Italian small plates | cheriecity.co.uk

Excellent Pizza at Lardo in Hackney

September 19, 2013 by cheriecity

Lardo in Hackney has been on my ‘must try’ list for a while and now I’m planning my next visit already. Clearly a neighbourhood hit, the restaurant is always busy and the terrace is a popular place to sit and enjoy the sun over drinks and pizza.

Behind Lardo is former Bistrotheque manager Eliza Flanagan, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed it. Like Bistrotheque, it’s all about the industrial-chic east London setting (within the renovated Arthaus complex), buzzing atmosphere and cool branding.

When my dad came to visit recently, we decided to stay local and go for pizza at Lardo. It was a little chilly to dine on the terrace, so we booked a table inside and had a good view of the open kitchen – overseen by Damian Currie (formerly of St John Bread & Wine and Zucca) – and the disco ball-like pizza oven.

Lardo offers a tempting selection of authentic Italian antipasti, small plates and pasta, plus larger dishes such as Steak Fiorentina for 2-3 to share. As the pizzas looked substantial, we skipped straight to the main course, however the Burrata and home-made focaccia looked particularly tasty.

We each tried a different meat-topped pizza and shared, so we had the chance to try three very different flavours.

The hands-down favourite pizza was the Roast Porchetta, Peppers and Provolone (£11). The roast porchetta was succulent, tender and served in long strands, a bit like pulled pork. The chargrilled peppers were well-marinated and juicy, while the provolone gave it a more flavoursome taste than mozzarella. The slow-roasted tomato sauce had a fresh, clean taste and I loved the addition of torn basil on top.

The Lardo pizza base is one of the best I’ve tasted in London – thin, airy, chewy and coated in crunchy semolina flour. It’s a pet pizza hate of mine when the base is too crispy, doughy or overly charred, but all of Lardo’s pizzas were cooked to perfection.

Black Anise Pepperoni pizza (£11) was covered in the finest quality, perfectly-seasoned meat and some of the juicy flavours had worked their way into the tomato sauce. The subtle, creamy mozzarella balanced it well and the scattered rocket added a peppery kick.

Lardo, Spinach and Egg pizza bianco (£11) was rich and indulgent, however it lacked the punchy flavours of the other two pizzas. The wilted spinach was a little bland but the thinly-sliced lardo was subtle with a silky texture and the egg on top had a creamy, bright orange yolk.

I never fail to find room for dessert, however the night before, we met the formidable Sophie over the road at Kick Studio and were lured back for scoops of delicious Oreo ice cream in the cool cafe opposite the boxing ring. Lardo’s gelati and Campari grapefruit granita are definitely on my radar for next time.

The atmosphere at Lardo is lively, prices are reasonable, service is quick and efficient and the chirpy Scottish staff are delightful. My only gripe was that our table for three was absolutely tiny (basically a two-seater with an additional setting added), resulting in much elbow bashing and pizzas almost sliding off the plates.

I look forward to working through the menu at Lardo and am thrilled that there’s a fantastic, authentic pizzeria on my doorstep.

For more information and booking, visit: www.lardo.co.uk

Photos by Chérie City

New York, Restaurants

A Great Dinner at Sotto 13, New York

June 5, 2013 by cheriecity

Sotto13 is a friendly neighbourhood restaurant that really wowed on my trip to New York this year. The ‘social Italian’ restaurant has an unexpectedly residential location on the lower floor of a landmark brownstone on a quiet, leafy street in the West Village.

We visited on Friday evening and the restaurant was already buzzing with well-heeled, in-the-know New Yorkers clinking Prosecco glasses and sharing rustic Italian small plates and pizza slices.

The restaurant is expansive with a split-level dining room, designed in earthy olive, espresso and dark wood tones. We sat at a comfy booth and were greeted warmly by the manager Giuseppe, who made some great recommendations that we were more than happy to try out.

We started with some delicious freshly-baked Focaccia served with a dish of high quality olive oil. Cocktails at Sotto 13 are a must, so I ordered a refreshing Mango Margerita (all cocktails $12) and Steven went for a strong and classic Sazerac.

To start, we were tempted by the Chickpea Fries, sun-dried tomato pesto ($7). The moreish fries had a golden, grainy coating and were smooth and creamy on the inside with a hint of aniseed. The sun-dried tomato pesto dip was deliciously rich, zangy and sweet.

The Garlic Shrimp, rosemary-thyme infused olive oil ($11) came highly-recommended and rightly so. The plump, succulent shrimps were perfectly cooked and came with a scrumptious garlicky jus that was so tasty we mopped it all up with the focaccia.

Having heard good things about Sotto 13’s wood-fire oven pizzas, we shared a Brussels Sprout Pizza ($16) that was cut into slices for easy sharing. The thin and crispy base was covered with strongly-flavoured toppings that complemented each other well. The halved sprouts were nicely charred and scattered among chunky pancetta, rich Fontina and thinly-sliced caramelised red onion.

Our favourite, however, was the wonderful Rigatoni Veal Ragu with Caciocavallo cheese ($16). The large tubes of al dente pasta were smothered in a slow-cooked, rustic sauce with well-seasoned minced veal and tiny pieces of carrot. The pasta was comforting and satisfying, plus the portion size was enormous. This is a dish I’d order again and again if only Sotto 13 was a little closer to home.

For dessert, it had to be the Cannoli – a New York classic that I always try to indulge in when in town. Each mini cannolo was filled with cool, creamy ricotta and chocolate chips and the dough was light and crisp.

Steven’s Pear Strudel with cinnamon ice cream was heavenly and also presented in small bites, so we could share. The pear was stewed with raisins and the pastry was fluffy yet crunchy on the outside.

We finished with a round of New Old Fashioned cocktails that were, strong, expertly-mixed and infused with zesty orange.

Sotto 13 is a real hidden gem where you can eat out like a true New Yorker. The ambiance is stylish yet informal and the staff are so brilliant that you’ll leave the restaurant with a smile.

Next time I visit New York, I can’t wait to spend a lazy Sunday over Sotto 13’s bargainous $25 All-You-Can-Drink Boozy Brunch, including tapas or pizza and unlimited brunch cocktails. Another fun touch is the DIY Prosecco Bar where you can customise glasses of Prosecco with a tray of juice mixers, toss-ins and liqueurs ($15 per tray).

For more information and booking, visit: www.sotto13.com

Chérie City was a guest of Sotto 13

For more New York travel ideas, read my review of:

London, Restaurants

Italian Small Plates At Assaggetti, London

August 28, 2012 by cheriecity

When it’s summer in London, I usually favour a selection of small plates to graze on, rather than one heavy and rich dish. Assaggetti brings Italian cicchetti and rustic regional favourites, with a New York vibe, to central London.

The two-floor restaurant is bright and colorful, with exposed brickwork, trattoria-style terracotta tiles and leather banquettes. The tables are casually dressed with paper place mats (think Polpo and Ombra) handily printed with the whole menu and cutlery presented in retro Italian tomato cans.

As suggested by our friendly Italian waiter, I started with a perfectly-made and very reasonable Assaggetti Aperol Spritz (£4.95), from a menu of authentic Italian and New York cocktails. I loved that it came served in its own branded glass – a perfect way to lift the spirits and be transported to the Venetian Riviera.

It’s all about small dishes at Assaggetti, so we ordered a good selection from the menu and they arrived at different times throughout the meal.

One of the first dishes to arrive was the Spicy Tuscan Sausage Pizzettine (£5.25). This was larger than expected and deliciously fresh, with creamy mozzarella, a slow-cooked tomato sauce, a crispy base and a small scattering of meaty tuscan sausage and fresh herbs.

The beef Meatballs (£3.25) were a perfect light bite and were infused with fresh sage, giving them extra character. The tomato sauce was home-cooked, but a little watery – a richer sauce would have complimented the meatballs more.

The pasta dishes are a must at Assaggetti and they come as a small dish or a main course portion, should you want something more substantial.

The Spaghettoni & duck ragù (£4.75) was rich and lean with thick al dente pasta and topped with shaved parmesan. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and would definitely order it again.

Another hit was the Taglierini with crab (£5.50), which was full of shredded, meaty crab in a light, creamy sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs and perfectly cooked pasta.

One of my favourite cicchetti is Mozzarella i fritti (£2.50) and Assaggetti’s are definitely worth trying. Creamy, stringy mozzarella is encased in fine, golden breadcrumbs and bursts slightly when eating – so delicious!

The Sweet potato fritters (£3.50) were rather disappointing – bland pancakes with shredded, uncooked sweet potato with no seasoning at all. I doubt they’d be missed if they disappeared off the menu.

Giulio’s beef tagliata (£7.75) was succulent and tender, cooked medium and served simply on a bed of rocket with a subtle balsamic glaze. The steak was nicely charred and full of juicy flavour.

Straccetti di pollo al Parmigiano (£4.75) is one of Assaggetti’s specials made with Parmigiano Reggiano. The lean, plump chicken strips were chargrilled and covered with shavings of high quality Parmigiano Reggiano, on a bed of leaves. The chicken had a delicious smokiness and was a very pleasing dish.

All desserts are priced at a competitive £3.50, so you can be guided by taste rather than price. I chose the Wild berry pannacotta and Steven went for his usual favourite, Tiramisù.

The pannacotta was so heavenly, I found myself almost scraping the bottom of the cute little glass in search of more. It was extremely creamy, with a hint of white chocolate and had a dense, silky, set texture. The red berry compote balanced out the richness of the cream and made it the perfect dessert to finish a great meal.

Steven’s Tiramisù was also mostly cream-based and the sponge was lighted dipped in espresso without being too wet. Both desserts were presented beautifully and really showed how tasty simple Italian dishes can be.

Assaggetti’s Haymarket location, in the heart of Theatreland, means that it attracts express pre-theatre diners and seemed to have a quick turnaround on tables. Service was therefore quick and attentive and the crowd was lively and international. Rather than a place to linger and absorb the atmosphere, Assaggetti is the place to come and share comforting Italian dishes, or enjoy a few cocktails and bar snack with friends.

Assaggetti has all the makings of a good boutique chain of restaurant, in the same genre as Jamie’s Italian and Canteen. I’m not sure if this is a goal for Metropolitan Restaurants, however their branding is already strong and the concept could easily work in other major cities (helped along by the very reasonable prices). I will certainly be back, particularly for that divine pannacotta….or two!

Chérie City was a guest of Assaggetti

Photos by Chérie City (interiors by Assaggetti)

London, Restaurants

A Great Dinner at Da Polpo, Covent Garden

December 26, 2011 by cheriecity

Da Polpo is one of those places that can make you adopt it as your own after just two visits. There’s something about the bottle green exterior with Italian lace hanging from the window and the dimly-lit tables that is just so inviting. It’s like a charming osteria that you might stumble across down a side street in Venice, but right here in the heart of Covent Garden.

This account of my visits to Da Polpo should be named ‘a tale of two Coralies’, as my first outing was with the lovely Coralie of Tea Time in Wonderland and the second was as part of a small group, catching up with my other friend Coralie, visiting from Paris.

On my first visit, Coralie and I shared some Arancini (£2.50) and Potato & Parmesan Crocchetta (£2). The Arancini came as two bite-size pieces of perfection – crispy golden breadcrumbs wrapped around risotto rice mixed with mozzarella and rosemary. The croccetta was similarly delicious, dense and richly-flavoured mashed potato enrobed in fine breadcrumbs, but the Arancini are better for sharing.

The Piadina Meatball Smash (£9) is surely the most popular dish at Da Polpo, as it is just heaven on a plate for meatball-appreciators. The piadina is huge and so rich that it really should be ordered to share. Giant, succulent meatballs are smothered in roasted tomato sauce and mixed up with stringy mozzarella and served in a lightly grilled Italian flat bread, with home-made coleslaw.

On my second visit, everyone ordered some kind of variation of meatballs with spaghetti, on their own or the piadina smash. We started by sharing two pizzettas – Bresaola with Rocket and Parmesan (£6.50) and Shoulder of Pork with Pickled Pepper (£7).

The pizzettas are quite large with a good amount of toppings and a thin, crisp and non-greasy dough. The ingredients were very fresh authentic and the meat was paper thin, but strongly flavoured. Out of the two, my favourite was the shoulder of pork with pickled peppers, as this was a more interesting flavour combination.

Unfortunately, the Cauliflower, Leek and Fontina Gratin (£7) was a bit of a let down. I was expecting it to be rich, gooey and full of flavour, but either the cheese sauce was too thin to make an impact, or it wasn’t cooked long enough to soften and blend all of the flavours together. The reason I had high expectations was because the mac and cheese at Spuntino is just so damn tasty and a real star dish.

The Nutella pizzetta (£5.50) that I had on my first visit was even better than imagined – crisp dough smothered in Nutella with caramelised hazelnuts and dusted with icing sugar. It was big enough to share and was indulgent without being too heavy.

At Da Polpo, cocktails are classic The first time, Coralie ordered the Cynar Gin Fizz – a refreshing mix of Hendrick’s gin, Cynar and elderflower garnished with cucumber. I tried a Side Car, made with cognac, Gran Marnier and lemon juice, which was strong enough but needed some sweetness to perk it up. I much preferred the Camponi and tried a sneaky sip of the delicious Old Fashioned, which everyone else on the table ordered.

One of my favourite things about Da Polpo is the super friendly, informal service. Each time, we chatted openly with staff and were given honest recommendations on cocktails and dishes.

Da Polpo only takes reservations between noon and 6pm, but I found that arriving at 5.30pm on a week night is a pretty much guaranteed way of getting a table. Even a table for five at 7.30pm on a Saturday night wasn’t impossible, just a half hour wait over cocktails at the small bar by the entrance.

Da Polpo is a warm, friendly and impressive place to take friends and the food was mostly excellent and decent value. Next on the Russell Norman restaurant tour will be Mishkin’s for some Jewish deli food and gin-based cocktails!

Photos by Chérie City and Tea Time in Wonderland