Do you Eataly?
Yesterday afternoon part of the TuscanVines crew made a trip into Manhattan to hang out around the Flatiron district for some people watching, shopping, and of course, a little lunch.
I've written about Eataly before and I have to say, it was even more enjoyable this time around. The crowds were much smaller, the service and food much better and even the prices seemed a bit more relaxed.
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| Nice Sunny Day for the Flat Iron Building - One of the Oldest in Manhattan |
Borgogno is an excellent producer. I tasted a few of their current release wines at the VinItaly-Slow Wine event in NYC this winter and they are highly reliable. The Eataly Wine Shop stocks an extensive selection of Borgogno wines and I was looking for something particular so off we went. But first, a few diversions....
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| The Formaggio Shop at Eataly - Extensive to say the least |
We picked up some crusty whole wheat bread, and some Mozzarella di Bufala. I was bent on making grilled, garlic crostini topped with the mozzarella and drizzled with great extra virgin oil, and I needed some ingredients. The crostini, rubbed with raw garlic are absolutely killer.
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| Grilled Bread, Rubbed with Garlic, Topped with Buffalo Mozzarella - Perfetto! |
Dinner was to be pansotti, a kind of flat half moon ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach. Freshly made, about 15 minutes before we bought them, they were perfect with a simple San Marzano tomato sauce.
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| The Pasta Shop at Eataly |
Finalmente, il vino. The Borgogno is the fourth recent 2011 Dolcetto I've tried. The others were very good, (Conterno-Fantino, Pira, Clerico) but I think this one may have been slightly better. The 2011 Borgogno Dolcetto d'Alba displays a vibrant purple color. The aromas are intense, and that to me set this wine apart a notch. Violets, lavendar, licorice, plums and smoke combine in harmony. They beg you taste. Once you do, you're hooked. The licorice, sweet plum, spice and smoke notes are lively and fresh. Each taste whets your appetite for the next. The lively acidity gives lift to the fruit that simply compels sip after sip. And the best part? Even with the Manhattan factor playing into the price, this was only $15. A total steal. 93 points. Bravo!
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| 2011 Borgogno Dolcetto d'Alba - Garlic Crostini in the Background |
Salute!
John, I'm up for a "steal"!
ReplyDeleteOh, as` for the Eataly, it reminds me of this little boy (maybe-13 years old), when he was told that the massive mountain hiking assignment was what he and his group of "upward-bound" had to hike, he said: "Climb it, I can't even look at it!"
Salute to U too!