Restaurant Roundup: An Otto-matic Favorite

I've long been a Food Network fan, but never quite 'got' the whole Mario Batali thing. When I first started watching FN, Molto Mario was canceled and that was when Iron Chef America's quick camera cuts made me nauseous (I have since gotten used to this style of filming, and am now officially an obsessive Iron Chef watcher).

Never one for the long, unkempt red hair or the orange Crocs with socks and shorts look, I had only heard ravings about his restaurants, but never personally given one a chance. When a dinner date with my new pal and co-worker Lauren came up, she suggested Otto and I jumped at it (not only for the fact that I've wanted to go to Otto for years but could never afford to during my NYU days, but for the fabulous company of course). That coupled with Catherine's Mario Batali cookbook ravings was enough to put me into full-blown excitement over the famed pizzeria.

On the corner of 5th avenue and 8th street - you can see why it tortured me during my time at NYU - Otto is a rustic, yet upscale pizzeria with an old-world Italian twist. Though not an inexpensive meal, I must say that the food was (mostly) impeccable and the atmosphere was cozy, inviting and cool. Let's get down to the deets..

Near the front of the restaurant lay the pasta and dough making station. Yep, I kinda fell in love with all of those red appliances. I think they'd fit perfectly in my own kitchen actually...perhaps they'll go out on loan once I learn how to make pizza dough and (obviously) become BFF with Mario...

The Big Cheese
One of my favorite aspects of Italian restaurants are the cheese plates. I could basically eat these anytime, anywhere, especially when served with unbelievably decadent dressings and bread. Oh, and don't forget to note the fabulous bottle of wine we shared. Though the wine list offers many, many wines, ours was easily narrowed down by our one qualification - an (in)expensive red. So right there it knocked off most of the list and we scored one for $29, a price you can't beat at a place like Otto (or most of Manhattan for that matter).

We had 3 cheeses on our plate: ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, and a soft goat's milk cheese that was not in fact on the menu, but that our server highly recommended and we obliged - when ordering the latter you may just need to pretend you're in-the-know about the secret stash of cheeses.

To top off the cheese (which needed no topping, but I wasn't turning them down), we had black cherries, truffled honey (no words for this one), and candied apricots. For me, this combo of creamy, salty cheese and sweetened, decadent dressings was the best part of the meal. I mean really, truffled honey, juicy sweet 'n sour cherries, and candied apricots? Is there anything wrong with that picture? Heck, I'd go back just for the cheese plates alone. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Black cherry + creamy ricotta = a winning combo (and a sweet picture to boot)

The Small Plates
For this portion, we got marinated mushrooms and cauliflower with kalamata olives. Savory and oily (but not overly so), this was the perfect counterpart to the sweet 'n salty cheeses. Though there's a huge list of small plates, I highly recommend these two.

Tale of Two Pizzas
I know, it's like, haven't we had enough deliciousness for one night? And the answer would be no. After all, we were at a pizzeria so who were we to decline the main attraction? So Lauren and I felt it necessary for proper tasting (and research) purposes to try not one, but two pizzas. We went with the marinara and the special, a goat cheese and mushroom topped pizza. Wow.

So being raised by an Italian mother where good sauce is the almighty barometer of food, I'll admit, I'm kind of a sauce snob. So, I tend to devour sauce with a critical palette. And this one did not disappoint. The sauce to cheese coverage was perfect, especially on such a wonderfully thin crust. My one and only complaint about the pizza and the meal in general was the chiles. Why do they put chiles on the pizza? I'm of the mind that sauce should be more sweet than spicy and this was kind of a deal breaker. I thoroughly enjoyed the first slice (after all the other components were wonderful) but by the second I had a small inferno going on inside my mouth. Next time I'm going margherita or bust.

And the goat cheese pizza. I cannot tell you enough about my love for goat cheese. Though just slightly dry from the goat cheese (it's a natural occurrence that I have not yet figured out how to remedy), this pizza was absolutely delicious. The mushrooms, just like in the small plate, were delicious, and again it featured a delightfully thin crust - the only way to do pizza in my opinion.

So there you have it. A restaurant roundup of Mario Batali's Otto, an amazing pizzeria that quite honestly I can't wait to go back to. Oh, and let's not forget about Lauren and her awesomeness for 1) suggesting Otto for our first date and 2) taking lots of great photos when my camera just wasn't adjusting to the light. Love ya Laur! So will you be checking out Otto? If you have, do you agree with my assessment? Any other famed pizzerias that I should check out for comparison?

Food, Fun, and Freebies at Winter's Eve

Now that Thanksgiving has officially passed us by (for the complete breakdown on that fabulous holiday, check out this, this and this), I wasted no time jumping right into the next big holiday. And what better way to kick off the season than with a festival of food? Apparently Lincoln Center felt the same as the area was illuminated with food, lights, and holiday cheer on Monday night. An annual tradition, Winters Eve takes place each year on the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend. And I think it's the perfect kick off for my holiday season.

Featuring cheap-o food (in price, not quality) from local, high end restaurants and bakeries, live entertainment, bright holiday lights, people on stilts, long lines, and even a little tree lighting, this festival was one not to be missed...even though the day long rain beforehand had me questioning it for a while. Though the festival stretches from the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle all the way up to 68th street, I was indeed slightly deterred by the rain and therefore only did the Time Warner circuit, armed with a pal and following my How To Do The Festival Circuit guidelines. Let's dig in, shall we?

First Stop: Whole Foods
What: Free holiday food samples

Free sparkling cider with pomegranate seeds, a perfect way to kick off the night.

Free turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce, all jammed together in one little dixie cup. Thanksgiving never tasted so good.

Rum and almond stollen, a delicious sweet bread with bits of raisins and almonds, similar in variety  to panettone.

Sharp cheddar cheese dunked in sweet cranberry relish. I don't need to go into my thoughts on sweet 'n savory...(hint: I'm obsessed).

Second Stop: Williams-Sonoma
What: Free samples of their famous hot chocolate and peppermint bark

Sweet, rich hot chocolate with a dollop of marshmallow to complete this fabulous concoction.
A total splurge in the wallet and calorie department, but for a free tiny cup? I'm all over it.

One of my favorite holiday treats, peppermint bark. And I truly haven't found a better version than Williams-Sonoma. Though I've tried to recreate the recipe, it just doesn't compare.

Third Stop: Landmarc
What: Free cotton candy

Getting back to our childhood roots, Kristin and I scooped up these free banana-flavored sugary cotton candy concoctions (say that one three times fast).

Fourth Stop: Outside Time Warner
What: Cheap food samples from big, pricey restaurants

This is really my favorite part since many of the restaurants featured would likely not be ones of my usual repetoire. My first stop was A Voce, (where an in-restaurant ravioli would cost upwards of $22) which featured Vanilla Bean Crespella - a cool tortilla filled with Nutella mascarpone and topped with hazelnut brittle, snapped up for a mere $2. Yeah, it was as good as it sounds.

After having my dessert before dinner (hey, it's a food fest!) I stopped by the Landmarc tent for some oricchette (disc-shaped pasta) with sausage in cream sauce. For a mere $4, I got a full cup o'fresh pasta and the perfect warming, savory dish.

So that's my tale of Winter's Eve. I was bummed not to explore more - other food stands included Bar Masa, 'wichcraft, Magnolia Bakery, Bar Boulud, and P.J. Clarke's (though I did also pick up a Bouchon bite from Bouchon Bakery for a buck) - my stomach just really couldn't take anymore and the lifted rain had left behind a path of cold.

So what do you think? A fest worth checking out? All told, the night set me back $8 - not bad for a Monday. Any other food fests or free samples are out there this month?

Fab Food Fest: Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square

One way to combat holiday blues and withdrawal is to reflect kindly on the wonders of Thanksgiving whilst jumping right into spreading Christmas cheer. Always a sap for the spirit of Christmas, I'm wasting no time gearing up for my favorite holiday.

Tonight at Lincoln Square, it's Winter's Eve, the annual Lincoln Center tree lighting and food fest. Beyond the whole Christmas cheer thing, there's food and entertainment stretching from the Time Warner Center to 68th Street and everywhere in between. Local restaurants set ups tents and offer food samples ranging from $1-$5 and I'll be sampling up a storm, not to mention hunting for the freebies. The tree lighting starts at 5:30 and food and entertainment lasts until 8 making this a perfect post-work stop for food and fun. I'm super excited about this for two main reasons:

1) Some of the participating restaurants are ones that are generally a bit out of my price range (Bar Boulud, Asiate) and this is a perfect opportunity to sample their offerings without breaking the bank.
2) A portion of proceeds will go to City Harvest, New York's only food rescue organization. As a bonus, they'll also be collecting canned goods at their truck parked at 63rd and Broadway, so do your part and bring one.

Participating Restaurants:
• A Voce
• at65 Café
• Asiate
• Bar Boulud
• Bar Masa
• Bouchon Bakery
• Café Fiorello
• Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola and Great Performances
• Ed's Chowder House
• Europan Bakery Café
• Gabriel's Bar & Restaurant
• Gourmet Garage
• Josephina
• Landmarc
• Le Pain Quotidien
• Luce
• Magnolia Bakery
• O'Neals'
• Nick and Toni's Café
• P.J. Clarke's
• Picholine
• Porter House New York
• Rosa Mexicano at Lincoln Center
• Sapphire Indian Cuisine
• Screme Gelato Bar
• Siam Inn
• Soutine Bakery
• Sushi a-go-go
• 'wichcraft

Other promised highlights:
-Free hot chocolate and peppermint bark at Williams-Sonoma @ Time Warner Center
-Dante Park's got cheese sampling (you know, the little square outside Lincoln Center)
-Kiehl's has got cider and samples
-NYIT's boasting a 'Go Green exhibit'
-Whole Foods will have holiday food samples
-Find your inner kid at Landmarc as they've got cotton candy

Bottom Line: Cheap, charitable, and fun to boot

Beware: It gets mighty crowded, so come prepared to battle your way through crowds to reach your desired food stops. For some tips on how to do the festival circuit, check out my article on the San Gennaro Festival back in September.

Anyone else plotting their festival route for tonight? I'm hoping the weather holds up and I can hit as many stops as possible. If you're attending, give me a shout to meet up!

*Be sure to check back for the wrap up later this week!