For my best friends 30th in December, we took a trip to New York. I wanted to
book her something with a bang for the big day, and without a local
recommendation, I did what every modern girl does: a google
search.
Putting yourself in the hands of google means you often yield only the most likely, optimised results. It's hard to get a credible recommendation, without knowing the motives of the writer. So I don't recall exactly how I stumbled across Maialino - but I booked it, without even knowing where it was in relation to our apartment, solely based on the promise of the chefs private table in the wine cellar. . .
I dreamed about the meal in the months leading up to the birthday, and as soon as we arrived, I knew my hopes had been warranted. I'd called ahead to warn that we'd have two vegetarians in the party, and was warmly received. I think the chef appreciated knowing our taste in advance, however it seemed they were prepared to improvise on the night - the first question we had upon sitting was "Now. . . you're not vegan, are you?". When we replied in the negative, we got a resounding "Thank goodness! Italian is hard for vegans." I got the impression that they would have made it work, but they were pleased to be able to open up their bag of tricks a bit more for us.
The next questions were about the wine package, and the white truffle options - both of which received a resounding yes - we were there to celebrate!
The chef's table is literally a small bench inside a glass cellar, just off the main entrance to the restaurant. You're surrounded by wine, and curing food hanging from hooks. Because it's a working cellar, waitstaff pop in and out to retrieve bottles throughout the night. It's cool in there (literally, not figuratively, so bring a shawl or spring jacket), and perfect for a small private party of four, but you still feel like you're part of the atmosphere of the wider venue with the waitstaff coming and going.
Outside of the wine room, the restaurant has a rustic feel, with textured woods, country patterns, and clean lines. The earth tones and tiled floors make you feel right at home. I got the sense that even from the main dining floor, you still feel like you're surrounded by wine.
Our waitress was theatrical, knowledgeable, and went out of her way to provide us a unique and candid experience, even finding us an ipod doc so that we could play our own music in the cellar. Her wine recommendations were incredible - I've never tasted wines like the ones she selected before, and the fact that she could pronounce the names and varieties in what seemed like perfect Italian made the experience all the more enjoyable. This team are pro's.
We had several courses, all at the discretion of the chef. Each diner had their own unique experience and line-up of dishes. My succession included Cavolo Nero of kale, hazelnuts and kohlrabi; Agnolotti with squash and sage butter; Tonnarelli with butter and truffles (more on that later!); and Contadino with poached eggs, buttercup squash and brussel sprouts. Each plate surprised and impressed me - the presentation was no-fuss Roman style, but each plate sparkled in it's simplicity. The courses were hearty without being heavy, and the home made pasta shone through.
The only plate I entered into with some trepidation was the eggs, which were runny once pierced (as per standard 'poach'). I'm not a personal fan of runny eggs, as having lived in Asia for so long, the real risk of salmonella has left a permanent mark on my palate. But this is personal taste / slight phobia, so I reminded myself that when you eat from the chefs table you need to have some margin for adventure outside of your usual choices! The meal was creamy and the vegetables were delicious.
My husband also had a vegetarian procession across his table, including Puntarelle of dandelion, currants and raisins; Chitarra and roasted romanesco; Risotto and Treviso; and Fried egg, mint and tomato. He was suitably impressed all night!
The climax of my meal was my white truffle experience. The waitress told us that these particular truffles had caused rapture in the kitchen when they arrived, so I was eagerly anticipating the unique, total-mouth sensation that comes along with truffles. This was my first 'white' experience, so I didn't know what to expect, but out came the famous box and I sat like a kid at Christmas while my pasta was dressed with shavings. The cellar was immediately filled with their unmistakable aroma, and even the waitstaff couldn't hide their excitement. To my surprise, the flavour was . . . very nice. Much more subtle that black truffles, very pleasant and round, but I found that it was the aroma that was so intoxicating, and in comparison to the heady smell, the flavour washed away. I hope I'm not offending anyone here - perhaps my palate needs more maturing to catch up with my nose! I will research white truffles before I try them again so I know a bit more about what I'm looking for.
We cleansed with a delicious apple cider sorbet before diving in to desert, which included chocolate gelato and poached sour cherries, and poached pear upside down cake with salted caramel gelato. The cake was moist and light, and the gelato was so flavoursome and satisfying. Matched with beautiful desert wines, we were all converts to the Maialino cause by this stage.
It's amazing what good food, expressive wine, and genuine service can do - it makes a 30th celebration exactly what it should be. Thank you Maialino!
Address: 2 Lexington Ave, corner of 21st St, overlooking Gramercy Park. New York, USA
Phone: + 212 777 2410
Website: http://www.maialinonyc.com/
Putting yourself in the hands of google means you often yield only the most likely, optimised results. It's hard to get a credible recommendation, without knowing the motives of the writer. So I don't recall exactly how I stumbled across Maialino - but I booked it, without even knowing where it was in relation to our apartment, solely based on the promise of the chefs private table in the wine cellar. . .
I dreamed about the meal in the months leading up to the birthday, and as soon as we arrived, I knew my hopes had been warranted. I'd called ahead to warn that we'd have two vegetarians in the party, and was warmly received. I think the chef appreciated knowing our taste in advance, however it seemed they were prepared to improvise on the night - the first question we had upon sitting was "Now. . . you're not vegan, are you?". When we replied in the negative, we got a resounding "Thank goodness! Italian is hard for vegans." I got the impression that they would have made it work, but they were pleased to be able to open up their bag of tricks a bit more for us.
The next questions were about the wine package, and the white truffle options - both of which received a resounding yes - we were there to celebrate!
The chef's table is literally a small bench inside a glass cellar, just off the main entrance to the restaurant. You're surrounded by wine, and curing food hanging from hooks. Because it's a working cellar, waitstaff pop in and out to retrieve bottles throughout the night. It's cool in there (literally, not figuratively, so bring a shawl or spring jacket), and perfect for a small private party of four, but you still feel like you're part of the atmosphere of the wider venue with the waitstaff coming and going.
Outside of the wine room, the restaurant has a rustic feel, with textured woods, country patterns, and clean lines. The earth tones and tiled floors make you feel right at home. I got the sense that even from the main dining floor, you still feel like you're surrounded by wine.
Our waitress was theatrical, knowledgeable, and went out of her way to provide us a unique and candid experience, even finding us an ipod doc so that we could play our own music in the cellar. Her wine recommendations were incredible - I've never tasted wines like the ones she selected before, and the fact that she could pronounce the names and varieties in what seemed like perfect Italian made the experience all the more enjoyable. This team are pro's.
We had several courses, all at the discretion of the chef. Each diner had their own unique experience and line-up of dishes. My succession included Cavolo Nero of kale, hazelnuts and kohlrabi; Agnolotti with squash and sage butter; Tonnarelli with butter and truffles (more on that later!); and Contadino with poached eggs, buttercup squash and brussel sprouts. Each plate surprised and impressed me - the presentation was no-fuss Roman style, but each plate sparkled in it's simplicity. The courses were hearty without being heavy, and the home made pasta shone through.
The only plate I entered into with some trepidation was the eggs, which were runny once pierced (as per standard 'poach'). I'm not a personal fan of runny eggs, as having lived in Asia for so long, the real risk of salmonella has left a permanent mark on my palate. But this is personal taste / slight phobia, so I reminded myself that when you eat from the chefs table you need to have some margin for adventure outside of your usual choices! The meal was creamy and the vegetables were delicious.
My husband also had a vegetarian procession across his table, including Puntarelle of dandelion, currants and raisins; Chitarra and roasted romanesco; Risotto and Treviso; and Fried egg, mint and tomato. He was suitably impressed all night!
The climax of my meal was my white truffle experience. The waitress told us that these particular truffles had caused rapture in the kitchen when they arrived, so I was eagerly anticipating the unique, total-mouth sensation that comes along with truffles. This was my first 'white' experience, so I didn't know what to expect, but out came the famous box and I sat like a kid at Christmas while my pasta was dressed with shavings. The cellar was immediately filled with their unmistakable aroma, and even the waitstaff couldn't hide their excitement. To my surprise, the flavour was . . . very nice. Much more subtle that black truffles, very pleasant and round, but I found that it was the aroma that was so intoxicating, and in comparison to the heady smell, the flavour washed away. I hope I'm not offending anyone here - perhaps my palate needs more maturing to catch up with my nose! I will research white truffles before I try them again so I know a bit more about what I'm looking for.
We cleansed with a delicious apple cider sorbet before diving in to desert, which included chocolate gelato and poached sour cherries, and poached pear upside down cake with salted caramel gelato. The cake was moist and light, and the gelato was so flavoursome and satisfying. Matched with beautiful desert wines, we were all converts to the Maialino cause by this stage.
It's amazing what good food, expressive wine, and genuine service can do - it makes a 30th celebration exactly what it should be. Thank you Maialino!
Address: 2 Lexington Ave, corner of 21st St, overlooking Gramercy Park. New York, USA
Phone: + 212 777 2410
Website: http://www.maialinonyc.com/
absolutely fantastic. Above category.
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