Scalini Fedeli

…… worth another shot

DISCLAIMER:

Before I begin this review, I would like to mention an incident that happened during my meal (between the dessert amoushe boushe and the real dessert course) that may have had an effect on my overall opinion of Scalini Fedeli. Whenever I eat at a fine dining establishment, I’m oddly curious of the bathroom situation. Don’t ask me why. A good indicator to me, it’s a nicely furnished bathroom, obviously has to be clean and provides a refreshing break from the meal. Unfortunately, Scalini Fedeli has not been reading the J Spot, because the bathroom was disgusting. Wet paper towels everywhere, blood on the toilet seat, mud on the floor, etc. After I saw that and came back to the table it put a really bad taste in my mouth. This place has the nerve to charge over $100 per person and not have a clean bathroom? I would love to see what Gordon Ramsey would have to say about this.

Now onto the food….

Scalini Fedeli is quietly one of the top restaurants in NYC. The upscale décor is evident by the concaving ceiling with its unique ridges left by its original owner, Daniel Bouley (of Bouley restaurant). The service is what you would expect from a top notch restaurant; properly trained waiters, who are passionate about the menu and willing to offer helpful suggestions. The food contained top notch ingredients such as truffle oil, exotic pastas and only the best seasonal ingredients. Scalini Fedeli is a price fix menu ($65) where you have your choice of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Appetizers offered include fresh pasta dishes and salads; while entrees are split up by fish, chicken and meat dishes. The possibilities are endless because the menu has something for everyone, as I had an extremely difficult time deciding what to get.

APPETIZERS

Soft Egg Yolk Ravioli with ricotta and spinach covered with truffle butter

The presentation on this was flawless. One huge ravioli stuffed with fresh ricotta cheese and spinach (J Spotters know I love spinach), encased in a soft egg yolk shell. This was one of those dishes that you just wanna stare at and feel weird ruining the perfection in front of your eyes. My fork easily cut through the ravioli, while the ricotta filling stayed intact so I could scoop it up with some truffle butter that was the base of this dish. If I had to pick out one flaw of this dish, it would be the overuse of truffle butter as each bite had an oily aftertaste that replaced the great flavors of the ravioli.

Pappardelle in a Game Sauce with venison and hare finished with barolo wine and bitter chocolate

MUST ORDER DISH. I must admit, I have never had or heard of Papperdelle pasta, but something tells me I will not forget it after last Friday night. You have to be a true foodie to venture to order a dish that comes in a Barolo wine and bitter chocolate sauce. I was not disappointed. The plate came out steaming hot and my eagerness to try this dish caused me to burn a few taste buds; However, there were enough left to truly appreciate this dish. The large flat noodles were cooked perfectly and the balance of the venison and hare ragout went well with the wine and chocolate sauce. The dish was not too gamey and every bite made my mouth salivate. I would recommend this dish to anyone who loves perfectly cooked, piping hot pasta blended with a meaty (but not too hearty) ragout and finished with a mouth watering sauce. Three out of the 5 people at the table ordered this dish and my date and I and another coupled shared-- everyone was able to enjoy this MUST ORDER dish.. I only wish I’d ordered my own.

Braised short ribs of beef with a cherry pepper and natural glaze, fennel-apple puree

I am still smacking myself for not ordering the short ribs. Thank god someone at the table let me try a bite of it. Phenomenal. Unfortunately, I got a braised pork loin, which I would recommend against and to order the short ribs instead. They were served with a cauliflower puree and steak fries cooked in truffle oil. The one bite I took was never-ending and the juicy flavor still lingers in my mind (yes, I have food dreams).

All in all, the meal was very impressive and met all my expectations. It’s a perfect place for anniversaries, birthdays or any other special occasion. It is unfortunate that I had to witness the bathroom that way, because it was disturbing and altered my true opinion of Scalini Fedeli. As a food blogger, objectivity is a must have trait, which is why I felt to need to disclose the “bathroom incident” as I like to call it. I feel a second visit to Scalini Fedeli is imminent, because I caught the chef on an “off night” and I’m pretty confident that Scalini Fedeli is capable of serving unforgettable meals.

165 Duane St., New York, NY 10013 nr. Hudson St. See Map | Subway Directions

212-528-0400

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	7		10
Overall	7.5		10
	40		50

Penelope…. Homestyle cooking at it’s best

You feel right at home when you walk in for a meal at Penelope. The décor is reminiscent of your grandma’s old kitchen and dining room; and the food is no different. The menu is somewhat limited, but I’m confident there is something for everyone. This past Saturday was my second time going there for brunch, and I have ordered the same thing twice. It was almost impossible to justify ordering something different than the Nutella French toast so I conceded and the sweet and savory dish made the decision for me. There is a brunch price-fix ($14) which includes you choice of coffee/tea, juice or an apple cider mimosa. Penelope is very popular for brunch so you have to get there early to avoid waiting in a very long line. I would suggest any time before 10:00AM should ensure you a spot with a reasonable wait. My dining partner and I decided to get a coffee at the local coffee shop and sit on the bench outside of Penelope while we waited. Arrive after 10am, and you could be taking the risk of waiting on Lexington Avenue for close to an hour.

Nutella French toast

Three slices of French toast filled with chocolate hazelnut filling, topped with powered sugar, and accompanied by a plentiful side of fresh fruit… what gets better than that? With Italian sesame seeded bread as the base for this dish, it had no flaws. The bread was soft and fluffy and savory without the chocolate. It alone would have been a solid French toast offering. This French toast however was filled with an unforgettable chocolate filling which drizzled out with each bite. My palate was overwhelmed with delight at the savory French toast flavors that were balanced with the sweet hazel nutty chocolate. The powered sugar was a nice touch adding some extra sweetness. I sparingly used the maple syrup on the table, as to not overpower the toast with syrupy flavors. I was also very impressed with the overflowing side of fresh berries and honeydew.

Salmon Wrapped Poached Eggs

The Salmon poached eggs were soft and runny… in a good way! They came served over a large piece of black seeded bread that alone would’ve been delicious. The eggs were topped with a generous portion of salty but not too salty smoked salmon and drizzled sparingly with a “green goddess” dressing that complimented all of the tastes and flavors throughout the dish. If you like eggs and nova—this is definitely the dish for you. It was served with a side salad which was boring consisting of simply lettuce and cranberries. Although the dressing was nice, if you can substitute sides, I would.

We also ordered a side of chicken apple sausage, which usually is a favorite of mine, but unfortunately, the portion was very small and just wasn’t that great. All in all, Penelope is a great brunch place which you should add to your cycle, especially if you live in the area. The service has been consistently great each time, the food always comes out promptly and I never feel rushed by the servers.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8.5		10
Service	8.5		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	7.5		10
Overall	8.5		10
	41.5		50

Penelope ($$)
American (Traditional), Desserts & Bakeries
159 Lexington Ave (At 30th St) New York 10016

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaId=6&restaurantId=6198

Helpful Lunch Post

Put down the chips and pick up some crisps…….

Tired of the same old greasy potato chips? Well, I have the perfect alternative to your hunger woes. Glenny’s Soy Crisps. You have probably seen their colorful bags stuffed on the bottom shelf at the local deli or behind the cool ranch Doritos. My personal favorite is Olive oil, garlic and Feta cheese flavor.

Glenny's low-fat, low-calorie, and high-fiber snacks are the perfect choice for any diet. Absolutely addicting Mediterranean flavors. The rich combination of some of my favorite ingredients without the unnecessary calories of regular potato chips is very satisfying. They also have 14g of soy protein vs. 2g of fat per serving. Swap this healthy snack with cheetos and I am sure you will be hooked. Other flavors include: Lightly salted, Apple Cinnamon, BBQ, Cool Ranch, etc. Prices for the crisps range from $1.50 to $2.25 depending on the deli or supermarket. No one ever said it was cheap to eat healthy. In case you were curious, the J spot just figured out how to use the “Add Picture” function.

Philly Restaurant Review #1

Figs……… “I dig the Figs”

11/29/2008

I spent the last weekend in Philly and had the opportunity to try two great restaurants while I was in town. Friday night, I went to the new Stephen Starr restaurant, Parc. It was incredible, and I highly recommended checking it out at some point. On Saturday, I went to Figs, a Mediterranean BYOB located in the Art Museum district. I’d prefer to blog about Figs, because Parc gets enough press on its own because of the well established track record Stephen Starr has in the Philadelphia area.

Figs is a favorite among locals in the area. The flavors are Moroccan influenced, the menu is a Mediterranean mix, and the atmosphere is both intimate and energetic. I got the sense that it’s a family run business because the family feeling extended to the patrons and the chef even came to our table to see how our meal was going. The waitresses wore the traditional Moroccan gowns; and were extremely knowledgeable and helpful when it came to choosing our entrees. Within minutes of being seated someone came to our table to cork our bottle of wine – we didn’t even have to ask. Even more impressive was that they didn’t write down each of our orders and still managed to get everything right.

APPETIZERS

Bread with white bean dip

This was Figs version of “bread for the table.” Complimentary fresh bread with a bowl of white bean dip went pretty fast at our table. The white bean dip had a very genuine flavor, and a distinguishable brown color. Don’t be hesitant to give it a try.

Baked Brie in clay pot

This had my name written all over it. The brie was bubbling when it hit the table so immediately everyone started digging right in. Honey, lavender and toasted almonds were melted on top of the brie, adding extra sweet and salty flavors to the strong and stinky cheese. The Brie was accompanied by triangular baked pita bread circling the plate, which was perfect for dipping. I highly recommend this dish to share. It was a nice twist on the traditional baked brie served wrapped in Philo Dough.

Spinach, pinenut and feta cheese philo triangles

You might as well call me Popeye, because I love spinach and subconsciously order it every time I see it on any menu. With that being said, when you combine it with feta cheese and pineuts, it’s impossible to resist. The presentation on this one was pretty cool, as two squares of spinach wrapped in philo dough were place atop a yogurt tzatziki sauce. Each square was enough for two people, so we split each one up to share. The spinach squares were great, but I wasn’t crazy about the sauce, it overwhelmed the plate and didn’t have enough of a punch. However, this would not stop me from ordering this dish again when I go back.

ENTREES

Crispy duck breast

A plentiful serving of sliced duck overloaded my plate. Each piece lightly crisped and covered in an apple cider honey fig glaze. None of the duck was overly fatty (not Steve Weiner) but had a tender consistency. Each piece had a thin flavor layer of fat- that was not overwhelming and was a huge compliment to the taste of the meat. Usually, I am hesitant to order duck as it is a very fatty meat, but that was not the case at Figs. This dish also came with Fruit bread pudding and sautéed spinach. The fruit bread pudding was luke warm when served to me, but the flavors were still there. If executed well, I think it would have complimented the sweet glaze sauce from the duck very nicely. For someone who cooks sautéed spinach pretty regularly, I feel I can comment on Figs attempt at one of my favorite dishes. They took the spinach out of the pan way too early, as some of the spinach still had its original color and texture from when it was in the package. Other than that, the spinach was good (not great), loaded with garlic and hints of extra virgin olive oil. I might try a new dish on my next visit.

Salmon topped with crab meat

My dining partner, who will continue to remain nameless (not sure how much longer) ordered this, so obviously I had to take a few bites. The dish arrived as A nice piece of salmon topped with a scoop of lump crab meat served atop mashed potatoes with a side of asparagus. The proteins of the dish were very good- the salmon was cooked perfectly and the crab added a nice flavor contrast without overpowering the dish. I did not care for the mashed potatoes – which were not as smooth or hot as I would have liked and the asparagus was not as plentiful. That being said, I did not feel shortchanged by this dish. The fish was a nice size and I enjoyed the flavors.

Figs is a great place to try, especially if you are sick of the same old places in Rittenhouse square or Olde city. Just remember two things before you go. 1) Its cash only. (2) its pronounced Figs, not Fags as Fred Bloom initially thought.

Figs

2501 Meredith St
Philadelphia, PA 19130-2421
Phone: (215) 978-8440

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8.5		10
Service	9		10
Ambiance	9		10
Bang for the Buck	8		10
Overall	8.5		10
	43		50