Spring in Talula's Garden

We had the good fortune to dine at one of our favorites last week--Talula's is firmly embracing spring and the gastronomic bounty that it offers....


The fresh pea--goat butter ravioli topped with pea shoots was a lovely start...

Ditto the gnocchi, which was seared to a crisp, laden with buffalo Taleggio and topped with baby spinach.

Our mains were equally delectable:

Halibut "Rockefeller"--with sherry bacon vinaigrette, spinach, new potatoes, nettles and chives;

Hanger Steak with candied onions, pureed potatoes and marrow bordelaise;

Farro Risotto with ramps, peas, baby carrots, garden herbs and walnuts;

and the Florida Pink Snapper with warm lettuces, grapefruit, and fingerling potatoes.

Being fans of stinky cheese, we opted for the wonderful assortment called "Bring on the Funk", which was enjoyed by all.    We followed that with the irresistible  sweet ricotta filled donuts with apricot dipping sauce, and the bacon s'mores, which were a lot better than they sound.

So the love affair with Talula's continues.

Stella's Lamb Bolognese

Most people visit Stella for their, um, stellar pizza.  But their non-pizza items are worth exploring.    In honor of this week's focus on lamb, we sampled their lamb bolognese, promptly fell in love, and their chef was kind enough to share the recipe.  This version serves 12, which is a hefty batch.  If you announce that you are making Stella's lamb bolognese, however, we're certain that you'll fill the seats at your table quickly.  If not, you can freeze what's left.

Stella's Stellar Lamb Bolognese

3 lbs ground lamb

10 cloves garlic (minced)

2T Spanish paprika

1T fennel seed (toasted & ground)

1T coriander (toasted &  ground)

1T black pepper (ground)

2t cumin (toasted & ground)

2t ground cinnamon

1t cayenne pepper

1t sumac

1ea red bell pepper (small dice)

1ea red onion (small dice)

½  spanish onion (small dice)

1 stalk celery (small dice)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2t crushed red pepper

2t piment d’ espilette (Basque chili powder; order here)

2C spicy red wine

1QT lamb stock (use chicken if unavailable)

2C whole milk

2C crushed tomato

2 oranges (juice and zest)

sachet: 1oz parmesan rinds, 6 sprigs thyme, 6 sprigs oregano, 3 sprigs rosemary, 3 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1t black peppercorns

1C pistachio gremolata (recipe follows)

cooked rigatoni pasta (5oz per person)

unsalted butter  (1t per portion)

grated parmigianno regianno (1T per portion)

extra virgin olive oil (1T per portion)

minced flat leaf parsley (1T per portion)

S&P to taste

Method

For the Bolognese:

1.     combine first 10 ingredients and refridgerate for 48hrs allowing the spice to permeate the  meat

2.     sweat  onions , celery, red pepper,  and remaining garlic until translucent

3.     add crushed pepper and piment d’ espilette and toast until fragrant

4.     add lamb/spice mixture and cook through breaking apart meat as it cooks, seasoning with S&P as you go

5.     deglaze with red wine and reduce by half

6.     add remaining ingredients (stopping at  gremolata) and simmer slowly until texture is meaty with very little liquid (about 3hrs)

For the Gremolata (combine the following):

1C grated parmesan cheese toasted in a low oven on non-stick pan until golden brown

1C fine bread crumbs toasted

½ C pistachio dust

1T chili flakes

Rind from 4 preserved lemons finely minced

6 sprigs rosemary leaves minced

S&P to taste

To Finish:

Combine hot pasta with Bolognese sauce and allow to cook for a couple minutes  so pasta can absorb the flavor, finish with butter, cheese, olive oil, parsley and gremolata. 

Il Pittore, Grazie

Il Pittore was a delightful choice for our final restaurant review meal of 2011.  Its exposed brick walls and beams, sizable skylight and wide planked wooden floors give the place a clean, modern air of rustic elegance.  The food echoes this trend.

We received a friendly greeting from our server, with whom we generated a cheerful rapport throughout the evening, ultimately trading trivia questions--he was a Physics guru owing to the fact that his dad taught the subject for years and he had an impressive knowledge of force, motion, and the conservation of angular momentum.

We started with a tryptic of crudos--which our waiter wryly clarified was served raw.  The tuna jalapeno was the highlight of the trio. 

Tuna Crudo

We are big fans of octopus and rarely resist it on a menu (save those fried teething rings that pass for bar food, which we strenuously avoid).  Il Pittore's version did not disappoint.

Braised Octopus with pickled peppers, potatoes and arugula

And we also tried the foie gras, which was excellent, uniquely paired with savory jams and crackers.

Foie Gras with savory pizzelles and lambrusco jellies

We split two pastas as an intermezzo--the duck agnolotti (pictured below) and the corzetti ("pasta coins") with braised goat, mint and chili oil.  Loved 'em both.

Duck-filled Agnolotti with juniper berries and duck proscuitto

We went 3 for 4 on our mains. While this would be a stunning stat for, say, Ryan Howard, we expect 4/4 at a restaurant of this quality, and if we can be a bit indelicate, price. The swordfish with chick peas and pearl onions in a smoked tomato broth was a treat. The braised veal cheeks (chosen by 2 of our group), were a special that evening. The veal was epic; melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful, and utterly transcendent. The one dark mark on the evening was the dourade, which our server described as a mild, flaky Mediterranean white fish similar to halibut. Alas, this description was inaccurate. The dourade was more similar to mackerel in flavor--which is a far oilier and strongly flavored fish than I would have ordered.  I consoled myself by tasting everyone else's main courses, and the waiter was supremely apologetic when I gave him my honest reaction. 



We enjoyed the brussels sprouts side,

Brussels Sprouts with pine nuts and burrata.

and always suckers for a cheese course, we didn't even try to resist the selection of Italian gems offered here....

We showed remarkable restraint on desserts, only sampling 3.   The creme brulee napoleon with pistachio tulles combined 'a few of our favorite things'--well, it was something of a holiday celebratory dinner, after all, even if we were working.  The gingerbread pear crisp was sufficiently sweet and gooey so that I did not have to deem it "breakfast", which is an insult I often hurl at desserts that pair fruit and crust but don't top off the meal with enough decadence. 

Pear Crumble

And the chocolate bomboloni, bittersweet chocolate fritters stuffed with nutella and served with vanilla sauce, well, what's not to like?

Applause to the rapidly expanding Starr Restaurant Organization for creating another jewel in the crown. We have to admit, though, that Il Pittore is an occasion restaurant, not a place you'd pop into after a movie for a quick bite. With starters in the $10-$17 range and main courses around $28, this is a special night out. The good news is that you won't be disappointed. The contemporary elegance of the food and the decor make a visit to Il Pittore most memorable.