The Marrow

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2014 annual letter came out in January, and I’ve had it in my to-read folder for a long time. In this letter, Bill and Melinda Gates address 3 common myths about global poverty and aid:

1. Poor countries are doomed to stay poor.
2. Foreign aid is a big waste.
3. Saving lives leads to overpopulation.

I think this is a very well-written and inspirational document that should be circulated to as many people as possible. I know through my small experiences in fundraising for charities and volunteering, that working towards a charitable goal can be frustrating. The question in the back of my mind has always been “Am I actually making a difference?” What I love about this letter is that it is both incriminating in pointing out our shortsightedness and yet encouraging in showing us the life-giving impact that global aid can and does make. Give it a read and send it to all your friends.

Now onto the food part!

The Marrow brings us German and Italian food, representing the two sides of Chef and Owner Harold Dieterle’s heritage. For a restaurant in this price range, they serve a really affordable brunch. If you are not down for spending $40+ on a dinner, brunch is the perfect meal to come and try the food.

Brioche pain perdu is basically french toast, and it is paired with duck liver mousse, plum compote, and vermont maple syrup. Duck liver mousse and french toast?! Surprisingly, it works! The combination was interesting and yummy. I would say though that the duck liver still had a bit of iron taste to it, which I would prefer it not to have at all. Also, this is a very sweet plate, so for someone like me, it was too much sugar to finish.

My friend’s choice was steamed eggs with cauliflower creamed kale, gravlax, and grilled bread, and she really liked this dish. The portion size is just the right amount so you don’t feel unbearably full afterwards.

At the end of the meal, they bring out a little dish of homemade cookies, which is a lovely touch evoking all kinds of warm and fuzzies. I wish all restaurants did this.

The Marrow
99 Bank St (btw Hudson St & Greenwich St) New York, NY 10014

Circolo

I had such high hopes for Circolo. It was new and chic and located on the adorably cobble-stoned Bond St. I was dying for some perfectly cooked pasta and so excited to eat here. It should’ve been a warning sign that the place was so empty, but it was still early for dinner, so I didn’t think much of it.

The bread that came out was promising. Bits of olives dotted the darker loaf, and the butter was juniper butter. You can really taste the juniper. We were such fans that we asked for another plate.

Sadly, that was the highlight of the meal. My friend’s spaghetti with black summer truffle probably fared the best out of all the entrees. Simple and clean without bells and whistles, it was a decent plate.

The grilled halibut, which also came with a side of greek salad, was flavorless and underwhelming. It was sitting on a bed of lettuce? Very strange. I think the side salad might have been better than the actual fish.

My choice was garganelli pasta in a scampi fish bisque. The pasta was undercooked. This was not al dente. It was just undercooked. I was so looking forward to a nice bowl of yummy pasta and was disappointed. I don’t think the juniper butter and olive bread is enough to bring me back again.

Circolo
45 Bond St (btw Bowery & 2nd St) New York City, NY 10012

Risotteria

Another day. Another cute West Village spot. Risotteria is gluten-free heaven for anyone who needs or likes to stay away from gluten, although that wasn’t what brought me here. I just wanted risotto. Yummy yummy risotto!

Instead of bread, you get gluten-free breadsticks, which were really crispy and light. They’re even better with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

We weren’t that hungry, so we split an appetizer and entree of meatballs and risotto. The meatballs are pretty hefty and sit in a bed of bolognese sauce.

For risotto, we opted for the 3 mushroom risotto in chicken stock. The risotto was cooked well, but somone went to town with the salt. I would’ve enjoyed the risotto a lot more otherwise.

 

Risotteria
270 Bleecker St (btw Cornelia St & Morton St) New York, NY 10014

La Giara

I don’t eat around my neighborhood enough. Probably because I live in Murray Hill and therefore have this idea that I live in a food desert, devoid of any quality restaurants, which….is not completely true. La Giara is a cute neighborhood Italian place, and it’s especially lovely now that the weather is warmer, and you can sit outside.

Their bread basket is pretty unique with mini muffins and raisin bread, which we promptly gobbled up. The muffins (blueberry and chocolate) were warm and crispy on the outside.

My friend got the roasted eggplant sandwich…

…and I got the spaghetti carbonara. Creamy and generous on the bacon, this dish was delicious but pretty heavy. This giant portion lasted me over 2 meals.

The food here wasn’t anything special, but it’s a nice neighborhood spot to go to if you don’t want to venture out too far. I went for lunch, but it seems like it would be a great dinner and brunch place too. Murray Hill is not completely hopeless when it comes to restaurants yet.

La Giara
501 3rd Ave (btw 33rd and 34th) New York, NY 10016

Rosemary’s

If I could live in any neighborhood, regardless of cost, it would be West Village. The cute storefronts, cobblestone walkways, and even the confusing geography…so charming. Rosemary’s fits right into the neighborhood. The space is gorgeous, illuminated by strings of fairy lights and big mirrors. When we went in the early evening, light was shining in through the doors, and you can just sit there forever soaking in all the prettiness.

The aesthetics immediately put a smile on my face, and I’m happy to say the food did as well.

We shared a Caprese Focaccia to start. The foccacia was fluffy and topped off with tomato, basil, and melted mozzarella. Warm and moist with a slight crunch on the crust. I think we both could’ve easily eaten an entire order on our own.

My friend chose their Spaghetti al Pomodoro – her second time ordering this, which is always a good sign. I took a bite too, and the pasta was perfectly al dente.

I loved my Orecchiette – little ear-shaped pastas cooked with broccoli rabe, homemade sausage. It’s a really tasty dish, but I think what blew this out of the water for me were the red chili peppers that added a bit of spiciness. The slight heat was like the bow on top, the final pizzazz to this dish.

Rosemary’s
18 Greenwich Ave.(btw Charles St & 10th St) New York, NY 10011

Emporio

We were trying to go try Extra Place, but they were closed for renovations. Then the subway was not running in the direction we needed. Add on top of that this was back when the weather was still quite cold, so we were freezing. But we were intrepid brunchers, and nothing will stop us from getting our food. Finally, we made it to Emporio near famished.

This is a perfect place for brunch. The space is gorgeous and airy, with a glass roof over the section in the back. It’s especially nice on a weekend morning when the sunlight is streaming in.

Complimentary bread basket and olive oil. I have a problem with nibbling on whatever food is in front of me, so I always end up getting full on the bread before my food even gets here. It’s not as if I really like the bread, but if it’s there, I can’t help myself from just munching on it. Must stop. So bad for me.

I ordered the Garganelli ragu, which was so good. The pasta was excellent, and the ragu sauce was flavorful with the right amount of meatiness. Emporio is known for their pizza, but I’d also come back for the pasta.

My fellow bruncher got the Baked Eggs in a Skillet. Unfortunately, the eggs were a bit too runny for her taste, so she had to ask them to cook it a bit more. But they were very accommodating, so my friend still enjoyed her meal.

Happy weekend everyone!

Emporio
231 Mott St (btw Spring St & Prince St) New York, NY

Luzzo’s

I loved the energy of Luzzo’s when I walked in: rustic, lively, filled with the aroma of pizza. Seating was definitely cramped, but that’s unavoidable in this overcrowded city. We were originally seated in the very corner, but thankfully they had to use our table to put together space for a larger party, and we were moved to a much more spacious table.

On to the food! Their pizza was the thinnest crusted pizza that I’ve ever seen. So thin that two of us easily finished off two 12” pies with room to spare. We got the Piccante, which had ham, hot cherry peppers, and basil.

The other pie was the Diavola with spicy salami. While the Piccante was delicious, the Diavola was winner of the night. The salami was perfect and had a spicy kick to it that sealed the deal. This is a must order.

Also notice the upside down furniture on the roof.

Luzzo’s
211 1st Ave (btw 12th and 13th St), New York, NY

Christian’s, Marco and Luca’s, and Splendora’s

We were planning to go to Eppie’s, but that fell through because it was late and Eppie’s was closed. That was probably my fault because I was supposed to plan this, and I thought that Eppie’s was open but apparently not. However, since we were already downtown and it was late and we didn’t want to go anywhere bar-ish, we ended up at Christian’s!!! Except, we weren’t satisfied with just Christian’s, so  half of us went next door to get some Marco and Luca’s dumplings and the other half of us got Chinese takeout.

Spicy Chicken Pizza

I have actually never been to Christian’s before this. I know. I know. I’m a terrible person because Christian’s Pizza is such a Cville classic. But I can redeem myself because I LOVED CHRISTIAN’S!! I prefer pizza with really thin, crisp crusts over the thick, deep dish kind and Christian’s does the thin and crispy the best.  Plus they’ve got toppings that are interesting and different from the usual pepperoni and cheese.  I got a slice of Spicy Chicken Pizza, which was really spicy. Yay! I love spicy.

Dumplings!

Vegetable Hot Bun

Marco and Luca’s Noodle Shop is a family-owned restaurant that is extremely popular in Charlottesville and especially with college students because it’s really cheap. The menu has only around 6 items. They have dumplings, hot buns of either meat or vegetables, 2 types of noodles, and hot sour soup. What is so special about this place is their dipping sauce for the dumplings. It’s amazing!! It’s the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy. Every time I go, I get 2 orders of dumplings and a vegetable hot bun. It’s awesome.

Pumpkin Gelato

After stuffing our faces, we decided to get even more food: dessert! At Splendora’s!! Splendora’s is a gelato place downtown that is consistently lovely and delicious. They have at least 30 different flavors ranging from the classic chocolate or cookies and cream to the more adventurous amaretto and blood orange. This time, I got pumpkin, which was a seasonal flavor. I loved it! Another one of my favorites is Gianduia. You must try that if you go to Splendora’s!

Everyone's Gelato

cool pic of DC's hand snatching away his gelato

Christian’s Pizza

118 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Marco and Luca’s Noodle Shop

110 2nd St NE
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Splendora’s

317 E Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Splendora on Yelp

People Watching (NYC Part 4)

One of my favorite parts of this weekend actually wasn’t any of the touristy hot spots or the glamorous clothes but rather people watching. It’s really interesting to imagine what all of these people are like, where they’re going, what their stories are. We did see some weird, crazy people like that guy in the subway who asked for my address and the lady who kept talking/laughing to herself, but for the most part, I had a lot of fun just sitting in the subway or in Central Park, watching people go by.

We had our last full meal in NYC at Little Italy. We went to Novella and got a table outside. We got a table outside on a beautiful day, and the ambiance was great. Three of us (hahaha) got the Gnocchi al Pesto, which was pretty good. SS got the Gnocchi al Pomodoro.

Gnocchi al Pesto

Gnocchi al Pomodoro

Before we left NYC, SS and I just had to get some more bubble tea, so we stopped by Quickly, which had the most delicious bubble tea. Plus, you get a $.50 discount if you have a student ID. Quickly is apparently a bubble tea chain from Taiwan, but in NYC, they also added shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot) to make it an actual sit-down restaurant. They also sold these cream puffs, which AN and I wanted to try. We bought some to share, and they were SO DELICIOUS! They were nice and warm and the cream inside was actually kind of like egg custard. I was expecting something along the lines of whipped cream, but this was really really good. I want more!

Novella Ristorante

Little Italy
191 Grand St
(between Mott St & Mulberry St)
New York, NY 10013

Quickly

Lower East Side
237B Grand St
New York, NY 10002