Nick The Foodie Boston

www.cinquecentoboston.com

Location: Boston, MA (See on Map)

The Foodie: Recommends

The Aquitaine Group (masterminds behind Union Bar & Grille, Metropolis, and Gaslight) have breathed a limoncello-laden breath of Italian air into the location that once was Rocca. This brings their resume of south end restaurants up to five as they apply their formulaic approach of superior service, snazzy restaurant design, and solid food to another location.

Before I go on, I present to you a few notes on the Italian food scene in the greater Boston area:

In short, we are not quite nailing it yet – but there are promising signs of change in the right direction.

• Let’s start with the North End to get it out the way. Our most famous neighborhood for Italian food presents a sad assortment of overpriced tourist traps that are better off avoided. There are a few bright spots in the form of authentic little salumerias, bakeries, and coffee shops but none of these establishments have me jaunting over there on the reg.
• On to haute cuisine. Spots like Rialto, Via Matta, and more recently Giulia deliver very respectable dishes and a dose of authenticity but with a heftier price tag.  I have not tried Sportello or Coppa but would guess they both sit right here as well. These guys are taking steps in the right direction and I give them a swagger and a nod – I just wish they were more accessible.
• Then there are the down-home joints. I’ve become enamored with a smattering of more low-key joints over in Cambridge and Somerville like Pescatore, L’Impasto, Gran Gusto, and Posto that really do great things with an authentic, home-cooked unpretentious flair. Pescatore assembles sexy seafood dishes, L’Impasto bakes amazing fresh bread, and Gran Gusto and Posto are cranking out some outstanding pizza. Though you have to expect a little less consistency from these spots – they have earned my respect along with a half-smile and a twinkle of the eye.
• What about pizza? Sigh…this is an area where I am currently very upset, stomping, and mad that I’m not getting my way. We are not doing pizza well enough in Boston. Slices range from tasteless to overly inventive (Salvatore’s) to scandalous (Upper Crust). Though there are some mentioned in this review who make an effort, we need a complete makeover in this important food group. In fact, I’ve recently made a resolution to learn how to make respectable-enough pizza in my own oven to avoid ordering out – recipes wanted!
• Other random bright spots in somewhat unexpected places. Marliave actually is a hidden gem with some nice Italian fare. I possibly had the best gnocchi in my life at Salts in Cambridge. Dave’s Fresh Pasta is selling off excellent paninis, pasta, sauces and more…plus their recent child Spoke Wine Bar (see previous review) looks poised for great things as well. Every once in a while Area Four in Kendall will dish out a pizza that simply blows my mind, and their food truck intrigues me as well. The Butcher Shop in the south end will supply endless plates of outstanding antipasti and cured meats for you as well.

So with all that said, where does Cinquecento fit in?

This is all a very long way of saying that I liked Cinquecento, but feel that as a city we really need to raise the bar on our Italian cooking. The Aquitaine Group is definitely among those taking steps in the right direction – as evidenced by:

• My braised rabbit gnocchi with green olives, parmesan, and a heavenly little pink sauce
• Our Sardinian wine that wowed me from sip one
• The burrata special that was imported creamy goodness inventively paired with rhubarb in pickled and crystalized form. Pretty dish too.

All this in a legitimately cool setting that is designed to power out hundreds (or probably thousands) of dishes each night to a hungry mass of Bostonians.

Bunny Taste Yummy

Nick, o ye wise food sage, tell me – what is coming in the future?

Yes, young grasshopper. I sense that the best Italian cooking is a little further afield. I intend to survey Medford (AKA Meffa) for this genre and already have a few good leads. The best slice of pizza in New England lives in Portland, ME…so there must be more hidden secrets out there in the woods beyond the route 128 belt.

Next, celebrity chefs have taken an interest in us. Mario Batali is planning on opening a Babbo Pizzeria in Fort Point. We are receiving Italian food aid from other states to assist with our dire situation.

Where do I think the Italian food scene in Bostonia should go? People are trying to do too much. I say enough of trying to be all Roman things to all people. Pick a specialty and do it right. How about a classy salumeria with house-cured meats and a bangin’ wine selection? How about a few authentic, small pizza joints pulling the real deal out of wood-fired ovens? Shit, how about a shop that just serves frickin’ awesome meatballs? How about a spot out on the docks of Fort Point serving the freshest-possible Cape Cod & MA-state seafood wrapped up in fresh-as-hell pasta?

If an enterprising chef out there happens to stumble across these words – either a Boston native or a small-town Italian chef from afar…please…make my dreams come true.

www.facebook.com/SpokeWineBar

Location: Somerville, MA (See on Map)

The Foodie:  Recommends

Neat Bar Trick

After a few weeks in which Boston has seen badness spawned by badness, I’m thinking that it’s about time for an uplifting story for a change.

Am I talking about that puppy rescued from a dumpster, free snow cones on a summer day, or motherhood and apple pie?

Close, but no cigar. I’m talking about Spoke Wine Bar.

Spoke is what you get when a solid S’ville mainstay (Dave’s Fresh Pasta) branches out into new territory with a team led by the grape pro behind their excellent booze operation.

Whereas youngsters flock to the sandwiches and raviolis at Dave’s like tweens to Bieber, the cool kids will be taking a seat at Spoke for my fave gourmet pop stars Barbera and Burrata instead.

Spoke is small and intimate as any wine bar worth their sauvignon should be, whilst eschewing the ‘tude held dear by so many of it’s cabernet-pouring compatriots.

There are two main reasons to come here:

1.     FOOD

• Nice selection of cured meats and cheeses presented on wooden planks
• Spreads, flatbreads, and snacks ranging from marinated olives to the more glamorous peekytoe crab crostinis.
• A small but respectable selection of small plates and more substantial dishes categorized into vegetables, seafood, and meat (oh my).
• Though we only sampled the charcuterie, I am drawn to the handmade cavatelli, stinging nettle vellutata (just sounds cool but no idea what it will be like other than that it contains burrata) and handmade garganelli with lamb ragu, fava, and ricotta salata.
• So yeah, the menu leans Italiano. As well it should at any fine wine bar. As well it should.

 2.     DRINK

• The night we arrived, Spoke was pouring six whites and five reds by the glass, as well as three wines mysteriously set aside in the “other” category. We sipped on an excellent frappato from Sicily (close to a nero d’avola)  and dolcetto (also fantastic). Whites included a muscadet, a riesling, and gruner veltliner.
• For those who like to palm their alcohol vessels rather than daintily cling to a glass stem, Spoke offers a respectable selection of bottled beers that will probably have something good on it that you’ve never heard of before like Baxter Phantom Punch Winter Stout (Maine), Nectar Ales Nectar IPA (California), and De ‘Proef’ Brouwerij Reinaert Wild Ale (Belgium).
• I must also say that the bar staff here is genuine, knowledgeable, fun, and a pleasure to sit across from.

I am pleased that I can now eat the Cubano sandwich at Dave’s, buy a dozen wild mushroom raviolis, then sip a few glasses a couple doors down before stumbling home.

So remember, even in the midst of badness – goodness upon goodness is still possible in and around this great city. We’ve seen all the 021.XX zip codes and beyond produce such an impressive swell of giving, solidarity, and strength following the Marathon – we should wash it all down with some good vino to boot.

Cheers, Boston – and here’s to goodness upon goodness in times ahead.

www.theblueoxlynn.com

Location: Lynn, MA (See on Map)

The Foodie: Recommends

In the history of this blog, I’ve taken you far outside the city limits of Boston in pursuit of good food. We’ve flown out of Logan together multiple times – remember those hotdogs in Chicago, those lobster rolls in Portland, the ceviche in Lima? Remember our pastries and romance in Paris (hehe)?

Well today, my friends in wanderlust, I am magically sweeping you off your feet to…well, Lynn.

After winding our way up the majestic Route 1, we found ourselves in downtown Lynn and settled into our seats at the Blue Ox – today’s destination dining spot.

As you might imagine, this neighborhood spot in Lynn didn’t enter my food dar by way of Thrillist, Eater, or other local food bloggers even – it landed on my “To Try” list the old school way – through the word-of-mouth grapevine. Which is fitting given the fact that chef/owner Matt O’Neil got his culinary career started on Martha’s Vineyard before manning kitchen battle stations at No. 9 Park, The Butcher Shop, and Copia.

Together with his wife and chef de cuisine Guaracyara Pimenta (aka “G”), Matt has an immensely popular, unpretentious, and fun thing going on in Lynn.

Their menu is eclectic and melds together your favorite gastropub, Italian joint, and salty New England seafood spot down by the wharf.

For those solely interested in food pictures and a brief blurb on the dishes – The highlights of my eating experience here were as follows:

• Fried Maitland Mountain Farm Pickles, grilled lemon & thyme aioli, and aged balsamic. One of the best beer pairings I’ve ever tasted, delightfully juicy, well-spiced, and nicely fried. These picklers are actually based out of Salem, FYI. If you like the pickles, you can get them in a spicy martini here too.

• The Blue Ox Burgers. Seriously in the running for my Top 10 Burgers list of 2013, these are two quarter-pounder sliders stuffed with gorgonzola dolce, topped with applewood smoked pig strips, and slathered in lemon/thyme aioli. Served on a fluffy brioche bun with fries and another awesome MM F pickle. The best part about these burgers is that the gorgonzola basically explodes into your mouth as you bite hungrily into your slider. Seriously exciting. Delightfully unique.

Oozing Gorgonzola w/ Each Bite

• Lobster Tacos. Served in grilled tortilla with avocado, diced tomato, scallion, chipotle aioli, and lime.

Other stuff that caught my eye for the next time here:

• Spicy tuna tartare with cucumber, scallion, cilantro, chive cream, chili sauce and house-made chips
• Blue Ox clam chowder with bacon, Tabasco, chive
• The “Sin” burger with bacon, swiss, and truffle aioli
• Pan roasted cod with wild mushroom risotto and fennel arugula salad

In the end, similar to Paris, Lima, and Chicago – the Ox was well worth the journey. I’m beginning the think that I should continue expanding my local radius outside of Boston, Cambridge, and the ‘Ville to keep bringing you hidden gems outside the city proper.

Get ready – you might be hearing soon about places in Lowell, Framingham, Milford, and who knows where else?

Build meat burgers, and I will come.

http://www.giuliarestaurant.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

Sooooo – It’s been a quiet month here on NicktheFoodie.com – but not for lack of eating. During this slow, cold month of January, your master of ceremonies has been patiently waiting to spring a deluge of fun filled food adventures on you.

In this short month of February, you will be magically swept off your feet to vicarious experiences of Italian dining in Cambridge, to our nation’s capital, and to the exotic culinary capital of Peru.

Let’s start with the first item on that list – Giulia.

After assembling a pretty impressive CV in Boston and Chi-town, former Via Matta Exec Chef Michael Pagliarini stepped out on his own to bring us a very solid upscale Italian joint. Thank you, Michael.

We managed to snag a table just a few short weeks after Giulia’s grand opening, and impressively the FOH (or Front of House for the laymen) were running the place like they’d been practicing with plastic kiddie toys and mannequins around the clock for a solid month before the first breathing customers arrived.

Which is to say, service was very attentive.

I could go on and on about an exposed brick interior and a “pasta table” while filling up this site with expertly-crafted photographs, but I will skip right to what you rely on me for – the food.

So enjoy my food blurb complete with poorly-taken smartphone snapshots:

FOOD BLURB:

Giulia has everything that an Italian expat nostalgic for the flavors of the motherland would want:

• House-made pastas rolled out with nice technique into lovely shapes such as pappardelle, fusilli, ravioli, orecciette, agnolotti and linguini
• A menu structured to facilitate several courses slowly devoured amongst family and free-flowing bottles of wine
• Dishes that prominently feature a range of beloved meats, that when sung in an operatic fashion, sound like a classic tragedy set in a salumeria: mortadella, soppressata, pancetta, lardo, prosciutto and Finocchiona (a version of Tuscan salami made with fennel seeds)
• The famous cheeses of Italia sprinkled, shaved, sliced, and diced up into your favorite dishes – think aged parmigiano, pecorino, ricotta, and grana.

I had the good fortune of sampling several delectable dishes here over a few courses – here are the highlights:

• Warm Semolina Cakes with Lardo – Soft little circular slices of love slathered in a substance that is the subject of every segment of food porn – yes, lardo. That thin layer of fat under the pig’s skin that is wonderfully herbed and melts like butter onto a warm slice of good bread.
• Pappardelle with Wild Boar – An amazing pasta dish from start to finish, this creation will meet and exceed every thought of mouth-watering anticipation once the order escapes your mouth and reaches the pen of your server. Beautifully thick strands of pasta with braised  wild boar, seared black trumpet mushrooms, juniper, aged parmigiano and a little spicy heat bubbling up from below.
• Burrata – Another foodie buzz word that features prominently into full-length foldouts in Bon Appétit magazines and winds up posted on your favorite chef’s locker. That cream-filled mozzarella-like cheese is served up at Giulia with roasted peppers, pine nuts, and golden raisins.

I left still dreaming about a few dishes that I’ll be back for like an Arnie flick: Veal medallion with umbrian lentils, cippolini and pomegranate saba, house-made lamb sausage with broccoli rabe, pepperonata, and gigante beans, and the classic bucatini all’amatriciana (consisting of house-cured pancetta, tomato, onion, pecorino and white wine).

My beefs with Giulia are few, but I feel that I must step up onto my all-important soapbox to air them into the cybersphere:

1. Wine list is too aspirational. When the cheapest bottle starts at $55, you are missing out on a wide market of drinkers who are happy to slug down an excellent bottle priced at $35.
2. The “Small Plates” phenomenon taken too far. The way Giulia is priced, you will be dining on a miniscule portion of excellently cooked food for the price of a heaping portion at other places. Unfortunately, I thus need to file this spot in my ‘special occasion’ folder next to other restaurants that I spring out when in the doghouse with me lady.

Overall – a fantastic food experience, which is undoubtedly the most important thing. But like any good Italian tragedy, we need a little drama thrown in to make life a little more juicy.

http://www.tattecookies.com

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

Much to the chagrin of places like Woburn High, this place is actually pronounced Tah-tuh.

But damn can they bake. After opening right smack in Kendall Square on Third Street in early May, these guys have been packed to the brims with pharma jocks, medical device bandits, MIT babes, start-up engineers, and latte-carrying yuppies.

Business has been good. And Tatte deserves it. With a pimped-out line-up of sweet and savory, crusty and creamy, chocolatey and buttery, cheesy and meaty, green and soupy – the menu here features the following:

• Fresh baguettes
• Croissants
• Brioche
• Quiches (cherry tomato ‘n feta, potato ‘n thyme, zucchini ‘n mozz)
• Soups (sweet pea, tomato basil bisque, mushroom)
• Sammiches (think mozz, tomato, basil and pesto on toasted foccacia and pan roasted meatballs and san marzana ‘matoes on baguette with provolone)
• Salads (vegetarians will delight in a full array of salads that come herby and green, loaded with ancient grains, or classically spinach and feta)
• A Legit Breakfast Spread (brekkie sandwiches, muesli, bread baskets galore, shakshuka, and other assortments worthy of the Sunday Brunching crowd)

There are no pictures of these items in this review because the snapshots I took did not do them justice. On top of all this, Tatte tips their hat to nearly all my favorite food havens in Europe:

• The shop looks unmistakably French and customers are greeted with a hearty “bonjour” from the full selection croissants, brioche, and baguettes behind the pastry window
• The sandwiches, bread items, and full Illy Coffee setup scream “Viva l’Italia!”
• The name Tatte conjures up images of an apron-and-rolling-pin-wielding-stocky-German-woman plus they serve Schnitzel for lunch

There is a fine patina of Eastern Europe and Mediterreania here as well with your eggplant purees, tahini, and yogurts.

Oh, and any bakery would be incomplete with a big slice of Americana – yes, they have a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

I guess Tatte really does speak Baaaston after all…But I am glad that they bow to European technique.

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

So real, so authentic, this review is being posted in both English and Italian (the Google translate dialect, or Googlielmo of course). The review will read like a gangsta ride or die anthem but that’s because the grubbolo here is so good they should require an initiation. Are you a (tomato) blood, or a (Roman) crypt?

• Run by a real life Roman owner who also mans the kitchen single-handedly each night

• Too real for a website. The web is for posers.

• Serving real traditional pasta dishes, salads, and a few pizza selections

• The pasta is the real deal shit – house-made. From lasagnas to bucatini to ravioli.

• The bread is the real deal shit – house-baked and beautiful. From light focaccia, to dense olive. All breads are also sold separately by the loaf for a real good price.

• Our meal was the real shit – Real Burrata with prosciutto, sweet roasted peppers, fig balsamic.

• Real bucatini (thick, hollow noodles) with small chunky morcels of pancetta and white wine tomato sauce.

• Real, miraculously thin and delicate ravioli filled with tomato and mozz and swimming in some real pesto.

The only slightly-less-than-real aspect of eating here was that we weren’t slurping down flasks of house red or white wine during the experience (no liquor license yet). I’ll chalk that up to the “quirk” in my formula for what makes a good Italian joint (simple + fresh + quirky).

L’impasto is real. L’impasto is legit. More reasonably-priced quality real Italian food on this side of the Charles? L’impossible.

Ride or die!!!

Not a bong, fool. Evoo and Balsamic.

===============================Translation ===================================

Così reale, così autentica, questa revisione è stato scritto in inglese e in italiano (il dialetto Google translate, o Googlielmo naturalmente). La revisione potrà essere letto come un giro gangsta o morire inno, ma questo è perché il grubbolo qui è così bene che dovrebbe richiedere una iniziazione. Sei un (pomodoro) del sangue, o un (romano) cripta?

• Gestito da una reale proprietario vita romana, che equipaggia anche la cucina da sola ogni notte
• Di servizio veri e propri primi piatti tradizionali, insalate, pizze e una scelta di pochi
• Troppo reale per un sito web. Il web è per posers.
• La pasta è la merda vero affare – fatti in casa. Dalle lasagne al bucatini ai ravioli.
• Il pane è la merda vero affare – casa cotto e bello. Dalla luce focaccia, denso di olive. Tutti i tipi di pane sono venduti anche separatamente dal pane ad un prezzo veramente bene.
• Il nostro pasto era la vera merda – Burrata reali con prosciutto, peperoni arrostiti, fig balsamiche.
• Reale bucatini (pasta di spessore, cavi) con piccoli morcels grosso di salsa al vino bianco e pomodoro, pancetta.
• Real, ravioli miracolosamente sottili e delicate piene di pomodoro e mozz e nuoto in qualche reale pesto.

L’unico aspetto un po ‘-meno-che-reale di mangiare qui era che non eravamo giù slurping fiaschi di casa, vino bianco o rosso durante l’esperienza. Io gesso che fino alla “stranezza” nella mia formula per ciò che rende un buon italiano comune (semplice + fresco + stravagante).
L’impasto è reale. L’impasto è legit. Più qualità a prezzi ragionevoli vero cibo italiano su questo lato del Charles? L’impossibile.
Ride or Die!

http://www.pescatoreseafood.com/

Location: Somerville, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

File Pescatore in with the other great Italian restaurants that are not in the North End.

I’m slowly building a case to save millions of innocent diners from wasting their money on overpriced grub from Italia, one amazing eatery at a time.

Tucked away on a side street in Ball Square, this intimate little spot has been on my short list of affordable places to get my pasta on for a few years now.

These guys are all about uber-fresh pappardelle, ravioli, and fusilli with (as the name suggests) lots of food from the deep blue sea. Hop in your dinghy, grab some flour, eggs, and a fishing rod and I’ll row you through some of my favorite Pescatore-ian dishes:

• Fusilli Amalfi – homemade pasta with a veritable fruits de mer of scallops, lobster, and shrimp cooked up with some broccoli rabe.
• Gnocchi Sorrentino – This dish is painfully good. The gnocchi are as soft as a supple bosom. The lightly creamy tomato-basil sauce is so delightful I would bathe in it. Finally, melty buffalo mozz just puts me over the top with glee. Got to be one of the best gnocchi dishes around for the paltry price of $14.
• Pappardelle Capri – with noodles as wide and thick as a big booty, arugula, cherry tomatoes, evoo, white wine, garlic and shaved parm, the Capri is another crustacean-inspired beauty of a dish served by the good people at Pescatore.

Gnocchi-riffic

Love those Capris girl

Recently I pontificated (excuse me) on the three common qualities of good Italian restaurants: Simple, Fresh, and Quirky. Here’s how this locale meets the trifecta of all things tutto bene.

• Simple – No ‘tude here in the cooking at all. Just very well-made dishes with fewer than 10 ingredients.
• Fresh – Gotta give anybody props for cranking out their own pasta and gnocchi. The fish and shellfish are all fairly good quality as well, not to mention the uniquely tasty homemade sauces up in here.
• Quirky – the quirk here must be the location. Though the inside is warm and inviting, Pescatore is located in a concrete-exterior building that was probably a former Elks Lodge at the corner of a quiet neighborhood.

I suggest you add Pescatore to your little black book of quality neighborhood Italian joints too. I look forward to rowing by you on your way out here in the future.

http://www.grangustocambridge.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

I love a good example of fine Italian food served as far away from the North End as possible.

Gran Gusto is one of those examples, judging by the food at least.

Despite the fact that you get that eerie feeling that you’re a tourist in the Little Italy of “Name-Your-American-Metropolis” while eating here; that our waiter was soooo over-the-top it sounded like he was a hired actor; that the chef annoyingly appeared on the Martha Stewart Show –

These guys really can cook. And I truly believe that all good Italian restaurants have three common characteristics, which were all met by Gusto’s formula:

1. Simple
2. Fresh
3. Quirky
   

Lo’ and behold, my boys at Gusto presented a nice menu of fresh, classic, simple Italian dishes for reasonable prices –pimping dishes like:

• “Per Iniziare” that included Antipasto, Octopus, and a pant-tightening Beef Carpaccio with spinach, artichoke and aged balsamic
• Several pasta specialties that lean towards the sea (think cockles, mussels, shrimp, lobster)
• LE PIZZE – A nice selection of traditional pies made with truly remarkable dough that is tantalizingly soft and soul-warming

I ordered a special salad of the night that was a lovely mixture of arugula, citrus dressing, bresaola, and shaved parmesan, followed by the Caprese Pizze (simply buffalo mozz, cherry tomatoes and basil). Swirled all that around with a unique wine from Sardinia and I was a happy man.

MARVEL AT MY MEAL:

Gusto is a solid option for grub from the boot-shaped empire and you can tell the owners know their simple, fresh, quirky shit.

Come for the food, be amused by the ambiance.

http://www.marliave.com/home/

Location: Boston, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

Boston. An historic town under modern cultural management.

Sure, we’ve got lots of stuff that’s been around for over 100 years – Fenway Park, the T, the Bell in Hand Tavern, Mayor Menino, and a strange accent to name a few…but we’ve really tried to keep up with the times. We ditched an ugly raised highway in favor of a nice greenway, we finally constructed a proper modern art museum, we’re educating lots of smaaaht kids each year on the latest academia has to offer, and we are growing a solid base of world-class eateries that are following food trends on the frothing edge.

What does all this have to do with Marliave? Patience, young grasshopper.

This Boston mainstay has been around for ages and has to be one of the oldest dining locations in the city, but under the management of Grotto chef/owner Scott Herrit, they are still slingin’ some very well-executed grub that spans Italian and French-inspired dishes that are worthy of the 21^st century.

Typically you’d expect that restaurant established in the 1800’s that is downtown right smack in the tourist action to be mediocre at best, but Marliave is a welcome exception to the rule.

The restaurant really is a hidden gem that had remained more rumored than real to this native for several years. I’m glad I picked up my britches and gave it a try. It’s a beautiful space with a laid-back bar area on the first floor and gorgeous intimate dining room above street level.

I’ve waited long enough – here are the menu highlights:

• “Sunday Gravy” – pillow-y gnocchi (yes I’m a fouchebag) and delicious creamy San Marzano tomato sauce laden with tender lamb, pork and beef. Down-home comfort, upscale technique.
• Seared scallops with pumpkin ravioli and wild mushroom risotto. Beautifully-plated, inventive combo, perfectly-cooked scallops. Terrific.
• Chicken breast seared ‘under a brick’ over risotto with mushrooms and roasted garlic. I don’t know if it’s just clever marketing, but I typically drool over chicken under a brick. Marliave’s take on this dish was outstanding.

Other menu items that caught my eye included beef wellington, a sexy-looking burger, “Henry’s Soup” (French onion, gruyere, short rib, crouton, mouthgasm), beef carpaccio, and a nice duck confit app (coming to your iplate soon).

In the end, Marliave is a fine example of how Boston can marry old school colonial charm with new school culinary chops. Bravo.

http://eatalyny.com/

Location: New York, NY

The Foodie: Recommends

Kids – In one of our previous installments from the foodie, we talked about visions of a glorious afterlife lush with lobster rolls. But if I go down below dear friends, I’m going for gluttony.

…and if there’s one place that may have just put me over the edge from a severe epicure to an outright glutton, it was probably Eataly. I’ll now proceed to tell you why this devilish enterprise created by celebrity chefs with last names like Batali and Bastianich pushed me into the fiery depths (of a brick oven).

• WARNING: Ingenious Store Layout Meant to Trap Foodies. Enter at your own risk and prepare for the prospect of never leaving. Be assaulted by a diverse range of fresh fruits and veggies, some of which you may have never seen before (can you say witch finger grapes?). Hit a huge circular room where you’ll be encircled by bread, antipasti and wine. Just try to resist at this point. Explore a little further and you’ll see Il Pesce restaurant serving amazing fruit of the sea, a selection of rare Italian and imported bottled beers for purchase,  a butcher shop, pizza and pasta eateries, and a breath-taking selection of dried pastas, jarred goods, and, yes, more wines.

• DANGER: Rooftop Biergarterrini Called Birreria Will Be Your Last Glimpse of Heaven. If you ever leave the first floor, make it to level 15 to sample the excellent beer and wine selection and hearty fare on the rooftop restaurant Birreria. Prepare to eat Italian-style sausages you may not have heard of before in German fashion complete with fresh bread and ‘kraute. Sip on amazing local beers like Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold. Holy shit that brew was good. But wait, there are also cask beers brewed in-house by a collab-o of brewers including meisters from Dogfish Head.  Sample from an impressive selection of salumi, formaggi and more. Your head will be spinning.

• ATTENTION: They Have Every Meal Covered So Don’t Think You Can Weasel Out After Dinner. As if all that wasn’t enough people, there’s also a coffee bar and gelateria back down on floor uno that will keep you caffeinated enough to stick around and continue your gluttonous ways. You may be enticed to combine these two elements into the ultimate Italian treat: Affogato.

That concludes my final communication from my (donut) ring of hell…my “phone call” so to speak…with the rest of the gluttons down here. I see Yelpers, Homer Simpson, and Julia Child down here people. Don’t think you’re safe too.

Enter Eataly if you’re the kind of person who thinks that limbo isn’t living dangerously enough.