Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Dinnertime

We went to two amazing restaurants for dinner during our stay in New York.  On Sunday night, we put on our nice clothes and headed to Tom Colicchio's new restaurant in Midtown called Riverpark.  The next night, we met up with my old college roommate for a Japanese-Italian fusion meal at Basta Pasta.

Riverpark // Midtown East

Riverpark is situated within Alexandria Center, a life sciences building in Midtown and right next to the East River.  It was an interesting walk to the restaurant as we roamed through many new and modern-looking buildings on our way.  Right outside of the restaurant sits a grand vegetable garden for Riverpark.  I love the fact that fresh vegetables and herbs are just a few steps away from the restaurant, at their ease for use.  Since it's wintertime, most of the garden was covered up in plastic tarp, keeping the vegetables in greenhouses and safe from the cold wintery weather of New York.  Our waiter explained that it's their first winter encounter this year so they are hoping the protection will work.  Just a small row of the garden was open with few items growing.  I'm not sure what was growing since we were too far away to identify any of them.

(From left to right, clockwise)

Bee's Knees - vanilla honey, lime, soda

The Concoction from Brooklyn Brewery

The Roots - beet-infused vodka, ginger, citrus, basil 

Mushroom Consomme - mushroom salad, frisee, pecorino crouton, caramelized shallots.  The pecorino crouton was a great surprise under the mountain of mushrooms and frisee.  The broth was poured into the plate and was very tasty.  We even used our tableside bread to soak up all of the delicious broth.

Roasted Leg of Lamb - swiss chard, pinenuts, capers, raisins, eggplant, oregano.  Incredibly well-cooked lamb (not a hint of gaminess at all!) and various flavorful vegetables.  This was my entree and it was a great choice.

Basil Ricotta Ravioli - Pumpkin pesto, delicata squash, spiced pumpkin seeds.  Buttery ravioli in a pumpkin-spiced sauce.  My friend ordered this and cleaned the plate, stating that she wished there were more!

Grilled Flatiron Steak - Braised brisket, broccoli, form smashed potatoes, balsamic glazed cippolinis.  Doesn't this entree look like a grand forest?  So pretty!  The entree contains a few slices of flatiron steak and a big chunk of braised brisket, with a caramelized sweet and salty shell on top.  The hubby ordered this and he loved all of it.  Another clean plate!

10 oz. Berkshire Pork Chop - brussels sprout-apple hash, parsnip puree.  I swear, I've never tasted a more tender pork chop than this one!  Interestingly, the waiter asked my friend how he would like the meat cooked and he stated medium.  I've never heard of that asked for a pork chop.  The pork was grilled to perfection.  The meat was pretty much cooked through but not long enough to make it tough.  I guess cooking it medium is a good choice for pork chops.

Trio of hazelnut ice cream, Concord grape sorbet, and pear sorbet with biscuits.  Three words: yum, yum, and yum! 

The restaurant was sleek and chic, setting a great mood for a double date on a Sunday night.  All of the food was fantastic and the service was wonderful.  Mr. Colicchio did not disappoint!

Basta Pasta // Flatiron

(From left to right, clockwise)

Lots of different breads to eat.  The sliced bread with gorgonzola cheese spread was brought out first and was a great start to the meal.  The cheesy breadsticks were the best out of the entire selection.  Cartoccio di Funghi Misti - oyster king, enoki, and cremini mushrooms baked inside sealed cooking paper with thyme, garlic, and olive oil.  Insalata Mista - young Boston lettuce and mesclun salad with tarragon balsamic dressing. 

Pappardelle alla Siciliana - homemade pappardelle with eggplant, basil, and fresh tomatoes in tapenade.  I actually didn't get to taste this dish, but I'd imagine that it was pretty darn good!

Risotto con Gamberi e Funghi - risotto with shrimp and 3 kinds of mushrooms.  I also didn't get to taste this dish but risotto and mushrooms?  Great combination!

Fettuccine with shrimp, bacon, and fresh tomatoes in creamy sauce (special of the day).  Al dente fettuccine with fresh shrimp and really tasty creamy sauce.  Delicious!

Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano - spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and pharma prosciutto, served in a half wheel of parmesan cheese at the table.  The only reason I wanted to come to the restaurant was because of this cheese wheel.  How it works: cooked spaghetti is placed in the cheese wheel and parmesan cheese are scraped from the sides.  Parmesan and spaghetti are mixed together for a few minutes and taken out of the wheel.  Slices of prosciutto and chopped basil are placed on top.  SO GOOD.

The one cool thing about this restaurant is that the kitchen is open and right in the middle of the restaurant.  You can smell and see everything that is cooking.  The refrigerator is also right out in the open and part of the decor.  We all loved the food!