Ai Fiori!...

So rich. so heavy. so. much. butter. and seafood! :) good, just not sure i'd go back. pastas were spot on. I think I still have a better spot for Marea seafood even tho it's the same peeps running this!

Cannolichi: razor clams, chorizo, fennel. Grangio: soft shell crab, prosciutto, lemon yogurt, canteloupe.

 

Crudo di Passera: fluke crudo, american sturgeon caviar, meyer lemon. Animelle: sweetbreads, pomme puree, pancetta, truffle vinaigrette.

 

Trofie nero: ligurian crustacean ragu, sepia, spiced mollica, scallops. Spaghetti: blue crab, bottarga, chiles, lemon.

 

Tortelli: ricotta and marscapone ravioli, sottecenere cheese, red wine glaze.

Astice: butter poached lobster, asparagus, morels, chateau chalon sauce. Anatra: long island duck, ramps, foie gras, fava beans, frisee.

 

DESSERTS! Tartelletta: dark chocolate, anise, hazelnut gelato, grapefruit. Budino: chocolate cremaux, coffee crema, apricot, macadamia gelato.

Panna cotta: balsamica crema, blood orange, marcona almond, lemon sorbetto. Torta di Olio: ligurian olive oil cake, strawberry, pine nut, rosemary yogurt gelato.

Tia Pol w/ the roomies!...

Good friday brunch @ tia pol :) i def don't eat around in my 'hood enough. Still haven't gone to Co. for pizza or John Dory for...welsh rarebit!! :P and other things of course hehe...

Got TONS of food--this is the fried artichoke hearts salad, the spanish version of bruschetta but with 3 diff spreads with saffron on it! ^_^, ham and bacalao croquetas, rice and squid ink--I'll show how you just how inky!!...later...hehe...but first...a preview of some tasty strangeness--Emily got the chorizo and chocolate crostini (essentially)...

The sangria @ Tia Pol is the best I've had in the city--nay in ...EVER. not boston, no CA, not...wherever else I've been granted I've still not been to spain :P or any major latin-american country. :P Really enjoyed the tortilla española! essenetially a fritatta with potatoes, onions, red peppers and some sauce that's just like the one in the patatas bravas....

I hafta say...the patatas bravas with paprika and whatever the heck that sauce was was friggin' TASTAAAAAAY. yes. tastay. not y. ay. Sop it up after everything is gone and ask for more bread tasty. The squid ink sauce was even super duper extra tasty compared to that!

Back to the...CHORIZO & CHOCOLATE!!!... :)

MY MY MY. super rich salty but then rich smooth bittersweet--and then...bread! I thought it was gonna be like a thin smear on the toast but NOoooOoo...whole slather! glorious! I like I like...(I couldn't decide to tempt you with that decadent shot in the beginning or the middle of the entry but...obviously one of them won out :P Pretty salty tho!! luv me some chorizo...

...but still not as much as the squid ink.. YUM. See?!?! inky inky goodness!! :D

MMMMmmm...so I still haven't posted my Rome foods or the rest of Sicily or Cinque Terre..or...Florence foods actually but we ate all the regional foods and I did get a chance to try the squid ink pasta in Palermo and it was so fresh and AWESOME b/c it was so gritty and inky and savory. However...this...squid ink, much smoother in texture and flavor (waaaay less fishy) and just...strangely enough, exponentially better (but maybe by like..squared instead of cubed :P). hehehehe

...One more of the patatas bravas "leftover" sauce :P. Cuz honestly--what's a tran post without half eaten, smeared, gloppy food that makes you wanna wipe it off with some napkins--or lick it off the screen?! Aioli...it's aioli..with...whatever in it they won't list on the website. BOO!! :)