Vesta's Feast of the Seven Fishes

Image provided by Vesta

Vesta, the relatively new Italian eatery on 30th Avenue is hosting a "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. The celebration--and the eating--begins at noon and lasts until 9pm.

Why seven fishes?
It's actually an Italian custom that started in Southern Italy but spread throughout the entire country. Eating fish is meant to honor the birth of baby Jesus, but the "seven" hasn't been fully explained--some extend the feast up to thirteen dishes!

Here's Vesta's offering - you can opt for a traditional dinner menu or take advantage of a $34.95 prix fixe. The choice is yours...

Prix Fixe Menu - $34.95

Antipasto:
Baccala Crostini - Salted cod pate on grilled pane di casa
Calamari & Cracked Wheat
Shrimp & Citrus Horseradish
Octopus & Preserved Lemon

Pasta:
Lobster Ravioli - With chanterelle mushrooms

Entrees:
Pan-roasted Diver Scallops - With asparagus, cipollini onions & walnut pesto
Striped Bass - With faro, eggplant, tomato and kalamata olives

Traditional Dinner Menu - A La Carte

Butternut & Acorn Squash Soup...$5.50
Roasted Red and Yellow Beets - With mixed greens, hazelnuts and goat cheese...$6.95
Margherita Pizza...$10.95
Lasagna Sunday Dinner Style - With three meat ragu...$12.95
Free-bird Chicken - With roasted breast, asparagus and creamy polenta...$15.95
Pan Roasted Salmon - With warm lentil salad and a prune reduction...$18.50
Bavette Sirloin Steak - With herb roasted potatoes...$18.95

Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.545.5550
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.vestavino.com

New Year's Eve at Mundo

Pictured above: Mundo's famous dish - Red Sonjas

With New Year's Eve just around the corner, it was perfect timing when Mundo released their enticing New Year's Eve dinner special. For $65 per person, you'll get the below feast and a half. There are two seatings, as is the norm on New Year's--one during early evening and one closer to midnight. Below are the details, including their scrumptious sounding menu. If you'd like to take advantage of this special, please call for a reservation. Space is limited, as Mundo is quite intimate so I'd suggest to call very soon.

New Year's Eve Dinner - $65 per person (not including tax and gratuity)

Seating 1 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Seating 2 - 9:00pm - Midnight

Menu:

Homemade creamy tomato soup

Hors D'oeuvre Platter
Endives stuffed with goat cheese and apples
Russian salad
Muhammara (spicy red-pepper dip) in phyllo dough shells
Turkish style eggplant salad
Mundo-style guacamole over corn chips
Mini Red Sonja over green leaf lettuce (their most popular dish!)

Main Course Options
Oven roasted Atlantic salmon over sauteed spinach, topped with creamy caper dill sauce with a side of healthy wild rice and greens

Beef roast au jus topped with caramelized onions with a side of creamy eggplant puree and Moroccan couscous with dried fruits, nuts and greens

Fresh mixed vegetable casserole with soy grain, topped with Jack and cheddar cheese with a side of Moroccan couscous with dried fruits, nuts and mixed green salad

Dessert
Kadayif - Warm shredded wheat squares with pistachio and nuts, topped with ice-cream

A complimentary glass of champagne to toast!

Mundo - 31-18 Broadway, Store #E, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.2829
N/W Train to Broadway
www.mundoastoria.com

Lemon, Basil and Egg Bread Pudding

I wanted to make a special brunch last Saturday for Dan and me. He worked late the night before so I wanted to surprise him with a yummy dish. Although I've made the lemon, basil, egg bread pudding before, I don't think he's ever had it and I knew that it would be a luxurious treat.

The recipe came from Giada De Laurentiis', Everyday Italian program and specifically from the "breakfast in bed" show. You can use the simple recipe here to recreate it. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to bake and 5 minutes to eat.

Dan and I both loved it because it had a nice mix of crunchy bread on the outside, and soft mushy bread on the inside. The fresh basil made this dish fragrant and refreshing, as did the lemon. A tip - if you don't have focaccia on-hand, you can use any other kind of bread that's scoopable. So use anything except for mushy Wonder-style bread.

Enjoy - and don't be afraid to reheat the leftovers in the oven!

The Little Owl - Behold...The Mighty Meatball Slider

The Little Owl - 90 Bedford Street, New York, NY 10014
212.741.1695
F/V/B/D to West 4th Street
www.thelittleowlnyc.com

I've been dying to try the Little Owl ever since I've started working near the West Village. Making the most out of my lunch hour, I love to walk around this wonderful little neighborhood and explore its culinary gems. More than a culinary gem, The Little Owl has become a treasure that's highly appreciated and desired by more than just its neighbors.

After my long and arduous efforts, I was finally able to make a lunch reservation for myself and four of my lovely co-workers. We had a delicious time and the food spoke for itself.

Atmosphere:
Tucked away in a quiet corner on Bedford Street at Grove Street, The Little Owl is easy to miss if you don't already know about it. Its facade is cheery and welcoming with a bright red and royal blue color scheme. The windows are truly its eyes, and you can see everything whether you're on the inside looking out or on the outside looking in.

Inside, you'll notice that the space is very intimate and cozy. There are only about a dozen tables (or less) and they're pretty close to each other. We were lucky to sit at a medium sized round table, which was perfect for our fivesome.

There are many special touches that one notices at The Little Owl. Rustic iron chandeliers, vintage crystal dishes that hold little snowflakes of sea salt, and the almighty kitchen, visible for all to admire are just some of these intricacies. They all work together to create a charming eatery that puts you at ease and detaches you from the realities of New York City life.

Food:
The food certainly lived up to its expectations. The most popular dish on the menu are the meatball sliders and they've received much praise over the years, including in the September '07 issue of Bon Appetit. We tried them of course, along with these other dishes:

Gravy Meatball Sliders - These were great looking sliders. They looked wonderfully rustic with plump, juicy meatballs poking out of miniature country bread buns. The meat was a mix of beef, pork and veal--and that's what I presume made it so flavorful. An infusion of good pecorino also helped give these a nice bite. I loved them so much that I'd like to get them next time as my entree.

Goat's Cheese Gnocchi - This was both mine and Leann's entree and it was one of the daily specials. In addition to the goat's cheese, it also included ratatouille and shredded rosemary braised lamb. It was yet another stand-out dish and I loved the pairing of the creamy goat's cheese with the tender lamb. I was glad to have some protein with the starch, as it made the gnocchi feel more luxurious. Although the portion was generous, I finished it to the last bite because it was just too good.

Ricotta Cavatelli - Frank got this as his entree but it was an appetizer portion. The cavatelli pasta looked like little oval screws with ridges that caught all the yummy pasta sauce, which included bacon, tomato, escarole and pecorino. The dish had a nice smoky flavor from the bacon, yet it was light enough to eat for lunch. Frank seemed to enjoy it and said that it was the perfect portion.

Diver Scallops - This was Jackie's choice, which she generally liked. She was happy with the actual scallops and said that they were perfectly cooked (not overdone). I agreed, as I took a small bite--they had good consistency and were seasoned well. One thing that Jackie didn't love was the lemon-leek noisette (or a warm sauce) that was drizzled over everything. I think she said that it was too pungent.

Bacon Cheeseburger - A true man's dish, Kenton just simply went for it. It looked impressive and Kenton commented on the generous amount of bacon and the beautifully cooked meat. While I didn't taste it, the excessive amount of cheese on top didn't look appetizing to me.

French Fries - This simple side needs its own explanation because it was so exceptional. The skin on the fries was so crunchy that it was far superior to all other fries I've ever had. They were also seasoned with a spicy rub that was flavorful but not too hot. Just perfect!

Pumpkin Panna Cotta - Believe it or not but we had room for dessert after all this food. The panna cotta was a heavy finish, as it was incredibly rich--and maybe too much so. I only had a couple of spoonfuls because it was so thick--I was expecting it to be lighter. What I loved about it was the fresh whipped cream that was served on the side--airy, light and so sinful.

Service and Cost:
The waitstaff definitely had personality. One of our waiters made conversation with us more than the standard "what can I get you?" and asked us a couple of questions along the way. We also had a waitress, earlier on in the meal who was very knowledgeable about the menu. She explained in detail what cavatelli were and her insight was helpful in our meal selection.

In terms of cost, The Little Owl is moderate. Appetizers range between $8 - $13, entrees between $14 - $22, sides are $6 and dessert is around $9. Our entire meal set us back about $23 per person not including tip.

3 Mmmms

Bistro 33 is Back from Vacation!

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that Bistro 33 was going on hiatus. Well, they'll reopen their doors tomorrow along with new, exciting additions:

First off, their new winter menu is now available.

Then, check out 2 for $10 Tuesdays, where you'll only have to shell out $10 for select small plates, sushi (such as the beauties pictured above), wine and beer.

And lastly, hit up Bistro for Wine Wednesdays, where during dinner, every second glass of wine is complimentary.

How could you refuse these deals? I'm personally looking forward to the 2 for $10 Tuesdays. Although this special has been around for a while, I have yet to take advantage of it, and I think I'll start now.

Bistro 33 - 19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105
718.721.1933
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.lilbistro33.com

Sunday Night Snacks - Pea Soup and Paninis

It's always fun to have good food around for Sunday Night Football or just for a scrumptious, homemade dinner. I made these dishes a couple of weeks ago for my hubby, Dan and friends, Grant and Jamil. They loved it all and there were hardly any leftovers.

Sweet Pea Soup with Homemade Croutons - The idea for this soup came from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook and I was eager to try cooking with leeks, which was new to me. The recipe was easy to follow and I didn't change it around too much except that I left out the fresh mint--the flavor is too strong for me. I also made my own croutons instead of using pre-packaged ones. It was fun and ridiculously easy; see my recipe below.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 large loaf of crusty bread (I used ciabatta)
An assortment of your favorite dried spices (garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, parsley, etc).
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the bread into 1 inch square cubes and place into a large bowl. Season with a couple of generous dashes of your favorite spices and salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until well incorporated.

Place bread on a large cookie sheet and try to arrange the pieces so that they don't overlap. Then bake them for about 7 minutes. Take out of the oven and flip the bread around so all sides are nice and golden. Bake for another 7 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes. These really make a huge difference in terms of flavor and crunch--and they look pretty too!

The TMP Panini (Tomato Mozzarella Pesto) - This is the simplest thing that you can make to please your guests--and it always works. I've never met anyone who doesn't love the clean, earthy taste of homemade pesto. And when paired with crusty bread, fresh tomatoes, and good mozzarella, you've got a true crowd-pleaser. I infused some drama into this dish by arranging the toasted paninis into their original baguette shape. This seemed to please our guests as they commented with excitement at how nice it all looked.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 very large semolina baguette (or any other type of baguette that you like)
5 generous slices of good mozzarella cheese. I don't recommend fresh mozzarella because it doesn't melt well
5 thick slices of fresh tomatoes
Homemade pesto - you can use the simple recipe here
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Pre-heat your panini press or grill pan.

Cut and half the bread into 4 - 5 generous pieces. Smear a good amount of pesto on the base of the bread and then top with mozzarella and tomato. Drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil and place into the panini press or on the grill pan until nice char marks form (about 3-5 minutes).

Enjoy these dishes. They go well together and it's especially fun to dip the panini into the thick soup. That's how I devoured mine.