Taken place on September 18, 2009.
(I’m giving you the slideshow treatment for this blog post just because I can’t catch up if I do my routine post. When you reach the slideshow, you may click on the photo to read the captions or go to that particular Flickr photo page.)
Probably all of you who do follow the food critics, notably Sam Sifton of the NY Times, read his Marea review that’s published this week. I do agree with him that this is an expensive, casual restaurant. (Side note, this is my second meal here. The first one seen here.)
The ricci, the one to two biter uni toasts with lardo draped on top was excellent (and not available for lunch when I went there the first time in June 2009).
You can never go wrong with the pasta dishes. All are robust and intensely flavorful. My favorites were the one I had this particular evening with a friend – Agnolotti and the Fusilli. The former was my personal favorite. The ravioli filling was creamy and earthy from the veal which played along the earthy mushroom sauce. I dreamed about that pasta dish for the entire weekend. The fusilli was great in its own way. The house made pasta tasted like dried (Chef White stopped by our table and commented it’s made of semolina and durum flour and water. No eggs here.) The little quip that my friend and I had was the order the pasta dishes were served. We recommend the fusilli to start (it’s a bit lighter and acidic) then proceed to the agnolotti (heavier and much richer).
We forgo dessert that evening. I know it’s a rarity but I stuffed myself with a semi-decent mini cupcake and an Earl Grey ice cream cone earlier that day that I fulfilled my sugar intake quota. Probably as I’m getting older, my sugar tolerance level is dropping. Oh noes…
Dinner at Marea
(In case you can’t see the slideshow, here’s the Marea Flickr set.)
Then my friend wanted to have a nightcap (well, a dessert wine). We walked over to Time Warner Center (it’s just a block away, walking around Columbus Circle) and headed over to Clo Wine Bar on the fourth floor. Since I’m an alcohol weakling, I passed the drinking portion and played around with their interactive wine database. Ooooh…
Clo Wine Bar
Their database is their actual inventory that’s being served for the evening. All you have to do is get a seat under the projectors (mostly toward the middle of the communal table) and hover your hand “click” a button/choice. So much fun…
The bar is filled with relatively young people in their business casual outfits. Possibly, just came out from work recently even though it’s around 9 PM. Lots of energy and sophisticated than the average bar. My kind of place to hang out, if I have the choice.
Addresses:
Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019 (website; map)
Clo Wine Bar
Inside Time Warner Center, 4th Floor
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019 (website; map)
