COMESTIBLOG

Eating, drinking, and (dubious) taste

I’ve been consuming comestibles for some time now, but have seldom written about it—a longtime eater, first-time blogger, you might say. The prospect of sharing my ruminations worldwide undoubtedly exceeds the boundaries of good taste and common decency and is probably more than should be tolerated.  But then, who can argue with the overwhelming success so far?  To wit, since its inception, this blog has attracted as many as one-and-a-half subscribers.  The goal is to eventually double or possibly triple that number.  As if the gastronomic bloviation contained herein weren’t enough, I shall occasionally post entries tangential to the topic of food that you may find uninteresting nonetheless.

Crazy Eights Eats

Feeling your eights?  They're offering dim sum at the reduced price of $1.50 today at 88 Palace in Chinatown to celebrate 8/8/08 and the start of the Olympic games.

88 Palace

88 East Broadway (under the Manhattan Bridge), Chinatown, Manhattan

(212) 941-8886

By train: F to East Broadway
By bus: M9,M15,M22

Wine Shop Moving to New Chambers

Confronted with the loss of space caused by elevator construction in their building, Chambers Street Wines in TriBeCa is moving "up the street."  Most wines will be discounted by 20% until Saturday, 9 August.  Please visit their website for details.

Chambers Street Wines

160 Chambers Street (bet. Greenwich St & W. Broadway), TriBeCa, Manhattan

(212) 227-1434

http://www.ChambersStWines.com/

By train: 1,2,3 to Chambers Street
By bus: M22,M20

Comfort Diner's got the Shakes

If you like your ice cream drinks shaken, not stirred, head over to one of Ira Freehof's Comfort Diners to help celebrate their twelfth annual August Milkshake Madness.  A different flavor is featured every day this month, including such tantalizing choices as Peach Strawberry, Dulce de Leche, Mango Madness, Lemon Chiffon, and Key Lime.  Presley fans can rattle and roll with an Elvis Shake (vanilla ice cream, banana, and peanut butter, all shook up) on August 16, the anniversary of The King's death in 1977.

Comfort Diner

Midtown East:

214 East 45^th Street (near Third Av), Manhattan

(212) 867-4555

By train: 4,5,6,7,S to 42^nd St-Grand Central
By bus: M101,M102,M103, M98 (uptown), M15 (downtown), M27, M50 (crosstown)

Flatiron District:

25 West 23^rd Street (near Fifth Av & Broadway), Manhattan

(212) 741-1010

By train: N,R,W (BMT), F,V (IND), 6 (IRT) to 23^rd Street
By bus: M2,M3,M5,M6,M7 (downtown), M23 (crosstown)

http://www.comfortdiner.com/

Washington Restaurant Week (weekend included)

If you happen to be in our nation's capital during August 11-17, you'll have the opportunity to partake in Washington, D.C.'s Summer Restaurant Week.  Nearly 200 restaurants in the metropolitan area will offer three-course meals, fixed-priced at $20.08 for lunch and $35.08 for dinner (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities).

Visit http://www.washington.org/restaurantwk to view the list of participating restaurants and to make reservations.

Cranberry Street Bog

One really needs a scorecard to keep track of the comings and goings of food establishments at the corner of Henry and Cranberry Streets in Brooklyn Heights.  The latest casualty is the Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street, which opened in January.  Its shutdown Tuesday was a result of the alleged skullduggery that also led to the closings of Busy Chef, Oven, and the Blue Pig across the street in the Cranlyn.  The establishments are all under the same ownership.

According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, manager and co-owner Dan Kaufman has been arraigned on multiple charges of credit card fraud and identity theft.  Kaufman allegedly obtained $25,000 through the use of customers' credit cards.

Next.

Please click the link below for the full story:

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=22170

Lab Report del Gelato

Back in the late 1980s, before the arrival of its boutique hotels and other conspicuous excesses, I worked in Manhattan's SoHo district.  On hot afternoons, I'd often stroll to a tiny place on Broome Street for a gelato or sorbet.  The flavors were hit-and-miss, but when there was a hit, what a hit it was!  The little shop was called Ciao Bella.  Jon Snyder founded his ice cream business in 1984 and sold it roughly five years later.  In August, 2002, after furthering his education and changing careers, Mr. Snyder returned to making gelato and sorbet at his new venture, il Laboratorio del Gelato, on the Lower East Side.  Not surprisingly, this iteration shares many similarities with his previous one.

At the time of Ciao Bella's inception, SoHo was evolving into a chic, trendy neighborhood.  The opening of the gelateria on Orchard Street came amid the Lower East Side's emergence as a fashionable part of town. (The new boutique Blue Moon Hotel across the street affords a glimpse into the area's recent transformation.)  Nevertheless, il Laboratorio's laboratory-like setting is reminiscent of the spare surroundings of the early Ciao Bella.  As with its SoHo predecessor, one is left with the unmistakable impression that retail sales are incidental to the business.  Indeed, Mr. Snyder develops his frozen wares primarily for restaurants and caterers.

 

Another similarity between the two generations of Mr. Snyder's shops has to do with flavors.  Of il Laboratorio's 20 daily offerings, some succeed, some don't.  But again, when there's a success, what a success it is!  It's hard to imagine a tastier sorbet than the Black Plum I tried recently.  The essence of the fruit seemed to burst as it reached my tongue.  Delicious!

The prices are a relative bargain when compared with those found in the West Village.  Cones and cups: small ($3.25); medium ($4.50); large ($5.75); 18-ounce container ($8.25).

il Laboratorio del Gelato

95 Orchard Street (bet. Broome & Delancey Sts), Lower East Side, Manhattan

(212) 343-9922

http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/

By train: F to Delancey Street or J,M,Z to Essex Street
By bus: M15

Vanessa's House for Stick-to-the-Pot Food

It had been a while since my last visit to the Dumpling House.  Frankly, the dingy, cramped quarters always made this a place for times I was in a hurry and needed food fast but didn't want fast food.  Imagine my surprise when I returned recently.  The small eatery had seemingly doubled its size, undergone complete redecoration, and prefixed Vanessa's to its name.  For a moment, I thought I was on the wrong block!

Often, expansions come at the expense of something else.  The quality of the food or service (or both) may decline or the price of a meal may increase substantially.  Is the food still good?  Is Dumpling House still one of New York's best bargains?  Happily, the answer to both questions is yes.  There has been a price increase, however.  Now, a dollar buys four dumplings instead of five and $2 no longer yields change when tendered for my favorite sesame pancake sandwich.  Nevertheless, $3 for a tasty, well-prepared meal is hard to beat.

Naturally, I complimented the affable owner, Vanessa Duan, on her newly expanded Dumpling House.  She promptly chided me, albeit ever so gently, by reminding me that it had been more than six months since my last visit.

Vanessa Duan

A Beijing native, Vanessa knows how to make a good dumpling, or guo tie (gwoah-tyeah; literally, "pot sticker").  (Many Chinese menus aimed at the non-cognoscenti refer to them, preposterously, as Peking Ravioli.)  The chive-and-pork (#1) is the best and the most popular variant.  Its wrapper, browned (as it sticks to the pot) to the perfect degree of  chewiness, avoids all the common pitfalls such as being overly thick, tough, and rubbery.  The consistency of the delectable filling maintains proper firmness without being rubberlike.  Watching the continuous preparation of these pot-stickers eliminates any doubt about their freshness.  And with a little dumpling sauce, they're oh, so tasty.

Ironically, I typically go to the Dumpling House for a tuna sandwich.  Vanessa's version is made by stuffing tuna salad (with julienned pickled carrots, cilantro, and peas, among its ingredients) into a fresh, warm sesame pancake.  It's simply delicious!   Other popular offerings include noodle soups that serve as meals by themselves.  An ample selection of beverages is also available.  Along with sodas, teas, and coffee, the list of drinks also includes bubble teas, smoothies, and fresh juices.

It's a relief to know that the Dumpling House that Vanessa built has maintained its superior quality.  Now that there's a comfortable place for me to sit and enjoy my food, there'll not be another six months before my next visit.

Vanessa's Dumpling House

118A Eldridge Street (bet. Grand & Broome Sts), Lower East Side, Manhattan

(212) 625-8008 or 625-8118

Open daily, 7:30 am till 10:30 pm

By train: B,D to Grand St; F to Delancey St; J,M,Z to Essex St
By bus: M15

A (Gefilte) Fish Tail

Quick, follow that fish!  And step on it!  (On second thought, maybe not.)

We caught sight of the great white fish out on the Ocean

... Parkway, that is.  (The driver was probably working for scale.)

We tailed it, but, once again, it was the one that got away.

applewares is Paring Down to its Core

Dave and Laura Shea's foray into the world of retail is drawing to a close.  Last year, they opened applewares, a small kitchen-supply shop, near their acclaimed applewood restaurant in Park Slope.  The store's closing sale (with markdowns of 15% to 75%) is in its final week.  Here's a good opportunity to buy that toaster or coffee maker you've wanted.

As their message states: "We're selling everything from locally made pottery to Mac knives; we're even selling some of our highly prized antiques including two fully working cast-iron gas stoves!"

applewares

548 10^th Street (bet. 7^th & 8^th Avs), Park Slope, Brooklyn

(718) 576-2484

By train: F to 7^th Avenue
By bus: B67, B75

The Bellini is a Peach of a Drink

It may be 60 years old, but it's lively, effervescent, elegant, and delicious.  The Bellini is the sort of cocktail for which one longs on a hot day.  And it's so easy to make!

According to legend, Giuseppe Cipriani's fondness for Italian white peaches inspired him to create the Bellini for his famed Harry's Bar (a haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, and Orson Welles) in Venice, Italy.  The recipe is simple: puréed white peaches and prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine vinified from the eponymous grape.  The drink, incidentally, derives its name from the similarity of its pinkish color to that of a painting by another Venetian, 15^th-century artist Giovanni Bellini.  A near-replica of the Venetian Harry's Bar (the namesake of Cipriani's business partner, Harry Pickering) can be found just off the lobby of the Sherry-Netherland on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

Enough talk, let's drink!  How does one make a good Bellini?  If you haven't the inclination to purée white Italian peaches yourself, you could try one of several peach nectars available at your grocery store.  The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley makes a superior white peach product, but is somewhat pricey and requires ordering online.  Personally, I like the convenience and taste of Stirrings Simple Peach Bellini Mixer—it's widely available and, at $8.99, fairly affordable.  No matter what you choose, avoid peach schnapps!

It's important to use prosecco—not Champagne—when making a Bellini.  (Champagne tends to overpower the peach's delicate flavors.)  My choice is Prosecco Villa Jolanda: it's young, fresh, and reasonably priced at $8.99.

Stirrings Classic Peach Bellini recipe recommends using 1 part peach mixer to 4 parts prosecco.  I found the tastiest ratio, however, to include a slightly higher proportion of peach nectar.

Finally, serve your Bellini in a champagne flute.  No other glass captures the essence of the drink's stylishness.  Salute!

 

 

Still Loco After All These Years

Many years ago, one of my clients had recommended Burrito Loco for its authentic Mexican fare.  I've dined there regularly ever since.  The food is still good, but after 25 years, Jimmy Sanz's "crazy donkey" is becoming tired.

A large part of the Burrito Loco's allure has always been its fiesta-like atmosphere.  This place was a lot of fun and provided a great escape.  My most recent visit, however, left me with the impression that the party is winding down.  The dining room's happy hour and its happy followers have apparently gone south.  I was disappointed that several of the drink menu's fruit-flavored margaritas I'd come to enjoy were unavailable.

Burrito Loco's cocina, mirabile dictu, hasn't suffered.  The guacamole (prepared tableside, $11), chips, and salsa are as fresh and lively as ever.  On this occasion, we ordered two varieties of fajita.  Our plates arrived with their sizzling contents of chicken and salmon ($14 and $17, respectively), sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, accompanied by rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and flour tortillas.  Muy sabrosa.

The mood this time didn't seem quite right for us to order their spirituous coffees ($6.75).  Without the dining room's customary festiveness, the spectacular presentations of the Café Burrito Loco or the Café Diablo—replete with dimmed house lights as the coffee drink is set aflame—would have been wasted.

Though I still enjoy the authentic Mexican food, I hope Burrito Loco can recapture some of its erstwhile conviviality and bring back the fun.

 

 

Burrito Loco

166 West 4^th Street (bet. Jones & Cornelia Sts), West Village, Manhattan

(212) 675-1977

http://www.burritoloco.com/

By train: A,C,E,B,D,F,V to W 4^th Street
By bus: M5,M6 (uptown)

Subway "Knifing?"

Don't blame the Transit Authority for this subway incident. I've heard of a bread knife, but this is somewhat extreme!  According to the New York Post, a Queens man is suing Subway for $1 million after he allegedly found a knife with a 7-inch blade embedded in the sandwich he ordered at a restaurant on West 35^th Street in Midtown Manhattan.  It's unclear whether the 27-year-old Astoria man will eat fresh again, but if his suit is successful, he'll surely live green.

Please click the link below for the full article:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07162008/news/regionalnews/uit_over_subway_cold_cuts_120143.htm

Restaurant Fortnight (weekends excluded) Summer 2008

NYC Restaurant Week™ Summer 2008 is almost upon us.  It's really two weeks—July 21-25 and July 28-August 1—of "price-fixing" at more than 200 New York City restaurants.  Three courses cost $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities).

Visit http://nycvisit.com/restaurantweek to view the list of participating restaurants and to make reservations.

L'Arte del Gelato Looks Better Than It Tastes

I usually pass L'Arte del Gelato en route to Cones, which is just around the corner.  Don't tell Raul D'Aloisio, but I stopped short this time.  (It won't happen again, Raul!)

Though small, L'Arte del Gelato's West Village store is bright and inviting.  The two-dozen varieties of gelati and sorbetti are displayed with iconic  adornments (e.g., slices of fruit, nuts, coffee beans, etc.) which enhance their visual appeal.  The flavors are labeled in Italian, thus affording a good opportunity to thrill in the trill and flaunt one's pronunciation.

Unfortunately, the visual sensation here far exceeds the gustatory one.  The sweetness of the flavors do not compare favorably with the refreshing tastes of Cones or Grom.  The watermelon sorbetto was laden with sugar; the grapefruit was not much better.  The intensely flavored passion fruit sorbetto was too sweet as well, but less cloying than the others.  When I treat myself to sorbet on a warm summer's day, I'd like something refreshing.  In this case, however, I felt as though I needed a palate cleanser afterward.

With their high prices (my small cup cost $4.50), L'Arte del Gelato ought to accept credit cards and offer more than a scanty two samples.  Recent DOH sanitary violations at the Chelsea Market location further militate against the likelihood of my hasty return.  The upshot: this art is better enjoyed with the eye than with the palate.

 

L'Arte del Gelato

West Village:

75 Seventh Avenue South (SE corner Barrow St), Manhattan

(212) 924-0803

By train: 1 to Christopher St-Sheridan Sq
By bus: M20 (downtown)

Chelsea Market:

75 Ninth Avenue (between 15^th & 16^th Sts), Manhattan

(212) 366-0570

By train: A,C,E to 14^th Street
By bus: M11, M14D

West Side (May-October):

Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan

By train: 1 to 66^th Street
By bus: M5, M7, M11, M20, M66, M104

http://www.lartedelgelato.com/

Countdown to Red Hook Food Vendors

The wait is almost over.  The unofficial start date of the 2008 season for the Red Hook food vendors is Saturday, 19 July.  The much-publicized delays have been due to compliance issues with the Department of Health.  Let's hope there are no further snags.

Red Hook Food Vendors

Bay & Clinton Streets, Red Hook, Brooklyn

http://www.myspace.com/redhookfoodvendors

By train: F to Smith-9^th Streets
By bus: B77
By boat: Water Taxi from Pier 11 (Wall Street) to Ikea

Storm These Bastille Day Events

Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité will be celebrated slightly early in Gotham this year.

Manhattan

On Sunday, 13 July, from 12 noon till 6pm, everyone is invited to celebrate Bastille Day on 60^th Street, New York's "street fair with French flair."   The three-block fête takes place between Fifth and Lexington Avenues.  Enjoy Gallic delicacies at one of the many "picnic tables" provided.

http://www.bastilledaynyc.com/

By train: N,R,W to 5^th Avenue or Lexington Avenue; 4,5,6 to 59^th Street

Brooklyn

On Sunday, Smith Street becomes Rue Smith when it hosts Brooklyn's Bastille Day festivities.  Both Bar Tabac and Provence en Boîte will hold all-day celebrations featuring French food and Pétanque tournaments.

Bar Tabac
128 Smith Street (SW corner Dean St)
(718) 923-0918
http://www.bartabacny.com/

Provence en Boîte
263 Smith Street (NE corner Degraw St)
(718) 797-0707
http://www.provenceenboite.com/

By train: F,G to Bergen Street

The Arabian Days

Today marks the beginning of Arab-American Heritage Week.  What better time to celebrate the heritage and sample the food of this rich culture?

On Saturday, 12 July, from 10am till 7pm, the 6^th Annual Arab-American and 10^th Annual North-African Cultural Street Festival takes place on Bond Street, between Lafayette and Broadway, Manhattan.  Some of the Middle Eastern food vendors will include Agilas on Wheels, Al Basha, and SIDO Falafel.  This event will be held rain or shine.  For more information, call (212) 592-4052.

By train: 6 to Bleecker Street
By bus: Downtown: M1, M5, M6; Uptown: M1

On Sunday, 13 July, from 12 noon till 7pm, the 2^nd Annual Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar will be held at Shore Road Park, 79^th Street and Shore Road, Brooklyn.  This is yet another good occasion to sample traditional Arab food as well as homemade Middle Eastern ice cream.

By train: R to 77^th Street
By bus: B4

http://www.arabheritagenyc.net/

Comestevents for July 4, 2008

If a cookout or picnic is not on your schedule for this Independence Day, you may wish to try one of the following big food events:

The Great July 4^th Festival

This annual street fair features various ethnic foods as well as games, arts, crafts, apparel, and other merchandise.

Water Street (between Fulton & Broad Sts), Lower Manhattan
10 am to 6 pm.  Free.

(212) 809-4900

http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html

By train: R,W to Whitehall St; 2,3 to Wall St; A,C to Broadway-Nassau
By bus: M1, M6, M9, M15

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: The Rematch II

This annual event has taken place for 92 years, since the days of Nathan Handwerker.  "This time it's personal," if you choose to believe the hype.  Last year, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California defeated six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi while setting a world record by consuming 66 Nathan's franks and buns in just 12 minutes.  Go in person or watch the competition on ESPN (12 noon).  Free.

Nathan's Famous

1310 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn

(718) 946-2202

http://thenathansrematch.com/

By train: D,F,N,Q to Coney Island-Stillwell Av
By bus: B36, B64, B68, B74, B82

A Visit to Lake Wobegon in the Berkshires

Owing to a tight schedule yesterday, we hadn’t time for Café Bœuf or even the Chatterbox Café. Instead, we picked up some Powdermilk biscuits, catchup, and Beboparebop Rhubarb Pie at Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery, and enjoyed them under the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are some of the pictures:

Fred Newman, Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Garrison Keillor

Fred Newman, Tim Russell, Sue Scott

Garrison Keillor

Inga Swearingen and Garrison Keillor

Richard Dworsky and Garrison Keillor

These Boots are Made for Eatin'

Edible boots? Yes, in a way, if you're talking about geographical shapes. With a menu influenced by dishes from Louisiana and Italy, Two Boots Brooklyn is aptly named. Of course, the name could also imply a neighborhood place in which to kick back and relax. The eclectic decorations provide the setting for one of the most casual, family-friendly restaurants around.

The Cajun boot's footprint on the menu is considerably larger than that of its Mediterranean partner. Most of the starters, for instance, are Louisiana-based. Examples include Bubba's Black Bean Chili, Baton Rouge Wings, Natchez Nachos, and Spicy BBQ Shrimp N'Awlins Style. Fried Calamari is the only Italian first course, unless you stretch your imagination to include Cajun Garlic Bread.

Louisiana also dominates the selection of main courses. For example, there's the 12-ounce Steak Louisianne, Big Daddy's Chicken-Fried Steak, Blackened Catfish Filet, Crescent City Jambalya, and even the Voodoo Southern Fried Chicken. All main courses come with a choice of two side dishes. I ordered the blackened Filet of Salmon ($14.95).  It was not the best piece of fish I've ever eaten and the seasoning was scarcely Cajun. It didn't taste bad, but, sadly, it didn't agree with me. My side dishes of broccoli with garlic and sautéed spinach were quite all right.

To wash it all down, I chose the delicious Creole Lemonade.

On the lighter side, Two Boots' collations comprise salads, pasta, burgers, po' boys, and other sandwiches. Their popular thin-crust pizzas come in three sizes with an extensive array of toppings. There's also a sizable kids' menu.

Desserts are decidedly American. Among the highlights is Brooklyn's own Steve's Key Lime Pie ($4.95).

Two Boots Brooklyn is open for lunch, brunch, and dinner.  Certain evenings feature a varied selection of musical performances.

 

 

Two Boots Brooklyn

514 2^nd Street (bet. 7^th & 8^th Avs), Park Slope, Brooklyn

(718) 499-3253

http://www.twobootsbrooklyn.com/

By train: B,Q to 7^th Avenue
By bus: B67, B71

Lowly Mole

My travels often take me up the Merritt Parkway, through Connecticut. For various reasons, High Ridge Road (Exit 35) in Stamford is a convenient stopover for me. Olé Molé, a little Mexican place not far from the off-ramp, had been on my radar for some time. I recently succumbed to my curiosity and gave it a try.

Perhaps I've become a bit jaded by the good Mexican food in New York and the yet better stuff in California. Or maybe Olé Molé just isn't all that good. My Comestaccomplice and I tried a couple of dishes that weren't bad, but lacked the allure of a repeat visit. The relatively high prices further decreased the likelihood of our return.

The flavorless salsa that accompanied the chips seemed to portend what was to come. The Enchiladas Suizas (red corn tortillas with chicken, vegetables, and cheese, served with salsa verde and mole negro) at $12.95 were bland, but slightly better than the tough, uninspired Pollo Juarez (grilled marinated chicken breast, served with a mole verde) for $13.95.  All platillos come with rice, beans, and flour tortillas. There's an additional charge of 50¢ for extra ingredients (i.e., rice, beans, lettuce, onion, tortillas, jalapeño, cheese, sour cream, small salsas).

The lack of flavor is surprising, given the high quality of the ingredients, which are obviously fresh, and the individual preparation of each dish made therefrom.

Though slow, the service was pleasant and courteous. Our requests for salsa replenishments were all accommodated cheerfully. Unfortunately, the ambiance of the limited dining area has all the appeal of a fast-food establishment. The outdoor (parking lot) seating holds similar appeal. Overall, this little place is not all that bad, but doesn't truly Merritt another visit.

Olé Molé

1030 High Ridge Road (near Olga Dr)
Stamford, CT

(203) 461-9962

http://olemole.net/

By bus: 31

Have a Swede Solstice

Scandinavians know a thing or two about celebrating the summer solstice. This Friday, 20 June, you can join the celebration of this year’s longest day at the annual Swedish Midsummer Festival in Lower Manhattan's Battery Park City from 5 to 8 pm.

Try some traditional delicacies from some of New York's best Swedish restaurants. Then dance away the calories to the traditional fiddle music of Paul Dahlin and friends. Children of all ages can enjoy decorating the maypole, making summer wreaths, playing games, or watching a parade.

Swedish Midsummer Festival

Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan

http://www.nycmidsummer.com/

By train: 1 to Rector St; 4,5 to Bowling Green
By bus: M9, M20

Keeping Apace with the Tempo of Park Slope

Gastronomically speaking, there wasn't much to recommend this part of Park Slope less than a decade ago.  Pioneers like Cucina, Al di Là, and the erstwhile Vaux changed all that, however, and paved the way for what has become a restaurant row on Fifth Avenue.  After a 16-year run, Cucina's closing in 2004 left many regulars bereft.  Its reincarnation as Tempo that same year assuaged the grief, however.

Chef Michael Fiore made the transition from Cucina and infused his Italian-inspired dishes with other flavors from the Mediterranean, including those of France, Spain, and Morocco.  Add to that his unmistakably American accent, and voilà—Tempo!

The three-course, prix fixe menu ($32, Sunday through Thursday; $42, Friday and Saturday) offers a wide range of dishes to savor.  For my first course, I chose one of Tempo's signature dishes: Duck Pastilla Rolls (duck and almonds, sweetened with a Moroccan barbeque glaze, in a crisp feuille du bric wrapper).  The sweetness of the glaze was reminiscent of a Hoisin sauce and gave the dish a vaguely Asian flavor.  It was rather tasty, though I tend to prefer duck preparations to be more savory.

The bread and bean dip added a nice touch.

My main course was an Atlantic salmon atop a chickpea falafel on a bed of charred eggplant purée with sesame tahini.  The covering of radish and watercress salad added the necessary greenery.  The fish was tender and moist and seemed to blend well with its plate partners.  Since I dine on salmon often, this unusual preparation was a welcome change.

I should point out that Tempo offers a good selection of wines.  However, the cocktails are so refreshing that I drank them instead of wine with my meal.  The passion fruit Bellini made a delicious apéritif and was a nice variation of the popular drink made with white peach nectar.  The Pomegranate Margarita (made with PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur) proved to be a nice twist on the classic lime version.  With tasty libations like that, I didn’t really miss my wine that evening.

Selecting a dessert is, perhaps, the most difficult part of the meal.  Each one seems as tempting as the next.  Who can resist the New Orleans-style beignets with Café du Monde gelato or the passion fruit crème brûlée?  There are also artisanal cheeses available for an additional charge.  I finally decided upon the warm molten chocolate cake with caramel pecan crunch gelato.  Yum!

Tempo brings a sort of informal stylishness that was once a scarcity in this part of Brooklyn.  The décor of the dining room and wine bar is chic, yet casual.  In addition, the waitstaff is courteous, relaxed, and knowledgeable.  Above all, however, one is made to feel comfortable.  Keep up the Tempo!

  

Tempo

256 Fifth Avenue (bet. Carroll St & Garfield Pl), Park Slope, Brooklyn

(718) 636-2020

http://www.tempobrooklyn.com/

By train: M,R to Union Street
By bus: B63

Marco Polo Turns 25

Last Tuesday marked the silver anniversary of Marco Polo Ristorante.  To celebrate, the famed Italian eatery is offering a three-course, prix fixe menu: $19.83 for lunch and $25 for dinner (to commemorate their inaugural year and their years in business, respectively).   The special menu is available for 25 days, from 5 June till the end of the month.

Seven starters are offered, including a soup-of-the-day, a salad, or one of the old favorites such as Carciofo alla Contadina (artich