Peppercorn's Grill

RRR headed into Hartford late Saturday night to check out Peppercorn's Grill. The menu was extensive. In addition to the wide array of items offered on Peppercorn's regular menu, there was a pretty long list of specials to add to the indecision.

We finally came to a consensus and decided to share the il piccolo ragù di funghi selvatici con il loro brodetto e polenta di semolina which is a fricassee of seasonal wild mushrooms in their own juices with parmigiano reggiano and semolina polenta. The polenta had a nice crusty outer layer and the rich sauce provided a nice bed for the earthy mushrooms.

For a main course, RRR had the sea bass special with haricot verts, artichokes, potatoes and olive and tomato bruschetta. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked and the artichokes really stood out from the rest of the vegetables. Overall, a very well-rounded nice dish.

I chose my traditional pasta with seafood dish. The fettuccine was freshly made and toothsome and well coated by the rich thick hearty tomato sauce that came with it. Fresh clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and half a lobster tail were all well cooked and delicious.

Would I say it is the best Italian I've ever had? No. Would I say that it was a good restaurant option if you're in Hartford and itching for Italian? Yes.

Alidoro: A walk down memory lane (or Sullivan Street!)

My first job after college was at a small production company in SoHo. Back then, SoHo wasn't the 'outdoor mall' it is now, but an eclectic array of boutiques, artist's lofts and a few Mom and Pop stores.

One of my biggest treats (given my near poverty level salary) was to take a walk to the little Italian shop on Sullivan Street to get a sandwich. The menu was listed on the wall and you dare not deviate from the menu. A co-worker made that mistake once.... (once!) and was banned from the store. (This was well before Seinfeld's Soup Nazi). The older Italian man behind the counter may have been abrupt when serving you, but took great care in making your sandwich.

My favorite was the fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and bel paese on semolina bread. After a few frequent trips to the store, he eventually warmed up to me and we would talk while he made my sandwich. He would tell me that I was way too pale to be Sicilian, that Alberto Tomba is a drunk but will once again bring home Olympic gold for Italy in Lillehammer, that I should be able to speak fluent Italian if only to show respect to my Grandmother and other Italian-related conversations. Okay, maybe it wasn't so warm and fuzzy but if I close my eyes I can still taste the sandwich.

There's the backstory... and since New York is really a small place, I now get my hair done at the salon next door to the old Italian sandwich shop. It is usually closed when I get there in the evening, but my Monday afternoon appointment made it a perfect opportunity to enjoy a bit of culinary nostalgia.

The shop is called Alidoro and it's not a well kept neighborhood secret. In fact, it never was. The old man is gone (I am hoping that he is just back in his beloved homeland enjoying retirement) and the couple behind the counter have a bit of his mannerisms.

The menu hasn't changed (not that I would dare deviate from it anyway) and on this visit I ordered the Mona Lisa: fresh mozzarella, artichokes, caponata of eggplant and bel paese on semolina.

The semolina bread is as crusty yet fresh as I remembered. The mozzarella as creamy and as smooth as ever. The artichokes were full of oily goodness and the bel paese brought all the ingredients together in perfect harmony. The caponata was a bit sweet; but if this is the worst thing about this sandwich, I'll take it. With my first bite, the memory of sandwiches past flooded back and were just as vivid as ever.

Otto: the perfect start to a bachelorette party!

On Saturday night our small mob of nineteen women descended upon Otto to kick off Jax's bachelorette. Otto had a pretty good deal for a large group. For $75 per person (without tax and tip) you get bread, charcuterie, cheese, appetizers, salad, pizzas, dessert and all the wine you can drink.

The caveat? You have two hours to imbibe and eat to your heart's content - that's it. Not bad though when there is a long night of drinking ahead but there was a sense of urgency to drink as much wine as possible and eat quickly.

The bread came with three dipping sauces: a truffled honey, roasted pears with a nice kick of pepperoncino, and a sweet cherry sauce. I particularly enjoyed the pears; the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

This was followed by a lazy Susan presentation of some small vegetable plates. Some of the highlights included roasted beets and saba, califlower "alla Siciliana" roasted in a light balsamic sauce, eggplant caponatina enriched by capers and pignolis, large mixed olives, simple but hearty green lentils "Toscana" and a I'm-not-quite-sure-how-they-did-it brussel sprouts and vin cotto.

For me, the meal could have ended here but it was only just the beginning. Next came two salads and bruschetta with roasted leeks. The leeks were pretty good, but honestly, not the best choice to eat on a night of flirting with guys and carousing with your girlfriends.

The one salad was a puzzlingly boring Romaine with thinly sliced onions sans dressing but the peppery baby arugula made up for what the other salad lacked.

As I was busy enjoying this feast with a lovely light 2005 Nebbiolo, out came the pizzas. We were given four: funghi and taleggio, margherita, bianca and pepperoni. The funghi was a bit salty but I quite enjoyed the extra salt balanced by the earthy mushrooms. The margherita was pretty good, however, I found myself wanting the crust to be a bit more crisp to compliment the freshness of the tomato sauce.

Pepperoni was a heartier meatier option of the bunch and this was not your store bought pepperoni stick, definitely house made. The bianca proved to be the most dissappointing of the four. When you have a great dough this simple pizza can excel but in this case the dough was a bit flat. Even the olive oil and rosemary couldn't help this pizza.

And just when I thought I couldn't possibly eat any more out came dessert, an assortment of gelatos with plenty of spoons for the group.

Highlights included the olive oil (only me and Chef MJ seemed to be fans of this one), an outstanding hazelnut stracciatella, vanilla, chocolate, and creamy butter pecan. After much debate it was decided that the "strawberry" was really grapefruit and the tart fruit didn't do much to impress the group.

Some of the girls were distracted by the loud clublike soundtrack of the restaurant. I was distracted by my conflicting thoughts on Otto, a restaurant I had not been to in at least a year. It is difficult to judge a restaurant by a group meal and I am not sure if Otto has jumped the proverbial shark and become yet another rustic pizza joint. Perhaps some more research is in order...