Friday, November 30

how to drop a bomb

after the massive feast that was Thanksgiving, and the epic dinner Sully and i had at Delmonico's recently, i really should be trying to curb my diet. so i guess a dinner last night with Stitch at Bar Pitti wasn't really in my best interest.

but boy was it delicious.

an alleged (ok, confirmed) celebrity hotspot, nothing about Bar Pitti screams "trendy." i only knew it was a celebrity magnet when i attempted to google the restaurant and the only things that popped up were about Giselle/Beyonce/Bieber etc. dining there. otherwise, this is a small neighborhood italian joint. even a little pretentiously so, as they have a chalkboard menu of specials which is written strictly in italian and has to be translated for those not versed in the language.

the seating's a little crowded and the service a little brusque, but with the quality of food that they serve, all is easily forgiven. since Stitch was a frequent customer, i decided to let her take the lead on ordering (a true rarity for me) and we agreed on 2 appetizers, a pasta, and a seafood entree to share. 

we started with the burrata ($19.50) which is served with grape tomatoes and fresh basil.  the freshness of this cheese and the creamy goodness is worth the hefty price. and i don't usually spend that much for an appetizer. ever. this appetizer goes perfectly with the bread they give to you at the start of the meal, which has a nice crust on the outside but remains fluffy and soft on the inside. just spread the goodness of the cheese on it and i promise, you could die happy.

the burrata was served at the same time as our order of polpettina ($10.50), which were flavorful meatballs in a fresh tomato sauce. i never argue with a meatball (har, har) and i had no problems with these, aside from the fact that they were served lukewarm. although, Stitch and i devoured our 2 meatballs each, irregardless.

while we were ravishing our appetizers, the chef came by to show us the sea bass we had ordered (before they filet and clean it for us to eat), something that had never happened to me before but that i appreciated. although i wonder if anyone ever looks at the fish and changes their mind or demands a different piece. would they let you manhandle it? 

just as we finished our meatballs, the waiter brought our filleted sea bass with side of zucchini ($29.50) and our parpadelle with veal ragu ($14.50). the staff at Bar Pitti is definitely no nonsense when it comes to turning over tables. 

the sea bass was simply prepared flavored with salt and lemon. it was a perfect complement to the other heavier dishes we had ordered. and the side of zucchini, although nothing special, was a welcome addition of greens to our decadent meal.

the parpadelle was also great, with perfectly al dente fresh made noodles. for a simpler (and more economic meal) you definitely won't go wrong with an order of pasta.

Stitch and i managed to eat everything on our plates between the two of us. and the ordering was perfect since i feel i got to taste a variety of the menu while still getting a good representation of what the restaurant has to offer.  including tax and tip, Stitch and i each spent $86, which i would consider pricey overall, but for that burrata and the overall experience. 

in fact, the food, drink and price was distracting enough that i barely even registered that Stitch confessed a scandalous secret involving my ex-Gohm....