Testaccio Participates in NYC Restaurant Week

Most of you foodies probably know that it's NYC Restaurant Week, which happens twice a year.  And while most of the participating restaurants are in Manhattan, there are a couple of borough restaurants that take part too. 

The one most relevant to us is Testaccio in LIC, which is running a special Restaurant Week menu prix-fixe for $24.07 lunch and a $35 dinner.  While I don't think it's cheap, it's a great way to taste a bunch of things from the menu that you normally wouldn't be able to in one shot.  Here's the special menu that's good til the end of this week.

Testaccio Restaurant Week Menu:
Endive salad with caramelized hazelnut shaved pecorino cheese and roasted artichoke vinaigrette

Chilled yellow tomato soup with arugula pesto and focaccia croutons

Grilled Italian sausage with brown sugar and balsamic beans and salad

Sauteed chicken straccetti with arugula, tomato and shaved grana padano

Assorted seafood skewer with peppers, cucumbers and tomato salad

Beef tortellini with imported ham in a creamy parmesan sauce

Orange honey creme caramel

Nutella mousse with fresh berries

Testaccio Ristorante - 47-30 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101
718.937.2900
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
http://testacciony.com

Astoria Mother's Day Plans

One of my favorite holidays, Mother's Day is here.  Not only do you get to honor your one and only Mama, you also get to indulge in lovely food and drink.  Astoria and LIC are paying special homage to our favorite matriarchs, and there are plenty of fun things to choose from. Such as...

Ornella - Aside from the delectable menu items that you can always find at Ornella (the imbustata and the duck meatballs are favorites), they'll also feature a 3-course prix fixe for $35.  This menu will contain delectable items such as chestnut pasta, burrata with porchetta, short ribs, Ornella's homemade Italian cheesecake and much more.  29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105.  718.777.9477

Cavo - Since the weather is rumored to be quite spectacular tomorrow, treat Mom to a garden brunch at Cavo.  Sure it's a splurge at $49/person, but the setting is to die for and you can spend quite a while luxuriating in the sunshine.  The menu includes 3 courses and a glass of wine.  42-18 31st Ave, Astoria, NY 11103.  718.721.1001

Astor Room - The newly opened Astor Room will feature regular brunch service during the day but a special dinner prix-fixe dinner in the evening.  A special 3 course dinner will include highlights such as duck confit stuffed squash blossoms, champagne poached red snapper, rosemary brick chicken, a chocolate & peanut butter mousse cup and more for $50/person.  34-12 36th Street, Astoria NY 11106.  718.255.1947

eXo - Although not an Astoria based resto, its chef, Costa hails from A-town, so venture out and experience the authentic, homey Greek cuisine.  They're showcasing both brunch and dinner service with a special prix-fixe and you can see the menu here.  To whet your appetite, expect Greek specialties such as Eggs Benedict Spanakopita, sizzling lamb hash, swordfish souvlaki and more.  15-16 149th Street, Whitestone NY 1135.  718.767.4396

Bistro 33 - While usually featuring a prix-fixe, Bistro will keep things casual with their regular menu but a couple of special items as well will shake things up.  Tomorrow, you can have brunch or dinner and bask in the sunshine by sitting in their open air cafe.  19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105.  718.721.1933

Veslo - If your mama has an adventurous palate, take her out for Balkan food at the new, fabulous, Veslo.  Their special Mother's Day menu is quite rich with a 5-course offering for $65/person with featured items such as veal gnocchi, surf and turf, osso bucco, Eastern-European style crepes and more.  32-11 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106.  718.728.0549

Winegasm - It's all about brunch here for Mother's Day from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. So whether mom loves a good bellini, bloody Mary, mimosa or what have you, the unlimited cocktail option for moms is free tomorrow.  The food prix-fixe is just $12.50, which is a great deal, especially given the quality of the food and drink.  31-86 37th Street, Astoria NY 11103.  718.932.3331

L'Artiste Restaurant - Treat your favorite maman to a sophisticated French dinner at the quaint, L'Artiste.  Featuring a 3-course $35/person prix-fixe, you can choose from classic French dishes such as escargot, beet salad, roasted duck, steak frites and more.  Reservations are highly recommended. 42-20 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11103.  646.309.7504

Locale - For a cool, funky vibe, take mom to Locale where you won't be tied down to a prix-fixe menu.  There will be a couple of specials that day in the form of soups, paninis and more, and you can enjoy a lovely brunch, eat outdoors and people watch on the tree-lined 34th Avenue.  33-02 34th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106.  718.729.9080

Testaccio - Whether you're in the mood for a special treat or their regular (and equally yummy) menu, Testaccio welcomes Moms and families tomorrow.  A sampling of their specials includes wild boar meatballs with goat cheese, grilled shrimp skewers with orange glaze, braised lamb shanks with cherry tomatoes, four cheese tortellini in a pesto sauce and more.  47-30 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101.  718.937.2900

A Virtual Group of Italian Chefs Dines at Testaccio

The title of this post may seem cryptic, as you might think to yourself, "what's a Virtual Group of Italian Chefs?"  I thought the same until I actually met the group (in reality) and had the pleasure of dining with them, courtesy of my friends at Fabbri. The dinner, held earlier this week at LIC's Testaccio was a great way for chefs from this organization to network, exchange ideas and interact with others in the culinary industry.  Given that Ivan Beacco, Testaccio's executive chef is a member of this organization enhanced the evening, inserting into it his own culinary point of view, showcased through his thoughtful and generous dinner.

Since the evening was all about making connections, I had the pleasure of meeting and making new friends.  From Fabbri's owner, Nicola, who runs the business in Italy to their charming Marketing Director, Donna to my friend and Fabbri North America owner, Bob, and the Italian chefs, the evening was filled with interesting people who made it truly memorable. 

I've dined at Testaccio on several occasions, and while I've tried most of their signature dishes, some were still new to me, and I'd love to tell you about them.

1st Course - Consisting of a variety of antipasti and starter dishes, Testaccio did a great job of exciting our palates right from the beginning.  My favorites out of this medley included the pasta e fagioli soup, a thick almost chili-like broth with hearty cannellini beans and fresh maltagliati pasta, which had a nice firmness to it.  While the portion was too generous to finish, I kept dipping my spoon into this warm, comforting liquid of goodness.

Another stand-out, which was new to me here was the antipasto platter, which was presented on a beautifully rustic wooden board.  Decked with an impressive assortment of cured meats, cheeses, crostini and some sweet spreads (including honey), it was a fabulous dish for sharing and pairing.

2nd Course - I liked the pasta course, as it wasn't overly indulgent, presented on a compartmentalized plate with three sections.  Testaccio also uses these platters for their gnocchi, as I've seen this summer, and in this instance, I thought it worked well with pasta. 

We received three pasta varieties including a classic spaghetti alla carbonara, seared polenta and rigatoni with braised short ribs.  Out of the three, I enjoyed the latter pasta the most, loving the tenderness of the meat with an almost stew-like consistency.  The pasta did a great job of holding the meat with its ridges and I could've had a full serving, even though I was already getting full.

3rd Course - The meat offering was also plentiful, with a platter of steak pieces, embellished with creamy pesto sauce, served on a bed of fresh tomatoes.  Despite tomatoes being out of season, these were pretty good and almost sweet - they added a nice freshness to the heavier steak and pesto.

The piece-de-resistance of the evening was Testaccio's tripe, which was served Roman-style, swimming in a slightly spicy tomato sauce and shaved pecorino on top.  I loved the texture of the tripe, which was braised to perfection.  My dining companion Donna remarked that it tasted deliciously authentic and reminded her of her Nonna's tripe, which in my opinion is the highest of compliments.

Other meat/fish dishes in this course included a rare tuna, wrapped in pork belly and also braised pork with cannellini beans.  Both were delicious and very different from what you'd expect to see at an Italian restaurant.  I was especially fascinated by the tuna because at times you couldn't tell if you were eating meat or fish - the combination of pork and tuna played tricks on your senses but not to the point of frustration.  It was more about intrigue.

Dessert - While I couldn't stay to enjoy dessert and nor did I have room for it, I managed to snag a simple vanilla sandwich cookie with Nutella in the middle.  Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that's one of my all-time dessert musts.

Thanks again Testaccio and Fabbri - I couldn't have walked out with a fuller belly and an even bigger smile.

Testaccio Ristorante - 47-30 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101
718.937.2900
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
http://testacciony.com