Fette Sau

After literally years of being told I must visit this former auto-garage-turned-BBQ joint, I finally made it to Fette Sau. The place is fun, with a nice service gimmick - that being the whole "food served directly on the tray" thing. I can see seating being a nightmare on the more lovely spring and summer days (the majority of seats being picknick tables outside in the alley), though after the incomparable amount of time I've spent waiting for tables at Dinosaur, I have to say FS was quite nice.

The food was pretty good overall - in comparison to Dinosaur, I'd say it was a mixed bag. Some things I liked better, others I did not.

Ribs - these were good, but not great. I like Dinosaur's better, which tend to be juicier and are cooked with BBQ sauce. The version at FS were a little too charred on the outside (I like a good bark, but this was overcooked) and a bit dry on the inside.

Pork Shoulder - fantastic! Juicy and delicious through and through. Needed no sauce whatsoever.

Pork Belly - an interesting one. Being the fan of pork belly that I am, I immediately knew I must try BBQd belly, though the results were a bit mixed for me. Honestly it was the single most delicious thing on my plate (err, tray), but when you're paying by the lb, I don't know if choosing something that's 80% fat is the best way to go. I have to say though, those extra pieces of fat went great on the rolls, which were perfectly soft and airy.

Sausage Links - not totally sure what meat they used in these (my guess is it was pork), but they were good. Fairly juicy, a little spicy, and a light snap when you bit into them.

Potato Salad - this was a more German-style potato salad, meaning it was vinegar based as opposed to mayonnaise based. I really enjoyed it - tons of flavor from all the oil, vinegar, and whole grain mustard.

Burnt End Baked Beans - deep red in color, a touch spicy, and filled with flavor. The addition of bay leaves and the burnt ends were very nice, however I tend to enjoy a slightly less al dente texture to my baked beans. I suppose it's a good thing that they weren't "mushy", but it made the dish feel a bit raw to me.

Half-Sour Pickles - I have no idea if the restaurant makes these themselves or if they simply buy them. At first taste I enjoyed them quite a bit, as I love a good half-sour (my favorite pickle). But after a while I did notice how overly salty these were. I do know that Dinosaur makes their own pickles, and I do quite prefer those.

Overall I enjoyed the place quite a bit - the rotating menu of meats is a major reason to go back. Can't wait for a return visit!

Del Post - Collezione Grand Tasting Menu

There are some things that can only be experienced on such a rare occasion as one's annual company bonus. I will probably not be able to afford a meal like Del Posto's Collezione menu again for at least another year, but that is fine. After all, one can only handle such an event in spare doses.

This evening was quite perfect - service, food, atmosphere...all the things that make Del Posto my favorite "fancy" restaurant. The concept for this "Collection" menu was a vast array of small plates, meant to be enjoyed in any order or combination that the diner wished. Each course represented a variety of tastes of Italian cuisine, both traditional and modern.

Assaggi
Orzetto - a single shot of smooth vegetable soup with drops of liquid dark chocolate on top
Candied Corn - small crispy candied corn ball
Il Panino - tiny sliver of panini: crisp, buttery bread and ham

Suppli Di Marchesi - toasted rice ball
Truffled Tuna - ball of tuna carpaccio with white and black truffle crust
Palla Di Fegato - foie gras ball surrounded by a layer of fig marmalade, mascarpone cheese, and a crunchy nut crust

De Bartoli "Vecchio Samperi," NV Marsala

Antipasti
Smoked Testa Tortino - disc of crispy pork cheek meat
Sardine Beccaficco - whole fresh sardine with crisp breadcrumbs and candied citrus
Terrina Di Rapini - terrine of broccoli rabe
Mozzarella with Ossetra Caviar - freshly made mozzarella with a generous scoop of caviar
Chilled Tomato Marmellata - tomato marmalade: begins in frozen form and melts as the course progresses, creating alternating textures to enjoy with the other items

Krug Grand Cuvee MV Champagne

Primi
Capsule Di Tortellini Alla Francescana - an "inside-out" tortellini: looked like an egg yolk, and rolled around the serving bowl like a large drop of yellow mercury - instructed to shoot it, the capsule breaks in the diner's mouth and releases a piece of pasta contained inside
Vacca Rossa Risotto With Black Truffle - served in the same bowl once the Capsule is downed, a fragrant and heady truffle risotto (my single favorite dish of the night)
Linguine Alla Vongole - linguine with imported Italian clams: a single dried hot pepper was also served, allowing the diner to crush between their fingers and add the desired amount of heat

Planeta Chardonnay 2005 Sicilia

Raviolini Velati - two tiny bitter red cabbage-stuffed ravioli served with a pork reduction and piece of the pork from the sauce

Borgogno Barolo Chinato Piemonte

Pesce
Dungeness Crab Gratinato, Trippa Di Merluzzo, & Cesare's Tomato Brodetto - the diner is served a shallow bowl containing several pieces of crispy cod tripe - into this bowl, meat from a whole dungeness crab is served tableside, followed by a pouring of spicy tomato broth to create an "Italian Bouillabaiss"
Baccala Mantecato with Perilla - a creamy piece of salt cod, topped with Asian basil
Zenzero Elisir - a small shot of sweet ginger elixir

Bastianich "Tocai Plus" 2005 Friuli

Carne
Short Seared Short Rib, Polpettina Di Osso Buco, Crochetta Di Patate - a seared short rib carved tableside, plated with a single osso buco meatball topped with gremolatta, and several crisp and wafer-thin potato croquettes
Brisket Fiocco - jerky made from dried brisket
Insalata Misticanza - a simple mixed salad of greens, thinly sliced mushrooms and potatos
Horseradish Semifreddo - semi-frozen horseradish custard
Joe's Spicy Ketchup - Joe Bastianich's own recipe

Feudi Di San Gregorio Serpico 2003 Campania

Formaggi
Baked La Tur, Pumpkin Crostata, Chocolate Affumicato, Nuts & Beans - a mixture of cow, sheep, and goat cheese baked in fig leaves, served tableside atop bitter chocolate sauce, with a slice of crispy pumpkin tart, and topped with a sprinkling of nuts & beans
Apple Zuppetta - a tall shot of sweet apple and celery tonic

Niedermayr "Aureus" 2005 Alto Adige

Dolce
Blood Orange Bellini - blood orange sorbet molded within a grapefruit rind, served atop a bowl of edible liqueur-infused ice shavings
Zabaglione Frutta Secca - single mouthful of dried fruits, drizzled with a zabaglione sauce prepared personally by the pastry chef at the restaurant's serving station
Chocolate Croccantino, Salsa Di Carota - flourless chocolate cake served tableside atop a sweet carrot sauce, plated with two liquid-center chocolate truffles

D'Oliveira Boal Madeira 1968 Portugal

Post-Dessert
Fregolatta, Insalate Di Erbe - almond cookie served personally by the pastry chef - the chef breaks the cookie in the center of the table with the back of a spoon - as per Italian tradition, the further the cookie pieces fall across the table, the better the diners' luck - the cookie pieces are then sprinkled with a shower of fresh herbs and edible flower petals - the pastry chef suggests the diners eat a bite of cookie with a bite of herbs, claiming the combination "will taste like the best Fruity Pebbles you've ever eaten" (not so sure about that, but it was still fun...) - an additionally fun element involved one of the head waiters mentioning that he enjoyed seeing diners actually eating the cookie off the table (as they are meant to), as opposed to the more typical stuffy clientele who only touch the cookie pieces that stay on the plate

Digestivi - three progressively more complex tastings of grappa

* A final treat comes in the form of gift bags, including a "light lunch" for the next day made from different items the diners enjoyed that evening - a small panini filled with the brisket jerky, fresh mozzarella, and broccoli rabe, a small almond cake, and a little bottle of bitter Italian citrus soda