New Hangover Pasta at Ornella

Image by Ornella Trattoria and Bradley Hawks

 Always up for fun food inventions, Giuseppe, Ornella's proud owner is rolling out some brand new goodies that'll be served during brunch.  As we know, Ornella is the place to come to when you're in the mood for pasta, and after hearing that a hangover brunch pasta has been officially introduced, I'm totally going gaga.  That, alongside a most non-traditional and intriguing cheese sandwich, and you've got yourself an unforgettable meal.  Here's a better description of the two that will get you licking your chops.

Hangover Pasta - Homemade fettuccine cooked in milk (think Ornella's pasta latte) with bacon and a sunny side up egg on top with a drizzle of truffle oil.  Wow, sounds like a heavenly combo, and one that I've never had before.

Ornella's Take on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Grilled cheese topped with anchovies, capers, brandy and cream sauce.  To say this is decadent wouldn't do it justice.

Rumor also has it that Giuseppe serves the above-pictured Eggs Benni dish on (get this!) Italian lard bread.  Now that's a must!

Hope to see you there!  I'll be the one stuffing myself silly.

 Ornella Trattoria -17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.94
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.ornellatrattoria.com

Ornella Puts Out Another Hit

 

Any excuse I find to go to Ornella Trattoria, I take it, so when it came time to organize We Heart Astoria's bi-monthly blogger social, it was the first place that came to mind.  Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner was too happy to oblige, letting me know that a larger party wouldn't be a problem and that he'd work up a special menu for us.  Fun!  My colleagues, Meg, Mackenzi and I looked forward to it all week. And alas, the day came!

We got a nice long table at the front of the restaurant, near the long open window that carried in a comfortable breeze.  It was so fun to meet everyone and exchange our favorite Astoria blogging experiences.  There was a nice representation from various Astoria based blogs, including AJ from Handjobs for the Home, Sam from cocktailians, Annabel from 30th Ave Blog, Scott and Kate from We Could Eat and Erich & WT from gardenfreude blog.  I loved meeting these fantastic people and breaking bread with them was far more interesting that my typical Monday night.

Our special menu consisted of a choice of an appetizer, entree and wine for a good price.  Although I've tried nearly everything on the menu, here are some newbies I devoured:

Prosciutto, Melon & Burrata - I've had burrata here before, but I haven't had it with this classic melon/prosciutto combination and it was wonderful.  A lovely way to start a meal, it injected a breath of freshness from the melon, which helped to cut the indulgence from the creamy, milky cheese and the salty, smoky prosciutto.  Meg got it too and agreed it was delizioso.

Pappardelle with Braised Rabbit - Giuseppe had me at "pappardelle," which I knew even without him saying it, would be homemade.  He gave me a special portion with braised rabbit, cooked in a hearty tomatoey sauce with olives and garlic that really elevated the flavors of the meat to the next level.  I'm sometimes lukewarm on rabbit because of how bony it is, but I loved this iteration, with the tender, juicy meat that you just wanted to devour completely, leaving nothing but those little bones.  The pappardelle were smooth and a little thicker than what I'm used to, but I loved them, especially since they held their own next to the rabbit and did a great job of hanging on to that heavenly sauce.

Roasted Sole with Angel Hair Pasta - This was Meg's dish and a number of other friends chose it too.  I loved the sheer size of the fish, which was so generous and sported a beautiful golden skin.  I had a taste and loved how lemony it was and also appreciated the adequate amount of seasoning on it - I dislike when a good fish tastes bland because it's underseasoned, and that wasn't the case here.

Homemade Espresso with Foam - One of the highlights of our meal was when Giuseppe demoed how to make a homemade espresso with zabaglione-style cream in the simplest way.  By whipping it!  I loved the story behind the process he described to us as, "making the first coffee of the day," which starts him off each morning.  We had a taste of course and not only was it fragrant and delicious, the cream on top was sweet, fluffly and irresistible.

Service and Cost:
In true Ornella fashion, the service was magnifico - we got tons of personal attention but were also left alone to just chill and enjoy our surroundings.  I think that I speak for everyone when I say that a fantastic time was had.  Unfortunately I had to run out early, but my colleagues stayed and lingered for some more conversation in this fantastic setting.

Costs are affordable and as I mentioned, we worked out a special menu for this large group, which set us back about $27 per person including tax and tip.

3 Mmmms

Ornella Trattoria -17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.94
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.ornellatrattoria.com

Ornella's Lobster Night

It's fun to witness all the lively food developments percolating at Ornella, one of my all-time Astoria faves.  Their theme nights offer some pretty great deals including Thursday night pasta night, where you can get any pasta dish for just $10 off their special menu.  Through my many rave reviews about their pasta, I don't think I have to convince you to try it out.

But now Ornella has a brand new theme night on Tuesdays, which involves lobster.  That's right...lobsta!  Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner loves to experiment with new things and happened to be serving linguine topped with lobster.  It was such a huge hit that it convinced him to expand the offering:

Tuesday Night Lobster Night
1 1/2 lb broiled lobster served with linguine - $21

Check it out and do let me know how you liked it.

Ornella Trattoria Italiana - 29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.9477
N/Q Train to Ditmars
www.ornellatrattoria.com

Exploring Bizarre Foods at Ornella

I love going to Ornella, and I know that when I do visit, it's always a personal, feel-good/feel-full experience.  Last week's dinner was graciously set up by my friend and fellow blogger, Bradley from amuse bouche blog and the theme was "bizarre foods."  With a pretense like that, what adventurous foodie worth her salt could refuse?!

Joined by a new blogger friend, Elena from The Gotham Palate blog, we formed a great trio that evening, and after just a few minutes, we were telling long-winded stories, many of which had us in stitches (especially ones told by Bradley).

In the midst of all this, we ate.  We ate a lot.  In his true hospitable fashion, Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner brought out a multitude of new dishes, many of which we haven't yet tried at Ornella or nowhere else for that matter.  They included:

2 Pizzas - Although pizza is far from bizarre, it is unusual to see it at Ornella, as they technically don't have it on the menu.  The two varieties were very different - one classic with cheese and fresh basil on top and the other a stuffed pizza with prosciutto, goat cheese and peppery arugula.  Both options were nice, but I preferred the fancier pizza with the tangy cheese and salty prosciutto, not to mention the crispy, thin crust that hugged it from the top and bottom.

Sheep Salad with Burrata - Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner is a master at reinventing dishes that he remembers from childhood or that have already debuted on Ornella's menu in a slightly different format.  This gorgeous salad reminded me of the previous porchetta salad that was also served with fresh juicy tomatoes and soft burrata cheese.  The sheep meat was a nice change-up and I liked that it was served chilled and also in bite sized pieces that were appetizing and easy to digest.  I don't even have to say it, but the burrata was as creamy, silky and decadent as always.

Pasta Latte - A good example of an Ornella childhood favorite, this pasta was as simple as can be but also as equally delicious.  Cooking the pasta in milk instead of water (hence the latte in the title), and letting it reduce, the homemade pappardelle was coated in the smooth, milky and slightly sweet sauce.  And even though I didn't grow up eating it, in some way, it reminded me of childhood.

Sweetbreads with Potatoes and Spinach - One of the last dishes of the night, but as the saying goes "save the best for last," we thoroughly enjoyed it.  I thought Bradley put it best when he said Ornella has an uncanny way of making this delicacy taste like the the most finger-licking good "Kung Pao Chicken." I agree.  Even though some purists would scorn at our comparison, I say "why not?!" The texture of the sweetbreads was tender and wonderful, and its sprinkling of fragrant truffle oil on top just put the cherry on the proverbial sundae.

If you have a penchant for unusual eats that taste smashingly delicious, you know where to find them.

Ornella Trattoria Italiana - 29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.9477
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
www.ornellatrattorianellatrattoria.com

Ornella Extends $10 Pasta Special, Monday - Thursday

Fun news Astorians - the much loved, pasta haven Ornella is starting off the new year by extending their $10 pasta special throughout the week.  What that means is that every Monday - Thursday, you can virtually get any pasta or risotto dish during lunch and dinner for just $10.  How spectacular, especially if you're on a budget.

If you haven't yet been to Ornella and experienced their pasta goodies, here are some of my personal recommendations.

Imbustata (pictured above) - By far the most popular dish on the menu, it consists of a pasta envelope stuffed with roasted veal, chicken, wild mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, mascarpone cheese and tomato sauce.  Mamma mia!

Pasta Gone Nuts - An innovative chestnut pasta, dressed with a fragrant pistachio sauce that's also topped with truffle oil.

Pappardelle with Oxtail - For something meatier, which is just perfect during winter, Ornella's homemade pappardelle is tossed with tender oxtail in a rich broth that not only has meat but mushrooms too.

Vegetarian Risotto - Not your typical rice, cheese and meat combo, this one contains sophisticated sweet and savory ingredients such as sharp gorgonzola cheese, sweet pears, and peppery radicchio. Yum!

Enjoy these delicacies and the incredible savings.

Ornella Trattoria Italiana - 29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.9477
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.ornellatrattoria.com