I’m so full from eating this weekend I can’t even be bothered to think of a clever title to this post.
Sunday rounded out my weekend eating adventure. Where did I go? Salumeria Rosi. Strawberry really likes this place and I was eager to try this restaurant because it was one of the spots hit by Anthony Bourdain’s recent episode of “Food Porn” -did you catch it? AMAZING ep.
Cutenesss: they put a sprig of rosemary on the napkin. I love little thoughtful details like this.
So we started with their signature ceasar salad.
Really unique! Salad had soft- scrambled egg, crispy pancetta and market greens so it was actually warm. Tons of layers of flavors and delicious!
I felt the need for some kind of heart warming soup (it was a rainy cold Sunday afternoon) and opted to get the Zuppa Carbonara.
Crispy prosciutto and a soft boiled egg were presented in a chicken parmesan broth with croutons and chives. Pretty right? The idea was that when the egg was broken, it would impart the soup with its rich yolk-y flavor. The first spoonful was nice but after the croutons turn to mush there wasn’t much more to the soup I thought. It was missing something – maybe salt and pepper or spice. Something to liven it up.
Next we got the spicy tuscan spare rib slow-cooked with tomatoes, rosemary and garlic:
The rib meat was fork tender and fell off the bone easily but the meat itself was a bit bland. Could have used some salt. The sauce added a nice acidity but it literally tasted like just tomatoes….nothing more. I would have expected it to be seasoned a bit better with garlic and salt and other italian herbs but it wasn’t.
Anthony had the spicy porchetta panini on the show and of course I had to try it myself.
Slow roasted house pork with provolone and a spicy tuscan sauce on grilled bread. Here’s a close up shot:
Easily my favorite dish. Tender pork with spicy sauce on toasted bread? Yum. Again, however, it could have used more salt.
At this point I’m noting that everything we had so far could have used salt…or something. We both agreed that while the flavors are clean and the ingredients obviously superior, each dish seemed to lack a certain pizzazz that elevates the dish to that “wow!” factor.
Finally came the farro with asparagus.
It was ok. The farro was nicely cooked and the asparagus were accompanied by what tasted of a nice grating of parmesan but again the dish fell a little short in the flavor department.
To finish up, Strawberry got the bread pudding.
WOW! Finally a wow! The bread pudding was so moist and full flavored with cinnamon and sweet raisins. The creamy sauce had flecks of rich vanilla beans. This is one of the best bread puddings I have ever had!
I wasn’t wowed by this meal but I have to say, the ingredient were so fresh and the menu was innovative enough to keep me curious. I would definitely try this place again and come back to purchase some of their well known cured meats at their deli counter.
Salumeria Rosi, 283 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY
