Accademia Di Vino Makes Pleasing Italian
For us long-time Upper West Siders, the closure of neighborhood stalwart Dock’s more than a year ago was a sharp blow. Dock’s Oyster Bar was a wonderful seafood joint the excelled at simple preparations of fresh fish at a reasonable price point. They knew how to pour a martini and their ice cream sundae was terrific. The restaurant itself was a classy, white tablecloth saloon that, along with Carmine’s, helped transform the neighborhood. When it suddenly snapped shut, locals were crestfallen.
Accademia Di Vino opened in its place some time later. I was at first nervous – an Italian restaurant opening across the street from Carmine’s? However, I was considerably relieved to learn that Barry Corwin was one of the folks behind it. Mr. Corwin was part of the team that brought both Dock’s and Carmine’s to the neighborhood, and knows how to strike the right note and create a winning neighborhood joint.
So how’s the food?
The fritters are pretty decadent.
We began with the prosciutto and parmesan fritters as an appetizer. As you can see, they are golden, fried balls, filled with the ingredients in their name. They are served very, very hot (fresh from the fryer, I imagine), topped with a good dusting of parmesan cheese besides.
Filled with parmesan goodness.
They are very rich, the fat of the prosciutto infusing the parmesan with a mouth-filling comforting flavor that tickles the back of your nasal cavity. Having (relatively recently) returned from a blissful trip to Italy, I can tell you that the parmesan there bears little resemblance to what we get here in the states. However, this mix of flavors involved here strongly evokes the real stuff. If you’re a parmesan fan, you’ll be pleased.
Prosciutto di parma, mortadella and sopprassata.
We also indulged in a salumi board. As you can see, we were served three slices of our choice of fare, we selected the prosciutto, mortadella dn sopprassata. Everybody likes a salumi plate, these were room temperature and pleasing, with a good (but not overwhelming) salt.
The meatball pie special.
Following this decadent start, we sampled one of their pizzas. We’d previously had the robiola, black truffle pate and pecorino pizza (which we enjoyed), but when we heard they were serving a meatball pie as a special, we jumped on it. Their pizza crust is wafer thin and crispy. There are six slices to a pie, and they are more like an hors d’ouerves. Any individual piece could be held at the widest part of the crust between your thumb and index finger.
Although we had already eaten a good volume of food, it was time for mains.
Fettucine alfredo.
My companion got the fettucine alfredo special. It was very rich. The fettucine was al dente. The overall preparation, via the sauce, had a slight stickiness to it, but it wasn’t unwelcome.
Surprisingly authentic.
I am a big fan of the tagliatelle alla bolognese. During a recent trip to Italy, my wife and I spent some time in Bologna, going to Trattoria Anna Maria. Trattoria Anna Maria is widely praised for being a purveyor of classic, authentic, typical Bolognese cooking. Anna Maria was in the restaurant when we were there. I was surprised when the plate they served me wasn’t a thick, red ragu but rather a lighter crumble of meat. Somebody at Accademia di Vino must’ve spent some time there (or in that region): their version is surprisingly authentic.
Of course, it is impossible to discuss Accademia di Vino without talking about its extensive wine list (hence the restaurant’s name). Oenophiles will enjoy the selection, which is broken up by various regions. I was pleased by the selection of Barbera D’Asti wines, myself.
All in all, the place lives up to Corwyn’s pedigree, and it’s welcome in the neighborhood.
Accademia di Vino Broadway
2427 Broadway New York, NY 10024 212.787.3070 www.accademiadivino.comLand Thai Kitchen’s Appetizers Are Winners
Once when picking up the delicious ratchaburi from Pure Thai Shophouse, I noticed that they had a sister restaurant on the Upper West Side: Land. Since Pure’s food is so delicious, I reckoned I had to give Land a try. Glad I did.
The appetizer sampler. Looks pretty good, no?
We ordered take in, including a sampling of their appetizers and a massaman lamb curry.
The mixed appetizers consisted of what they call shrimp parcels, currey chicken puffs and vegetable dumplings. It is served with a trio of sauces for dipping.
Tastes even better than it looks, and it looks pretty sexy.
I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but the veggie dumplings were the clear winner. I don’t even like veggie dumplings, usually, but there is something about the way Land makes theirs that’s really terrific. It is rich and like quite a lot of Thai food I’ve sampled it has a pretty strong sweet as well. There’s a peanut note in there.
Whatever they
What’s really lovely though is the texture: the filling has a terrific consistency that evokes meat or fish. It doesn’t just reduce to a paste when you get it in your mouth, there’s some chewing to be done, which is lovely.
The shrimp parcel. Crispy, pleasant, enjoyable.
The shrimp parcel is covered in a light, crispy batter and is absolutely stuffed with a shrimp filling. The flavor is good and shrimpy, the batter adds a salt and a richness. The parcel itself has a rewarding texture: crispy at first, softer and more yielding within. It’s surprisingly meaty, as it were, for a shrimp dumpling.
The chicken curry puff.
The chicken curry puff was a bit less satisfying than the other two appetizers. The puff coating is fried, as you can see, and flaky. The flavor of the puff itself evokes a chicken samosa. The texture within is a bit mealy, but only a little. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine, but I found it to be the weakest of the three appetizers.
The massaman lamb.
I found the Massaman lamb curry an odd mix of flavors. The curry is made with coconut milk, which is in itself a bit sweet. The spices round out the the flavors of the pearl onions, potato, carrots and string beans. Of course, there’s also the peanut flavor to be reckoned with as well. Between the peanuts, the coconut milk, and the lamb itself, I found the dish to be on the sweet side. It’s not spicy.
The noodles were good. Not as good as Pure, but good.
I’ve also tried their Pad Thai, which was above average, as far as this staple dish goes. It is not overrun with shrimp, there are just a few of them in there. The bean sprouts were surprisingly crisp despite having steam build up around them in the container as they were being delivered. The rice noodles weren’t as good as those at Pure. Also, they wound up clumping pretty badly – probably a result of the delivery. The portion is well ample for two people, no problem.
All in all, Land is now my go-to spot for Thai on the Upper West Side.
Land Thai Kitchen
450 Amsterdam Ave New York, NY 10024 212.501.8121 www.landthaikitchen.comLenny’s Offers Up Quality Merch, And A Silly, Tasty Sandwich
A typical Lenny's interior: clean, pleasant. Usually busier... .
I’m a big fan of the Lenny’s sandwich chain. They’ve got a winning (albeity a bit pricey) formula. Their sandwiches are consistent, their operation clean (for a chain). I know it’s a popular lunch spot already, but I’d like to shine a light on my favorite item on their menu, the Mikey’s Combo, which is silly, sloppy fun.
The Mikey's Combo, at rest.
Mikey’s Combo consists of grilled roast beef, melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato and grilled onion. I like to add a few things when ordering, namely ketchup, mayo and oil & vinegar dressing. I get the whole thing served on a hero. I think of it being somewhere between a cheesesteak and burger prepared in a hero style. Of course, the roast beef flavor is present, shattering that illusion, but nonetheless, it’s pretty good.
The combo can barely be held without getting messy.
The result of all that piled-on add-ons is a messy, large, comfort food special. It is difficult to pick up without at least one of the numerous ingredients dripping out one side or another at a time. Your fingers will get covered at one point. The shredded lettuce and grilled onions mellow out the thinly cut, grilled roast beef. The melted American cheese is pretty decadent. The mayo and ketchup fill out the sandwich’s flavor (and the hero roll also adds something), and the oil & vinegar bring everything into a slippery, drippy mess (while also punching up the flavor of the lettuce, tomato and onions).
Yikes. Yummy, though.
You can see it is not very dietetic.
That said, Lenny’s has played an important roll in my diet (which now seems to be more about treading water rather than losing weight). They have a salad station, and I like to get some of their chicken salad stirred in (along with cucumbers, celery, carrots, onions and sometimes tomato, a touch of oil and balsamic vinegar). Their chicken salad has a wonderful, full flavor (it is pretty heavily mayoed, admittedly).
Either way, putting the delicious chicken salad in a lettuce bowl with those mixes gets me the full flavor I like for lunch minus the devil white flour, so… .
All in all, I am pro Lenny’s. Keep up the good work.
Lenny’s
Multiple locations throughout Manhattan, check their website www.lennysnyc.comLuke’s Lobster Roll Is A Welcome, Wonderful Thing
A simple sign, goodness awaits... .
Stumbled upon Luke’s Lobster while looking for a place for seafood on the Upper East Side, and was amazed by the Zagat ratings it got (a 25 for food? Really?). So imagine my delight when I found out that this small, emerging chain of lobster shacks had an outpost on the Upper West Side. It is a small storefront, made to resemble a humble lobster shack by way of Maine.
The menu... .
Turns out they’ve been around for about a month on the UWS. As you can see from the prices on the menu above, they’re not cheap, but I have to say, for the quality involved, they’re worth every penny… they may even be an out and out bargain. For the record: two lobster rolls, a cup of New England clam chowder, two sodas, two chips and two pickles racked in at $44. So how was it?
Chunky lobster. Delicious.
As you can see, the lobster roll is filled with large chunks of fresh lobster. It is prepared in what Luke’s calls “Maine” fashion, meaning that the lobster itself is chilled, although it is served in a toasted bun with hot drawn butter ladled atop it. Below the lobster meat is a thin smear of mayo, not enough to overwhelm the flavor or drip from the lobster chunks, but enough to add a nice fat to the experience.
Chunky happy. Notice the spices and golden butter.
Their mix of spices is to me a bit odd. They are not overwhelming, they add a zest, I admit, but frankly I found them distracting to the experience. Happily Luke’s allows you to order your rolls minus the butter, mayo or spices. Next time I might skip them, maybe not. By the way, the sandwich is delicious.
Om nom nom nom nom
The chunks of lobster are large, fresh and delicious. It is not upsetting that they are chilled, because they other surprise star of this meal is the utterly sensational toasted bun! It’s wonderful. Crispy, buttery and flavorful – very rich. The crispiness of the toasting in particular is truly rewarding, it is a welcome counterpoint to the softer, more tender texture of the lobster. The only niggle I have with the sandwich is that lobster itself seemed to be a bit dripping with water, I wonder if that’s to do with how it’s stored in the kitchen after it is cooked.
The clam chowder from Luke's Lobster is thick, rich and great.
After devouring the lobster roll, I turned my attention to the clam chowder. I wasn’t expecting much, but my expectations were upended. When I first sliced my spoon into it, I could see and feel how thick the broth was, and how pleasantly chunky the soup was to boot. It too excelled – very rich and buttery, filled with clams and potatoes and more. It is not the best chowder ever, but it’s better than you’d expect for mass produced.
All in all, Luke’s Lobster is full of win, and I can’t wait to go back again. It is a welcome, welcome addition to the neighborhood. I have no idea how they are going to cope with the incredibly long lines that seem certain to occur during warmer weather. Now that it’s here, I am not sure the haul out to the Red Hook Lobster Pound is entirely necessary (even though they too are wonderful).
BTW, neither are enough to dethrone the greatest sandwich in the world.
ME LIKE EAT 