Pizza @Cafe Capriccio

Pizza a la Capriccio

Looks like there may be a new contender in AOA's Tournament of Pizza.  Friday night Yasmine, Will and I ventured  to Capriccio for a late night, grown-up dinner and were the lucky recipients of Franco's beautiful circle of love. The pizza Margherita was delicious!  Six slices of crisp crust, fresh, flavorful sauce, and generous mozzarella finished with fresh basil...a perfect beginning to a terrific evening.  The angle of the photo above is misleading - that crust was thin, baby.  I'm talking fold it in half and hear it crunch thin.  I don't know if pizza is on the menu there yet, but it would be worth your time to investigate.  Pair with the eggplant and a plate of Franco's home-cured meats, alongside a delicious bottle of Barbera, and you've got yourself a fantastic dinner for 2 for little green. 



My frequent partner in crime, Yas



alcohol, whipped cream, chocolate = dessert in a glass

Since we were cabbing it for the night, it was the perfect occasion to enjoy a nightcap at The Point.  Would you just look at this frothy concoction the lovely bartender made for me?  I requested a dessert drink...something with raspberry and chocolate and this is the gorgeous cocktail she served me.  Wish I knew what was in it, but I guess the important thing is, I know where to get another one. 

Otto

My most recent trip to the city involved revisiting favorite spots and exploring some new ones.  Otto (8th Street just east of 5th Avenue) is a place to which I frequently find myself returning.  Seriously, I've probably been to this restaurant more than 8 times in the last couple of years - it's just really good.  The design of the space is cool with the large bar area being designed to evoke an Italian train station, including a large destination board which taunts with the names of Italian cities I'm longing to visit.  Damn you, Mario Batali!  Perhaps if I spent less money in your establishments I could actually get to Italy with greater frequency...

We had intended to have a light(ish) lunch here prior to having something a bit more substantial later, but, we ended up making this our main meal of the day - leaving plenty of room for liquid calories. Don't ever say I'm not a planner! Speaking of liquids; I'm usually all over the wine choices when I'm at Otto. They serve their wine by  the glass selections in adorable little vessels called quartos (who knew this posting would be an education in Italian numerals!) which I love. It's like getting a milkshake with a little extra on the side know what I mean?  On this visit, however, we opted for beer, anticipating that we would be drinking bourbon later in the day and finally being wise enough to understand that it is best to stick with either grain or grape to minimize the pain of the morning after.  We only had  one beer each, but, boy were they good!  I honestly can't remember what Lisa drank (maybe a pilsner?), but I might never forget how tasty the Ommegang BPA was!  It was the perfect temperature, beautifully hoppy and served by a man with an Irish brogue.  How happy was I? 

Here's a picture of the pizza we shared - loaded with prosciutto and arugula, crispy and piping hot - divine!  An aside: I think it was only after working in restaurants (for years), and having children of my own, that I truly began to appreciate how special hot food is.  Do not underestimate the power of serving me hot food!  We paired it with a couple of vegetable selections; my favorite spicy broccoli rabe with ricotta salata and some dynamite brussel sprouts.  Can someone please remind me why I didn't like vegetables like these as a child?  They seriously rock my world these days and I am happy to say that I am now old enough that I can't remember a time when I wouldn't dive into these greens with gusto.  

                                             eat your vegetables!!

Whether you're looking for a place to have a meal with the family, drinks and a bite with a friend, or even a (gasp!) date spot, Otto just might fit the bill for you.   And, if you're looking for someone to join you there, give me a shout.  I'm always up for an Otto adventure.

Pizza for grown-ups

The Lilly males recently enjoyed some pizza from Andriano's in Delmar - if you go there, I strongly recommend their white pizza.  In their absence, I took the opportunity to make a completely self-indulgent, throw-on-whatever-I-want kind of pizza for myself.  I started with purchased dough simply because it was BOGO at the Chopper and I had some on hand.  I really have no skills in manipulating pizza dough - if anyone has tips to share, or better yet, will provide me with a brief internship in a pizza shop to learn how to toss dough in the air with panache - I'm in.  Lacking dough talent, I've concluded that leaving the dough in a bowl draped with a kitchen towel on the counter for a few hours makes it easier to manage.  That's my best suggestion - sorry, but that's all I've got. 

I like to crank the oven to 450 and I  lightly coat the baking sheet with olive oil and a dusting of coarse corn meal.  After stretching and spreading the dough on the baking sheet, I ladeled on homemade tomato sauce with peppers and sliced meatballs, and then dropped on some hunks of fresh mozzarella.  I baked the pizza for about 10 minutes, then tossed on a mound of arugula and returned the pizza to the oven which I had turned off.  After about 90 seconds, the greens were beautifully wilted and I finished my pizza with a scattering of sliced jalepenos.  I only ate about a quarter of the pie, leaving plenty for late-night leftovers.

Pizzalo

In honor of the official first weekend of Football Sunday, we ordered take-out from the new place in the DelSo, Pizzalo, last week.  In addition to pizza their menu features pasta, salads, subs and wings, which certainly is convenient if you're serving a crowd with divergent appetites.  We kept things simple by placing a focused order of just pizza and wings. 

Large half pepperoni pizza

Small with onions

The guys had been jonesing for a pizza/wing feast for awhile so I wasn't able to grab any photos prior to the onset of the feeding frenzy, but I think you'll get the gist of things.  We went with a large pie, half pepperoni, a small pizza with onions and 24 wings.  The large pizza was definitely better than the small - we won't bother going small again.  The crust was decent, fairly crisp and had some of those airy-dough spots that I appreciate.  One of the issues I had with the previous pizza place on this corner was a tendency for them to under-cook the pizza and leave the crust soggy - yuck.  This pizza was definitely cooked the right length of time and the boys were very pleased with the texture, sauce and cheese.  The small pizza was weird - almost as if they assembled it from a different batch of ingredients.  Instead of being crisp it was nearly crunchy and had unfortunately absorbed some flavor from the cardboard.  It just wasn't good.  The onions were a bit skimpy, especially when 

Wings

 you consider the cost of onions, and I just wasn't feeling it with this menu item.  Fortunately, the wings helped to shift the balance in our overall experience.  Our wings were medium hot and had just the right amount of spice to evoke pleasure rather than pain.  They were nice and meaty without being over-sized and I generally found them to be high quality.  The wings were served with a generous amount of commercial bleu cheese dressing and fresh, crunchy carrot sticks. Solid.

The verdict?  A good addition to the neighborhood for convenient, one-stop, take out.  The quality of the food is pretty much what we expected and the owners have really taken some time to improve the physical appeal of the space.  We'll definitely put them in the rotation.

Lou Bea's is Back!

Between a lack of decent pizza and an excess of road construction, we've suffered here in the DelSo for many long months.  I am happy to report that there is a light* at the end of the tunnel and it is getting closer.  To begin, family favorite Lou Bea's Pizzeria, has reopened almost a year after a serious fire.   The interior has been reconfigured and there are some nice high-top tables if you're looking to have your meal to stay rather than to go. The boys and I hit it up the other night, for take-out, and are happy to report that the pizza tastes exactly the same! Crisp crust, appropriate amount of cheese, nicely seasoned tomato sauce ...same as  it ever was.  When I arrived to pick up our order, I was a little perturbed to discover they were offering a special which would have easily fit into our dinner plans - 18 wings, large cheese, 2 liter bottle of soda all for $18.50.  Note to self: when ordering, inquire if they are offering a daily special.  No biggie - the boys devoured the pizza and the dozen wings we ordered (at a couple more $$ than the special) and Lou Bea's has regained its spot at the top of their list for pizza takeout.  Just in time for football season!  The wings were okay for me, but I really can't judge a place on mild wings and that is how the boys take them.  I did like the dryness of the wings - I don't like an overly sloppy wing and these definitely were not too messy. 

I personally still prefer Pasquale's for pizza, but, since it is a bit pricey, I'm happy to once again have a wonderful neighborhood option.  We're also looking forward to giving the new kid in town, Pizzalo (the former location of Papa Gallo's and most recently Vinnie's, aka the worst pizza I've ever had) a shot.  Their sign still says "coming soon," but walking by, it looks ready to go.  The dining options in the DelSo continue to expand, and, since we've got such a marvelously walkable neighborhood, there's no reason for our waistlines to expand.  Way to go, DelSo!

*Speaking of light(s) - have you seen the beautiful new lampposts being installed along Delaware Avenue?  Gorgeous!

Pizza Sunday

After a late night with old friends, curling up on the couch with the paper was about as strenuous an activity I could manage for today. However, since there are mouths to be fed (mouths which are quieted by food), and wine to be enjoyed, I needed a dinner plan that didn't involve lots of effort or expense. Inspired by some already grated mozzarella from Cardona's and a lovely roasted red pepper in the fridge, pizza became the answer. We usually have some frozen pizza dough in the freezer, but in the amount of time required to gently bring it up to room temperature, it is just as easy to make my own. I like this recipe except I don't really follow the directions too closely. At this point, I know how dough is supposed to feel, so I add flour to get it to a texture that I find pleasing. As the dough went through a brief second rise, I caramelized a couple of sliced onions (red & white) in butter and sliced my red pepper into strips for the "grown-up" pizza. I think a hot oven is critical for pizza and I usually fire mine up to 450F. I also like to coat the pizza pan with olive oil and dust it lightly with rough corn meal for some added flavor and texture. The boys' pizza was pretty traditional with red sauce and mozzarella cheese, while for Tom & me it was white pizza with sweet caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and freshly grated parmigiano reggiono - delicious! If I was feeling even slightly more ambitious, I would have rubbed the pan with a crushed garlic clove and drizzled a little balsamic vinegar on top, but, like I said, I was going for simple. And seeing how I was already down an hour (damn you, spring ahead!) I went lazy. Hope you're all spendng an equally enjoyable Sunday with those you love.