Tonight I dined at Gialina. I was really looking forward to it after all the hype in the Guardian as the best pizza. While I acknowledge that there are many different styles and interpretations of pizza, I have to say that I was rather unimpressed by the pies at Gialina.
We started with the with Soft Polenta with swiss chard (I believe) which was indeed very soft polenta and more creamy than corn tasting. The polenta had a ricotta cheese consistency and was good, but lacked any depth other than a creamy garlic flavor. I ended up enjoying the chard more than the polenta because it was fresh and still had a bit of crunch.
Crunchiness was something that was all to prevalent in the pizzas. While crispiness is acceptable as one of the textures of a crust, crunchiness through and through is not something I find appealing in a pizza. We had the Atomica and a Roast Pork. Both had crusts that were very thin and extremely crunchy. There was no softness or chewiness -- even in the end crusts (which had too much olive oil)! Basically, it was a cracker crust. To make matters worse the cheese on top was cooked to a very crisp golden brown, exhibiting no toothiness or creaminess. There was very little moisture on either pizza. I ended up consuming two glasses of water while eating it because I had to keep drinking every couple of bites. Not that the pizza tasted badly, just that it was like eating a savory biscotti. J did not eat the crust ends because they were so hard and dry. On a positive note, it was clear that the topping ingredients were good, particularly the roast pork.
The saving grace was dessert, which was a Dessert Pizza made with nutella, marscapone and amaretti. This crust was much thicker and softer than in the main course. The three toppings worked well together and we could taste each note clearly. Despite being full, we finished the whole thing.
Overall, I'm not sure if it's worth it to return to Gialina. The pizzas were too dry and overcooked. I love thin pizza, but the kind you get at Sally's, Modern or Pizzeria Regina, not this cracker pizza. The dessert pizza was very tasty, but nothing too difficult to make -- fresh bread with nutella spread over it (though I admit that the amaretti was a very nice touch).
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
LA CICCIA***
A very enjoyable evening at La Ciccia located at the end of Church on 30th.
Primi Piatti: Pizza a sa Sarda - the pizza was good but a little more doughy and less crispy than expected. It is definitely not thin cracker crust, but is still Neopolitan style; probably would skip this next time. Spaghetti with Artichokes and Bottarga - was great the bottarga added the nice salty taste of the sea with the smooth garlicky artichoke pieces adding body to the pasta, the pasta itself was clearly homemade and cooked al dente. One of my favorites of the night. Fregula with Porcini Mushrooms and Pecorino was a lentil bean shaped pasta that was a little bland when compared with the spaghetti, it clearly needed some special ingredient to brighten it up or bring some highlights to it. Parpardelle with Wild Boar Stew - was a special, the pasta was cooked well though not a standout, the wild boar was tender yet the stew lacked any special punch, but I could see a stew lover ordering this. Spaghetti with tuna hearts, bottarga and chili was a special and was my favorite dish of the night with a lot of salty fishy flavor from the tuna hearts and bottarga, the chili giving it a nice kick and highlighting the sea flavors, several of us sopped up the extra sauce with the table bread.
Secondi: I'll have to ask the others about their main courses which were the Baked Prawns and the Baked Blue Nose Bass. They all looked good. I had the Seared Lamb Chops with Fine Herbs Oil which was a huge portion of nicely cooked medium rare lamb -- good but nothing particularly outstanding and a mound of herbed mashed potatoes.
Desserts: Ricotta and Saffron Cake was just good, which is a shame because there was quite a bit of saffron used in the dessert. Chocolate Truffle was a special touted by the server as 'chocolate with love squeezed in the middle.' Indeed it seemed special because S thought it was excellent: vanilla gelato encased in a chocolate fudge giant truffle shaped mound covered in chocolate dust.
Dessert Round 2: We activated our auxillary stomachs (I love eating with these people) and headed over to Mitchell's where I sampled a Lacuma ice cream that was an awesome pumpkin colored Peruvian fruit flavor, not too sweet. I also had a little Peanut Butter Indulgence which is truly an overindulgence of chocolate peanut flavored ice cream with peanuts and chocolate chip nuggets mixed in. Even though I sampled before I selected it. I don't think I'll get that flavor again because a full scoop of it was like eating ice cream and a handful of chocolate candy at the same time -- too rich and sweet.
Things to Try Next Time: stew octopus; whole fish; taglioni with tuna, capers and olives; anything with bottarga.
Primi Piatti: Pizza a sa Sarda - the pizza was good but a little more doughy and less crispy than expected. It is definitely not thin cracker crust, but is still Neopolitan style; probably would skip this next time. Spaghetti with Artichokes and Bottarga - was great the bottarga added the nice salty taste of the sea with the smooth garlicky artichoke pieces adding body to the pasta, the pasta itself was clearly homemade and cooked al dente. One of my favorites of the night. Fregula with Porcini Mushrooms and Pecorino was a lentil bean shaped pasta that was a little bland when compared with the spaghetti, it clearly needed some special ingredient to brighten it up or bring some highlights to it. Parpardelle with Wild Boar Stew - was a special, the pasta was cooked well though not a standout, the wild boar was tender yet the stew lacked any special punch, but I could see a stew lover ordering this. Spaghetti with tuna hearts, bottarga and chili was a special and was my favorite dish of the night with a lot of salty fishy flavor from the tuna hearts and bottarga, the chili giving it a nice kick and highlighting the sea flavors, several of us sopped up the extra sauce with the table bread.
Secondi: I'll have to ask the others about their main courses which were the Baked Prawns and the Baked Blue Nose Bass. They all looked good. I had the Seared Lamb Chops with Fine Herbs Oil which was a huge portion of nicely cooked medium rare lamb -- good but nothing particularly outstanding and a mound of herbed mashed potatoes.
Desserts: Ricotta and Saffron Cake was just good, which is a shame because there was quite a bit of saffron used in the dessert. Chocolate Truffle was a special touted by the server as 'chocolate with love squeezed in the middle.' Indeed it seemed special because S thought it was excellent: vanilla gelato encased in a chocolate fudge giant truffle shaped mound covered in chocolate dust.
Dessert Round 2: We activated our auxillary stomachs (I love eating with these people) and headed over to Mitchell's where I sampled a Lacuma ice cream that was an awesome pumpkin colored Peruvian fruit flavor, not too sweet. I also had a little Peanut Butter Indulgence which is truly an overindulgence of chocolate peanut flavored ice cream with peanuts and chocolate chip nuggets mixed in. Even though I sampled before I selected it. I don't think I'll get that flavor again because a full scoop of it was like eating ice cream and a handful of chocolate candy at the same time -- too rich and sweet.
Things to Try Next Time: stew octopus; whole fish; taglioni with tuna, capers and olives; anything with bottarga.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BURMA SUPERSTAR**
Lunch at Burma Super Star with EC on a Tuesday. EC has been to Burma so it was interesting to get her take on this place.
Starters: Samusa Soup, this soup is ok. It is so thick and concentrated that it is really more like a curry. The flavors are good, but I felt like I should be dipping a roti or having it over rice rather than drinking it as a soup. I think that the many pieces of falafel and beans and other chunks are meant to cut the concentration, but it didn't quite do it. E said that the soups in Burma are quite thick, so this is the right style, but not for me. Neither of us would get this again. Rainbow Salad, a noodle salad with many ingredients including dried shrimp flakes and a tamarind dressing that added the right brightness to the salad, this might be my favorite of the meal.
Entrees: Chicken Dahl was very good. The chicken was tender and fell off the bone into a well balanced curry liquid dotted with yellow lentils very flavorful, not hot spicy. Beef KabatPea Shoots was a tender spinach-like green recommended by the server was a stir fried beef that was red and spicy. The meat was perfectly seasoned and soft. I ate this for lunch the next day and it was just as delicious. This is a must-order. sauteed with garlic. The produce was very fresh and cooked well, retaining its bright green color and crunch with just the right amount of garlic. We also had Coconut Rice to accompany our dishes which had a coconut scent though very lightly flavored, was the right thing to accompany the curry and spicy kebat.
Drinks: E ordered the coconut drink which is a coconut with a hole punched in it, once she finished the drink she had them open up the coconut so she could dig out the young meat. I had the ginger lemonade which was very refreshing and not overly gingery.
Things to Try Next Time: Burmese Samusas, Coconut Curry Flat Flour Noodles, Tan Poi, Tea Leaf Salad; Larkin Express Deli which is reputed to have more home style Burmese cooking.
Starters: Samusa Soup, this soup is ok. It is so thick and concentrated that it is really more like a curry. The flavors are good, but I felt like I should be dipping a roti or having it over rice rather than drinking it as a soup. I think that the many pieces of falafel and beans and other chunks are meant to cut the concentration, but it didn't quite do it. E said that the soups in Burma are quite thick, so this is the right style, but not for me. Neither of us would get this again. Rainbow Salad, a noodle salad with many ingredients including dried shrimp flakes and a tamarind dressing that added the right brightness to the salad, this might be my favorite of the meal.
Entrees: Chicken Dahl was very good. The chicken was tender and fell off the bone into a well balanced curry liquid dotted with yellow lentils very flavorful, not hot spicy. Beef KabatPea Shoots was a tender spinach-like green recommended by the server was a stir fried beef that was red and spicy. The meat was perfectly seasoned and soft. I ate this for lunch the next day and it was just as delicious. This is a must-order. sauteed with garlic. The produce was very fresh and cooked well, retaining its bright green color and crunch with just the right amount of garlic. We also had Coconut Rice to accompany our dishes which had a coconut scent though very lightly flavored, was the right thing to accompany the curry and spicy kebat.
Drinks: E ordered the coconut drink which is a coconut with a hole punched in it, once she finished the drink she had them open up the coconut so she could dig out the young meat. I had the ginger lemonade which was very refreshing and not overly gingery.
Things to Try Next Time: Burmese Samusas, Coconut Curry Flat Flour Noodles, Tan Poi, Tea Leaf Salad; Larkin Express Deli which is reputed to have more home style Burmese cooking.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
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