Restaurant experiment: Bettola

Bettola

2901 2nd Avenue South at 29th Street South

Birmingham, AL 35233

205-731-6499

http://bettolarestaurant.com

I unearthed Bettola on Yelp and otherwise would not have found it since I’d yet been to the Pepper Place area.  I guess you could call the neighborhood the industrial part of Birmingham; you pass a bunch of warehouse-ish buildings before renovated factories appear before you, glossy and happenin’ and containing food purveyors.

Anyway, I feel let down by Yelp and the 4.5 star rating Bettola currently possesses.  It’s vaguely ironic that the only 2 star review was penned by someone from NYC because I kept thinking that Motorino in NYC does Bettola better than Bettola does.

Showing up on a busy Saturday night with Laura, I feared we’d be up for a 30 minute wait but luckily the host seated us right away.  There’s a very Manhattan vibe about Bettola just because the restaurant is long and narrow, and tables are a bit too close together for Birmingham.  While there were a few young people at the bar, the clientele seemed to be more well-heeled middle-agers and up.

Our waiter was willing to answer questions and seemed cheerful enough.  Wanting to swap slices, the two of us placed our pizza orders with him after he answered that one pie per person wouldn’t be too little or too much.  Laura and I decided against appetizers which was smart since free bread came out soon after.  Though there were traditional Italian specialties on the menu, I was jonesing for pizza after having watching Mystic Pizza earlier in the week.

The waiter had alerted us that the pizzas would be out in a jiff, and he was spot on since the two of us weren’t even done with the free bread when the pizzas were presented to us.

My pizza was the “Quattro Stagioni”  ($14).  This guy was topped with cotto ham [cooked prosciutto], black olives [may contain pits], mushrooms, and artichokes.  I don’t know what it was, but I just wasn’t in love.  I wish there were cheese.  I did like the charcoal-ly crunchy crust.  Maybe the tomato sauce was a tad dull.  I ate the whole thing and didn’t feel hungry after.  Good sized pie for an individual.

Regarding the other pie, Laura had ordered the “Prosciutto e Rucola” ($15).  Laura and I wished there was more cheese.  The arugula provided an almost too bitter emphasis.  Looks like a salad, no?  I adore prosciutto though.  Needed more of that!  Owing to the thinness of the dough, these slices are tough to eat elegantly.  I found myself doing the old fold-in-half trick which worked decently.  Any escapee toppings were forked into my mouth.

There was a gal working who kept clearing our plates without asking if we were done [we weren't].  What was up with that?  You can’t conclude that crust on the appetizer plates signal that we are done with said crusts.  Annoying.

Exiting the restaurant, I spotted the aqua-tiled pizza oven in the open kitchen.  Cute!

If I were Yelping this, 3 stars sounds about right.  Not as phenomenal as I had hoped.  Laura remarked that we should have gone to Cantina next door instead.  Indeed.

Restaurant experiment: Trattoria Centrale

Trattoria Centrale

207A 20th Street North between 2nd Avenue North and 3rd Avenue North

Birmingham, AL 35203

205-202-5612

http://trattoriacentrale.com

When I punched in “brunch” into Yelp, Trattoria Centrale was one of the top hits that was spit out.  So I ended up going here with Virginia and Elena on a sprinkly Sunday to this popular spot, helmed by a CIA graduate.  Thankfully street parking isn’t hard at all at this time.  But what is hard is snagging a table at the happenin’ Trattoria Centrale.  The inside dining room was filled to the gills with families and hipster-types.  We grabbed a table outside under the awning; good thing too since it rained a tad.  There isn’t traditional waiter service; you order at the counter and then your meal is brought to your table.  Is it just me, or is this a popular dining method here in Birmingham?  I seem to have encountered it a noticeable amount.

Sadly, no eggs Benedict was on the menu.  I decided to order the orecchiette, which the gal at the register taking orders told me was Italian for “little ears.”  Virginia ordered the frittata and Elena the French toast.  The French toast was an impressive tower with bacon strip accents.  Virginia’s platter had bacon, and so did mine.  They sure do love the bacon here.  While in line, Elena and I noticed the baker’s rack full of bacon strips and ogled it endlessly.  Mmm.  The food took its time making an appearance; luckily it was worth the wait.  Sitting outside, there’s fun people watching: clientele going in and coming out, seeing folks stroll by, often with dog leash in hand.

The little ears were quite tasty.  I’ve only dabbled in Brussels sprouts [I even had to look up how to spell the name] a wee bit and was not too enthralled, but I really liked how they were prepared at Trattoria Centrale.  It appears as though they were roasted a bit.  So the mini cabbages were flavorful and tender.  I realize that I shouldn’t write off the B. sprouts totally.  Crispy bacon is my deal, so I was super duper happy that my bacon bits were crunchy.  The cream sauce wasn’t bland at all, and the cubits of butternut squash added a hint of sweetness and softness and a fall flavor.  And topped off with shredded cheese…how can you resist?  The strip of bacon was a gift from Virginia.

The only downside was that I was still a little hungry after.  I wish Trattoria Centrale had served some complimentary biscuits or something extra.  Oh well, what can you do?  The answer is to go get frozen yogurt across the street at Paramount.

Cool facts about Brussels sprouts from Wikipedia:

• Are thought to have originated from Rome, not from Brussels
• Were grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello
• Are a type of cabbage
• California produces the most in the US
• The Netherlands produces the most in Europe
• Thought to contain anti-cancer compounds such as sinigrin and sulforaphane

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Restaurant experiment: Aunt Bella’s Restaurant

Aunt Bella’s Restaurant

46-19 Marathon Parkway at Beechknoll Avenue

Little Neck, NY 11362

718-225-4700

http://auntbellas.kpsearch.com/df/default.asp

Dave had been to this hidden gem before and had positive things to say, and I therefore was eager to try it with him.  Aunt Bella’s is on a random block, surrounded by a residential area.  It’s not flashy and and doesn’t have a horrible valet service, like some other Italian restaurants in this neighborhood.  When you go in, it’s like going to a grandmother’s home: the wallpaper is flowery, and there are fake flowers on the tables.  The ventilation system kicked off during the meal; it sounds just like a rainstorm outside, even though it wasn’t raining at all.  Aunt Bella’s has been around since 1977, impressive.

The menu offers what you’d expect at an Italian restaurant: antipasti, pasta, pasta, baked dishes, meats, seafood, and so forth.  On the wine menu, I did spot a Yellow Tail bottle of red for $18!  Ouch.  The prices are great otherwise.  I eventually went with linguini and white clam sauce ($10.25), while Dave went with the lasagna and two large meatballs ($10.50).  While we were deciding, half a loaf of bread and two pieces of bruschetta came out.  A worthy free appetizer.

Dave’s lasagna was massive and swimming in tomato.  You can’t see the meatballs here, but they too are of the gigantic variety.  My linguini wasn’t a shrinking violet either.  I briefly considered getting the last dregs to go, but I soldiered on.  Mmm.

The other patrons were generally middle aged folks from the area.  This is truly a neighborhood joint.   This one woman next to me had a terrible smoker’s voice and souded like a man.  Combined with the New York accent…sheesh.

We had a coupon for 10% off, yeah.  Where else can you buy two big meals for $25?  Score!

Thanks Aunt Bella!

Restaurant experiment: Villa Berulia

Villa Berulia

107 East 34th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues

New York, NY 10016

212-689-1970

http://villaberulia.com/

The parentals desired Italian fare near the hotel.  Thanks to Yelp, I found Villa Berulia.  Since it was early on a Sunday evening, we had no trouble scoring a table in the cavernous restaurant.  Not to be all Olive Garden, but you can definitely tell this is more of a family operation.  The hostess and the waiter looked like well-season Villa Berulia fixtures. 

We were seated in the back area which was raised compared to the rest of the floor.  There was an adjacent table which all seemed to know the waiter well and spoke to him like an old buddy.  The fake white plaster is supposed to make you think you are at George Clooney’s Italian villa or something.

My mom ordered the fresh mozzarella caprese, and we thought it was a table-sharing portion, but we were dismayed when two plates were served to herself and I (my dad had not requested an appetizer when asked).  I’m not sure this was worth $13/person.  A generous pour of balsamic over roasted red peppers and mozzarella…yum.  Oh, but I can’t neglect the bread basket.  I’ll admit that it was a hearty bread basket, with sesame seed covered breadsticks, wheat bread, white bread, and garlic bread.  Can’t whine about that.

As my main, I ordered the canelloni (~$21).  Described as “pasta filled with meat, spinach, and bechamel sauce,” I was eager to try it.  Again since I was in a hurry, I agonized over when the food was going to show up.  Of course, the law is anything is dragged out when you’re in a hurry.  I regret that I could not savor each bite.  Though how weird is it to call the filling “meat?”  How vague.  I would have liked more sauce.  It was a hot dish, I can tell you that.

I felt bad to dine and dash, but again, I had to catch a train.  Looking back, Villa Berulia is a very safe place to eat, especially for parents.  Most people do not protest Italian food, the service was fine if a little inattentive/slow, and the noise level was closer to mouse than lion.  It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it’s a safe, solid choice, especially for the people who raised you.

Restaurant experiment: Angelo’s Pizza

Angelo’s Pizza

117 West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

New York, NY 10019

212-333-4333

http://www.angelospizzany.com/

“The service is as bad as our waitress’s accent!”–Leslie

Let me set the scene.  Leslie and I had 45 minutes to eat dinner.  The original move was to go to one of those deli/multifood places that are all the rage in NYC, but Leslie decided to eschew that notion and squeeze in a quick dinner at Angelo’s, since she’s been here before and knew it was stomach-friendly.

She asked the platinum blond middle-aged hostess if we could be in and out in 45 minutes.

“Sure.”

Um, that didn’t transpire.

We were seated downstairs, and I picked out a small table near the kitchen where I could observe an overweight customer swap out his chair for a nearby one, then swap that one out for another one.  Pointy rolls emerged, and we ate the bread by dipping it into olive oil.  Leslie raved about the fried zucchini & eggplant with garlic yogurt dip ($10), so we shared that.  I don’t even care for eggplant, but I liked this.  Deep fry anything and I’ll be happy, I guess.  Mmm, tzaziki-like dip.  Hot and fresh!

Leslie and I shared a small pie with ricotta and roasted peppers.  It was taking ages to come out, following the devouring of the zucchini and eggplant.  We concluded we should ask the waitress for the check when the pizza was dropped off.

Our waitress was a young woman with a strong Eastern European accent.  She wasn’t exactly a Rhodes Scholar.  Leslie tried to explain to her in the lengthy dead time post-appetizer that we were in a hurry, and the waitress was confused and asked if we wanted the pizza and the appetizer to come out at the same time.  Huh?  Not like we can travel back in time.

The pizza came out, but I couldn’t enjoy it that much because of the time limitations.  The peppers were not too roasty but the ricotta was a smart pick.  Nice pizza.  No Lombardi’s, but what is?

A small pizza is $15, and $2.50 will get you one topping.  So $20 (including tip) each for the dinner was slightly too much.  But it’s Midtown and touristy, so I guess Angelo’s can get away with it.  If that zucchini eggplant fried delicacy wasn’t so fine…

Restaurant experiment: Piatto d’Oro

Piatto d’Oro

349 East 109th Street at First Avenue

New York, NY 10029

212-722-7220

http://www.restaurantpiattodoro.com/

I’d been meaning to try Piatto d’Oro for the longest time but it never ended up gelling until now, when That Girl and I were looking for a place for our dinner appointment.  Its pros included being not too crowded, a different style of cuisine (it is Spanish Harlem after all), and reasonable costs.  When I stepped into the small restaurant, a gentleman who I assumed is the owner, guided me to a table in the center of the room but graciously let me switch to one by the wall (to avoid drafts from the open door).  There were only two other parties present when I arrived, and there was a family left right before we departed.

That Girl showed up soon after me.  The meal started off with a bang: complimentary garlic bread.  And then a basket of more bread, sadly not of the garlic variety.  Piatto’s menu is sprawling so you’re apt to find something for your needs.  Pastas, meats, salads, pizzas, yeah, no worries there.

I ended up getting the rigatoni ai carciofi, rigatoni with artichokes.  White sauce, wonderful!  Comfortably butter and rich, and plenty of artichoke pieces for my tastes.  And with freshly grated parmesan on top, perfecto!

The two of us couldn’t resist dessert.  Lots of options.  I nearly went for the chocolate mousse but then my eyeball latched upon the coppa spagnola which appealed to me after it was described as something like a semifreddo with fruit.  Sold!

It was kind of like cherry and vanilla ice cream, ultra-frozen, meaning very hard.  That Girl’s chocolate gelato was practically blackness and tasted like chocolate on the bitter side but felt gritty, for lack of a better adjective.  Was it supposed to be like that or not?  That Girl and I were unsure.  Bottom line?  Desserts were OK.

The owners let us linger as long as we wanted or at least I wasn’t noticing any dirty looks being shot our way.  I’m charmed & will be back no doubt.

Not charming, down the block, a man screaming obscenities at a woman.  Not a way to end a meal.

Restaurant experiment: L’asso

L’asso

192 Mott Street at Kenmare Street

New York, NY 10012

212-219-2353

http://lassonyc.com/

AmyC invited me out to dinner as an early birthday treat.  She suggested this joint L’asso which I was unfamiliar with, but she had been several times and felt like it was a good choice.  Props to her for reading the blog to check if I had been there or not!

On a nippy night, I ventured into L’asso and met AmyC at the bar, and Frank, Shing, and Sophie showed up soon after.  We were then seated at our table in the middle of the floor.  The restaurant is cramped meaning both busy and with a lot of squished tables, and I kept getting bumped by people moving along in the aisle.  So that was unpleasant.  But typical.  The menu features pasta and other Italian items though Frank said it was wise to go with the pizzas.  Okay then, sounds fine to me.  I also ordered a dark and stormy which was reeking of rum, very stormy indeed.  I skimmed the pastas but spent most of my efforts on the pizza page.  The five of us decided to share a few pizzas.  My contribution/selection was the puta di mare which was garlicky sautéed shrimp and broccoli rabe on pizza with an artichoke sauce.  We shared a medium of that along with mediums of the margherita and the one with portobellos and truffle oil.  The bleached blonde bobbed waitress brought out complimentary appetizers which resembled tortillas soaked in herbs and olive oil.  That and the olives were quickly gobbled by me in anticipation of the pizza.  I also spent food waiting time playing with AmyC’s brand spanking new Droid phone (pretty kickass).

The margherita emerged first and we all pounced on it.  As you can see, there was a lot of sauce on it.  The crust is very airy and crunchy.  The margharita is a very safe pizza in general, and I found it to be tasty.

Second in the parade of pizzas was my pick, the puta di mare.  Nobody at the table had sampled it before, so it was an unknown entity but after the first few bites, all five of us were happy with my pick.  Whew, because I hate it when I pick bad stuff.  There was a hint of spiciness which I could have done without, but no matter.  Thumbs up.

Last was the portobello.  You can see my punchy Dark and Stormy in the upper left corner.  Since I’m not a huge fan of portobello in general, I would have to place this last, but still, I would eat it, not like I would avoid touching it with a 10 foot pole of anything.  This pizza, like the preceeding, also did not have a tomato sauce; it too was a white pizza.

Thanks to Frank and AmyC (and Shing and Sophie too)  for lassoing me into the L’asso fold and for the lovely dinner!

Restaurant experiment: La Giara

La Giara

501 Third Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets

New York, NY 10016

212-726-9855

http://www.lagiara.com/

[I'm not sure why this text is so small.  Darn WordPress.]

The parentals and the brother and I came here on a Monday evening because the mother unit wanted Italian within walking distance of the hotel.  Since I wanted to accrue more OpenTable points, I found this place La Giara which seemed to fit the bill.

I didn’t really need to make a reservation since the place was rather dead.  I’d rather have a place undercrowded that overcrowded though.  At least we could hear each other easily and had attentive service, though the waitress’s Eastern European accent was rather thick.  Lucky for us, Monday nights are $9 pasta nights.  Good deal since the usual costs are about $13 to $16.

The family shared the bufala caprese appetizer ($11.50) which was “bufala milk mozzarella, plum tomato, basil, oregano and extra virgin olive oil.”  It also came with bread and olive oil tomatoes on crostini.  Yum.  We also shared a red wine with was yum.

The brother and I shared a pear and walnut salad which was not too thrilling.  It was okay but needed more cheese since it advertised cheese.  As my main, I ordered spaghetti in lamb ragout and pecorino cheese ($13.50).  I found this dish to be comforting and satisfyingly lamb-y though it was toeing the line into blandness.  Plus I got extra freshly grated cheese on top, and we all know that cheese can improve nearly any dish.

I felt bad for La Giara since it could have used some more business.  At least we were doing our part.  And it’s an appealing cozy space, with candles on the tables, white walls accented with dark wooden beams, wine bottles as decor, and so forth.  You can do it a favor and go Mondays.

Restaurant experiment: Locale

Locale

33-02 34th Avenue at 33rd Street

Astoria, NY 11106

718-729-9080

http://www.localeastoria.com

Woo hoo!  My triumphant return to Astoria.  Too bad it was marked by dreadful rain.  But, if I correctly recall high school English classes, rain/water symbolize rebirth and cleanliness.  Okay, that doesn’t quite fit here.  Cleansing myself from the draggy work week?  Something like that.

Dayna suggested this place which she had been to before but not in quite some time.  Locale is randomly thrown into a more residential area of the neighborhood.  The restaurant is airy and modern, with black and while themes going on, white sheer curtains, silhouettes of people splashed here and there.  The hostess looked like an old roommate of mine.  She took our wet umbrellas for us and ushered us to a corner two top.

The seating is sort of tight, but the place wasn’t as full as it could be or normally would be.  Our waiter came over and recited a long list of specials.  Naturally I forgot most of them, and then I was impressed that the guy could memorize them all.  Hey Locale, that’s a sign your specials are too much.  Print them out or something.

The complimentary bread came with olives in olive oil.  I ordered a farfalle affumicate which was bow tie pasta in a brandy sauce, with peas and smoked salmon.  That dish was $13.95.  Here’s the visual.

Notice all that cheese on top?  Yeah!  I love extra cheese.  The pasta was fine.  Perhaps I should try making this particular dish at home.  Dayna ordered soup, and the bowl was as big as her head.  Her chicken marsala looked appealing as well.  She asked for her food to go along with a slice of lone bread which didn’t get eaten earlier.  The waitress returned and said she had given Dayna extra bread.  How sweet!

Because Mother Nature is a big meanie, it began pouring again as we left Locale.  No matter.  The meal just pumped me up for the rest of the evening (hello, sangria).

Restaurant experiment: Tre

Tre

173 Ludlow Street between Houston and Stanton Streets

New York, NY 10002

212-353-3353

http://www.trenewyork.com/home.html

I wanted Laura to experience the Lower East Side, and I found Tre with the assistance of one of my handy references, OpenTable. Tre is pretty small and not bright, with lighting fit for a rendezvous. There’s a small seating area in the front, the bar, and then the main dining room which was still on the smaller side. The setting is perfect for dates or small meals with close pals.

The sangria was a stunning ruby color and generously poured for a steal of seven bucks. Laura and I opted for the $19 prix fixe which is only available Sunday through Thursday. Tre also has a bunch of other deals, like a $17 brunch with unlimited brunchy drinks and Sangria Mondays.

1st course: RAVIOLI FRITTI

“Fried ravioli stuffed with ricotta, salame, black pepper”

Ding ding ding! We have a winner. This was hands down my favorite part of the prix fixe. They looked like fried wontons drizzled with chocolate sauce, but that was just some balsamic. Mmm, crunchy pasta, warm cheese. Heavenly. Laura wholeheartedly agreed with me. Mmm.

2nd course: MEZZI RIGATONI CON POLPETTE

“Short rigatoni pasta with traditional lamb mini meat balls & tomato sauce”

This dish was fine but nothing that I would send a snail mail letter out about.

3rd course: TRE CHEESECAKE

“Crème fraiche, ricotta, cream cheese, mango sauce”

Since I’m lukewarm on tiramisu, I picked the ricotta cheesecake. It was fine but not the pinnacle of the meal. Museum-worthy presentation however.

Our pretty haired waiter, as Laura referred to him, was not of this planet. Very Valley Girl I must say. Another waiter picked up some of his slack, but the service wasn’t super sterling, but no matter since we weren’t in much of a hurry.

I want to say that Tre flies under the radar because if I mention it to someone, he/she probably wouldn’t be familiar with it, but the restaurant was doing fair business on a Sunday night, so some people know about it. Maybe it’s partially a hidden gem. A hidden cubic zirconia? Bang for your buck, sleek atmosphere, satisfying food.

Tre Cool. [You will only get that reference if you used to be really into Green Day in junior high like me.]