Ask the Foodie - Rocco's

Dear Ms Foodie

A few night back I was watching a reality show called The Restaurant. The place was called Rocco's 22.

Have you ever heard of them or eaten there? Don't ever recall doing a write-up on them.

An avid reader

Dear Avid,

Thanks to my friend Cortez, a self-professed reality show junkie, I have been to Rocco's 22. He was a big fan of "The Restaurant" and was convinced that I was going to go ga-ga over Mama's meatballs. I have not reviewed the restaurant since this was before this blog was created.

Let's just say that the short-lived restaurant (opened in June 2003) had bigger problems than the well-publicized feud between celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and restaurateur Jeffery Chodorow. The food was just plain awful. I mean sub par Olive Garden Italian awful. The meatballs were gross. The service was abysmal. Just plain nasty.

Speaking of nasty, after Rocco's closed, Chodorow opened Caviar and Bananas in the same space and then tried again with Wild Salmon. Both restaurants received pans by New York food critics and began a very entertaining feud between Chodorow and New York Times food critic Frank Bruni. As a response to the unflattering review of his latest venture, Mr. Chodorow began a blog which was quite entertaining.

Check it out it you need a good laugh and keep those questions coming!

Ms. Foodie

No Pudge Brownies, how do I love thee?

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Ms. Foodie has an insatiable sweet tooth. Actually, I probably can't get through a post or two without singing the praises of chocolate! However, in the name of being calorically conscious, I often sacrifice my love of sugar in an effort to stay fit. But when the cacao bean calls, sometimes you just gotta answer! The cure for my itch?

NO PUDGE BROWNIES!

Lindsay H. Frucci (from here on in we'll call her "choco-genius") started selling this brownie mix in 1995. The brownies are rich, chewy and super simple to bake. You add one cup of vanilla yogurt (or plain yogurt with a splash of vanilla extract) to the boxed mix and voila! You are in gooey chocolate heaven! Pure decadence for 120 calories or 2 Weight Watchers points! And one of the best parts, if you are like me and not always great about portion control, there's even a single serving recipe. What an innovator! And it's right there on your supermarket shelf just past the Betty Crocker box mixes. Just make sure to give Betty the finger on the way to your guilt-free chocolate paradise!

I particularly like the cappuccino brownies and I do find that the raspberry and mint varieties taste a bit too 'chemically' for my palate. The original isn't too shabby either! I've given some to friends without telling them they were "diet" brownies and they were quite impressed.

So if you are like me and the rest of the planet and are trying to lose some weight in the New Year but don't want to feel like you are sacrificing your craving for dessert, give No Pudge a whirl. You won't be disappointed!

Da Andrea con Andrea!

Monday night Andrea (aka Bomber) and I met up with one of our sorority pals who was in the city for work. Double D was working down on Hudson Street, so a place on the west side in the West Village seemed in order. Bomber suggested Da Andrea, a small Italian place that's been on my radar for some time. I think she liked the name...

For our first course, we split an order of fettuccine di zafferano con verdurine e "tapanade" di olive nere. Translated, this was saffron fettuccine with vegetables in a tomato sauce over a black olive puree. While I loved all the veggies (reminscent of a ratatouille) I felt like it needed a bit more cooking time and some more aggressive seasoning. Bomber, however, thought the al dente vegetables added texture to the dish. I appreciated that the order came to the table split, a simple step that is often overlooked when you tell your server you are splitting an order.

I followed the pasta with the gamberoni alla griglia con fagottino di asparagi e salsa allo zafferano for my main course. This was grilled shrimp served on two skewers with asparagus and a saffron sauce. I really enjoyed this dish. The presentation was lovely and the jumbo shrimp had a good char on the outside without being too tough. I always love asparagus but I was served spears, not the 'asparagus tart' described on the menu. Either way, I'll take it. The abundant sauce was quite tasty but honestly, I didn't feel the shrimp really needed it.

Bomber had the filetto di salmone con carciofi, pomodori secchi e senape; salmon filet with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and dijon mustard sauce. Since I am not a salmon fan, I did not taste her dish, but it was a quality piece of fish and she really enjoyed the flavor the dijon added to the entree.

Double D went with the cavatelli di ricotta con gamberi, salmone e salsa al pesto; homemade cavatelli with shrimp and fresh salmon in a light pesto sauce. The pasta was fresh and flavorful and just the right texture.

One of the best parts of the meal was the affordability of the menu. The pastas are all under $15 and the entrees range from $15 - 20. Not too shabby in a town chock full of over-priced Italian restaurants. My only complaint is that the selection of wines by the glass were pretty slim and I would have loved more than two red wine options.

If you are looking for a small, inexpensive, casual Italian restaurant with an interesting menu that's not your typical veal marsala and saltimbocca fare, why not take a page from Andrea and give Da Andrea a shot?

Ask the Foodie - Getting Cheesy

Dear Ms. Foodie-

I'm a cheddar guy.

I love the sharp flavor and semi-hard texture. I often enjoy a few hunks with a crisp, tart apple as my after-dinner dessert.

However, my palette longs to graze in more exotic cheese pastures. I tried mixing Gruyere and Gouda into the rotation but found them forgettable at best.

I've started getting brie and -- just yesterday -- Camembert for the first time, to great enjoyment.

Can you recommend any other good cheese selections for hors d'oeuvres / midnight snack purposes? I'm not opposed to a little stinkyness, provided I won't gag for having eaten it.

xo,
Cheesy J.



Cheesy,

Thanks for the email and please forgive Ms. Foodie for her delinquent response. In light of the Packers victory this weekend, it seemed appropriate to answer your cheesy question today.

When it comes to cheese, there's an embarrassment of riches, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. I would suggest a visit to your local Whole Foods or gourmet market and doing a taste test, although most local supermarkets carry a wide selection as well. Most cheese mongers would be more than happy to give you samples of the many different cheeses available (i.e. sheep, goat, cow, soft, semi-soft, hard, etc) so be adventurous and see what suits you!

You are certainly on the right track with Camembert, however, try putting in a warm oven (250 for ten minutes) and serving it with a crunchy baquette. If you are looking for hard sharp cheeses, what about a nice ricotta salata? It's my Dad's favorite, although he prefers his ricotta salata with a smooth gin and tonic!

And while Gouda might not have "wowed" you, why not venture into some aged or smoked varieties and see if that fares better? There are also some lovely aged goat cheeses that would have the texture you are seeking. There's quite a difference in taste when a cheese has been aged for months or even years.

There are also differences in taste when a cheese is produced in a different region; for example, Ms. Foodie had a parmigiano from Australia that was vastly different than the Italian parmigiano most people are accustomed to.

Other tasting options: hit a local wine bar and sample a few of their cheeses with an aperitif. Many restaurants offer cheese courses as well, you don't have to go high end to get great results! Just make sure to invite me along!

Good luck on your search and I hope I helped to steer you in the right direction!

xo back at ya!
Ms. Foodie