Urbana Nirvana

Ev-O and I were dispatched to our nation's capital on Friday night as one leg of our company's team coverage of Jay-Z's Hangar Tour. Usually, when given an out of town assignment, first thing I do is figure out where I'm going to eat. In this case, knowing Ev-O was all over this I left my stomach in her capable hands.

We went to Urbana after checking it out on menupages in the lame "business center" in our hotel. It was pretty packed and we were told that it would be a bit of a wait for a table even though Ev-O called five minutes before and we were promised we could be seated right away. It was getting late and we were getting tired but decided to stake out a place at the pizza bar and wait for a table to hedge our bets. We were hoping that the bar would win out since that's where all the action was.

Now we can be pretty determined when we want to be and we secured two seats at the pizza bar, no thanks to the spacey waitstaff. If it wasn't pretty apparent that service wasn't going to be the best part of this review, it was solidified when we had to flag down four people including the host and the hostess to get menus, water, bread and place our order.

Ev-O chose the beet salad which came with carmelized apples and a walnut vinagrette. The salad was refreshing and the chewy sweetness of the apples provided a good contrast to the slightly tart beets.

I was intrigued by the beef short rib ravioli but then served up a plate of disappointment when the host (service has not improved at this point) informed me they were out so instead I went with another pasta, this one with lobster, chorizo and peas in a saffron broth - I was told that this one was the standout pasta of the three on the menu. I have to admit it was pretty damn good and the presentation was beautiful - like an Italian paella, however, the "pasta florets" were a bit too al dente for my taste and uncooked would probably be a better description. Lucky for me, the generous portion of chewy lobster and the buttery saffron broth more than made up for what the pasta was lacking.

Ev-O and I were in complete agreement on what pizza to select: gorgonzola with pears and proscioutto. We watched in awe as the pizza chef worked his magic and were treated to a side show from the pastry chef who was churning out berry-topped creme brulees with skill and care. (unfortunately too full to partake)

The pizza was fantastic! The crust was light enough to not be filling but just dense enough to hold up to the toppings. And really what can you say about gorgonzola, pears & proscioutto? That's a holy trinity if I've ever heard one! And finished off with a handful of peppery arugula? Does it really get any better than that?

The flavors melded beautifully and you just wanted to take time to savor every bite. My glass (okay glasses) of Ermitage, a blend of mouvedre, granache and syrah was full-bodied enough to stand up to the pungency of the cheese. I could go on and on about how great this pizza was but I will let the photo do the talking...

RRR's guest review of Boston's No. 9 Park - would it live up to the hype?

It is with great honor that I have volunteered to contribute to the acclaimed food blog. Having planned a food and wine packed weekend (sans Ms. F-for-Foodie) I thought this would be a great opportunity to try my hand at this blogging phenomenon.

We (Mitch and RRR) were graced with the presence of our friend BonBon who blew in from upstate NY for the weekend. Mitch chose No. 9 Park on Beacon Hill - one of several restaurants from well-known Boston chef, Barbara Lynch. We had been there probably 6 or so years ago, not too long after its opening. The only memories I can salvage were the bread pudding dessert (probably the best I've ever had) and the waitress with numerous tongue, ear, eyebrow jewelry (which I personally find distasteful during a fine dining experience, never mind even a coffeeshop trip) but I digress...

We all ordered appetizers. BonBon and I had the Ricotta Ravioletti, large pasta pillows busting with a light ricotta filling. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sage, sweet chestnuts and salty shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano blended perfectly. Mitch's Prune Stuffed Gnocchi, with seared foie gras was equally impressive - maybe even better. While I'm not a big fan of foie gras, it was more of a seasoning enhancement versus a star of the plate and added a richness to the creamy, flavorful sauce. Overall, I found these pasta appetizers to be the highlight of the evening's meal.

I ordered the Bacon Wrapped Monkfish. You pretty much can't go wrong with anything wrapped in bacon. I was anticipating the typical chewy texture of monkfish - but not here. The fish was fork-tender and coupled with a red curry 'nage' this broth made for a perfect melding of flavors, almost an Asian inspired twist. I'm not sure how the accompanying haricot verts were selected and while I love any green veggie, it seemed like a leafy green would have been a better choice, something to absorb the nage.

We were disappointed by the dessert selection - no bread pudding! Instead, we opted for a Chocolate Ganache Cake served with concord grape sorbet and a dusting of peanut. Being a big PB&J fan, I would have appreciated a stronger peanut presence. The Calamint Creamsicles, recommended by our waiter, were a disappointment - not much more flavorful that one of those low-cal frozen novelties. The only redeeming flavor was the white chocolate coating.

Overall, the No. 9 experience was similar to my first. A very good meal, with one standout - the pasta appetizers this time around. And I did leave with a much better impression of a more professional looking waitstaff. Given the endless dining choices in Boston, I probably would wait another couple of years before giving it another try.