PM

Tables Available at Abbocato and Morandi; Babbo Mostly Booked

It's 4:30 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, babbo, del posto, felidia, i trulli, insieme, l'impero, morandi, san domenico

Foodievents

11/ 6/07

9:00 AM

Are Tuscan Chefs That Good? Find Out This Week

Antonio Guida, straight out of Maremma.Photo courtesy Tuscany's Maremma

On the list of people we want to see destroyed, the recently returned Tuscan tourist ranks high. Everyone has met this person. Nothing is quite the same as it is in Italy; “the pasta we have here just doesn’t compare…” “the ingredients are handled with such simplicity…” and blah blah blah. Meanwhile, they have the same flour, olive oil, and wooden spoons in both places, so what’s the big deal? We aim to find out this week, when “Five Days to Taste Tuscany’s Maremma” hits New York.

More: Foodievents »del posto, italian, le cirque, maremma, osteria del circo, san domenico

Two for Eight

10/24/07

4:00 PM

Tables Available at Morandi and San Domenico; Del Posto Mostly Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: High Italian.

More: Two for Eight »a voce, abboccato, del posto, felidia, i trulli, il buco, insieme, l'impero, morandi, san domenico

NewsFeed

10/18/07

1:37 PM

NYC Chefs: Setaro Pasta Rules!

All the Setaro you can hold, at BuonitaliaPhoto courtesy Buonitalia

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Chelsea Market, a place we would avoid if there were anyplace else to get Setaro pasta. The supremacy of the Campagnan product, sold only in Buonitalia at the market, is something we never stop hearing about: last night, Kevin Garcia of Accademia del Vino told us, “All the top chefs I know use it — it’s the pasta of choice, the best I’ve ever been able to find.” Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Jonathan Benno at Per Se, and any number of other food luminaries swear by the stuff. But why? Buonitalia co-owner Antonio Magliulo says, “This company, Setaro, is very small. They don’t produce a lot of pasta. And when they dry it, it’s at low temperatures, so it keeps the flavor and texture. The way it cooks, the bite that it keeps — it’s something special.”

More: NewsFeed »accademia di vino, alto, buon italia, chelsea market,