Waterfront Ale House

…not your average ale house

Most people don’t notice this seemingly hole in the wall pub style building and those that do notice, might not be inclined to go there for a meal based on it’s décor; However, I couldn’t be happier that we fell into this neighborhood joint. Everything on the menu was home style cooking – which is exactly what you want the morning after new years. Especially if you attended Josh Bronstein and his SUPER cool girlfriend and awesome roommate’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Pulled Pig Sandwich…

The pork came on a hamburger bun, stuffed to the brim with juicy meat that melted in your mouth. The meat was bursting with a smoky-southern flavor and the sauces and spices were perfectly on point. It was a succulent sandwich and the sauce was not too sticky or too tangy. The side of plain waffle fries bored me and did nothing for the plate. If you are a fan of pulled pork or even if you’re not, try this sandwich; you might surprise yourself.

Hickory Smoked Turkey…

Served open face with thick slices of farm house cheddar cheese and a jalapeno jelly (slaw) this dish had no flaws when I ordered it. I was so excited for this dish, because I knew the potential it had and the flavor combinations sounded incredible (to me at least). Unfortunately, it had been sitting back in the kitchen a little while and got cold when the waitress finally brought it out. It tasted great and the flavors went very well together, but it just wasn’t as hot as I would have liked. Later in the day, I heated up my leftovers (standing next to the microwave watching the cheese re-melt) and gave it another shot. The cheddar contrasted nicely with the kick from the jalapeño jelly. It was even better the second time around.

Waterfront offers a price fix lunch/brunch special for $10.95 which includes their soup of the day. The soup of day on New Years Day happened to be Carrot Ginger, which, surprisingly, was actually really good. Other menu items on my radar for next time are the Nachos with Venison Chili and the Santa Fe Chicken Wrap (Recommendation of Liz Jordan- J Spot Official Shout out). The food is reasonably priced, the portions are plentiful and the list of options is like no other pub I have been to. I definitely recommend Waterfront for your next hangover cure.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8		10
Service	7		10
Ambiance	7.5		10
Bang for the Buck	9		10
Overall	8.5		10
	40		50

540 2nd Avenue (Corner of 30th St.)
(212) 696-4104

http://www.waterfrontalehouse.com/html/MenuManhattan.htm

Trattoria L'Incontro

……the king of Queens

Believe it or not, you can leave the Manhattan city limits and find incredible places to eat. One such gem is Tratottia L’Incontro, which is conveniently located in Astoria, Queens one block away from the N, W Ditmar’s Boulevard stop. L’Incontro has all the warmth of a traditional, family-style Italian restaurant as well as all the bells and whistles that go along with fine dining. The atmosphere was loud and vibrant and the paintings on the walls reminded me of my travels along the northern coasts of Italy. Even more impressive, was that the servers were extremely well trained and even wear ear pieces in order to hear last minute changes to the menu directly from the executive chef (Rocco).

A well known tradition of L’Incontro is the number of specials the waiter lists each and every night (which apparently rarely ever changes but they still continue to do it). First, the waiter listed over 20 appetizer specials in addition to regular menu; my head was starting to spin. Then, he got to the entrees. I lost count, but I think he topped 30, not including the regular dinner menu. This place had everything under the sun (I was in food heaven), and if they didn’t have it our waiter assured us they would do their best to make us whatever we wanted. To me, that is a sign of a great restaurant that will be staying put for a long, long time.

APPETIZERS

Before we even ordered appetizers the waiter brought out Rocco’s famous sun-dried tomato tapenade, consisting of pureed sun dried tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil. Thank god I was with some returning customers of L’Incontro or else I would have filled up even more. This stuff was addicting and they kept bringing more and more each time we downed another bowl of it. We actually had to tell them to stop. Just beware of this and TRY your best not to go overboard.

Ravioli stuffed with veal, filet mignon and sprinkled with crumbled sausage

Welcome meatlovers! This dish is your destiny. Every single bite had a multitude of flavors. First, I tasted the veal and filet mixture, which was so elegantly stuffed inside homemade ravioli. Then, I immediately got the taste of the ground sausage on the outer layer along with the mushroom based sauce.

Homemade Chestnut Pasta with leeks, crumbled sausage and truffle oil

This was a house specialty and came highly recommended by our waiter. We ordered an appetizer portion for each person at the table to have a taste. The pasta was long and flat and had an earthy taste to it which was well complimented by the leeks, cabbage and crumbled sausage that it was accompanied by. This was not a creamy dish but none-the less very rich and delicious. Although I was partial to the Ravioli, I am not sure you could go wrong with any pasta you ordered.

ENTREES

Grouper stuffed with spinach and mascarpone cheese

Rich flavors were present in every bite of this dish. The fish was prepared beautifully; perfectly butterflied, and then stuffed with the spinach and mascarpone mixture. On top, it was sprinkled with bread crumbs which encrusted the fish giving the soft and creamy flavors and a crusty and hard texture. Also, as all of my readers are well aware of my love for spinach, it was one of the deciding factors when ordering this entrée. If you love rich, creamy flavors then I would highly recommend this dish. (This was one of the specials recommended by the waiter)

Black cod encrusted with pistachios

My beautiful date ordered the black cod encrusted with pistachios and served with string beans and potatoes. The fish was soft and flaky and melted in your mouth. In addition, the crust was a delicious combination of nuts and spices and not too overpowering.

Overall, this is one of the best Italian restaurants that I have been to in the NYC area and it rivals any of the top places in Manhattan. It is definitely worth the trip to Astoria. Just remember to pay full attention to the list of specials from the waiter. My ADD kicked in when he got to the entrees so I may have missed out on a few great dishes. Either way, I plan on going back very soon.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	9		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	9		10
	44		50

Neighborhood: Queens/Steinway
2176 31st St
Astoria, NY 11105

(718) 721-3532

www.trattorialincontro.com

Piola....great for a quick bite

Hello Pizza Lovers—and movie goers alike! This was a great find- or suggestion I should say. Saturday night after finding out that the movie we wanted to see was sold out of the earlier showing, my date and I decided that we’d grab a quick bite before catching the later viewing. Venturing to an old favorite only to find they couldn’t seat us, we made a quick call to a friend who suggested Piola. As we found the place and thanked her for the recommendation she made sure to tell us that ordering our pizza with fresh mozzarella was a MUST. Suggestion noted.

Whole Wheat Thin Crust Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta and Spinach

WOW. I really enjoyed this pizza. The crust was light and thin just as a good thin crust homemade pizza fresh out of a wood burning oven should be. The red sauce was light and not overpowering and the cheese was soft and delicious. Both of the cheeses blended well together and with the spinach and each bite tasted delicious, refreshing and almost... healthy. I did not feel as I normally do after finishing a slice or two of pizza.

Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Carrots and Tomatoes…

Save your money and I’ll save my breath. This Salad was as boring as watching The English Patient while tripping on mushrooms. I could’ve made a much better salad at home and would have been better off ordering a second pizza.

If you are a movie goer and have your ticket stubs... Piola gives you $3 off your meal per ticket. For us- this paid for the extra charges of a whole wheat crust and fresh mozzarella cheese. Even without the discount I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Piola ($)
Pizza, Italian
48 E 12th St, New York 10003
Btwn University Pl & Bway
Phone: 212-777-7781

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	7.5		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	8		10
Bang for the Buck	9		10
Overall	9		10
	41.5		50

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