Tocqueville - Still the best restaurant in Union Square

Tonight RRR and I treated ourselves to dinner at Tocqueville. In the early incarnation of this blog, I declared Tocqueville to be one of my top three restaurant choices in the city. Will it still fare as well?

Since that post, Marco Moreria and his wife Jo-Ann Makovitzky, have expanded Tocqueville into the larger space next door and opened a Japanese restaurant, 15 East, in Tocqueville's former home, so this was our first foray into the new digs.

RRR and I were in a celebratory mood so after enjoying our amuse bouche, we decided to treat ourselves to the calorically decadent short rib and Hudson Valley foie gras ravioli appetizer. The ravioli were served with some wilted arugula which gave the pasta a peppery bite and worked in perfect harmony with the richness of the short ribs and foie gras. Pecorino cheese added some saltiness to the plate and we debated the other spice we tasted in the dish. Fennel seed? Cumin? Simply a red wine braise of the short ribs? It was so simple, so rich, mouthwatering and utterly amazing. I could have ended the meal here and been completely satisfied.

While waiting for our entrees, we were treated to some white asparagus, courtesy of the chef. We believe this was mainly due to the extremely long wait between our first and main courses. This seemed to have been a theme in the dining room this evening; since many tables were sat simultaneously and the kitchen became a bit backed up. However, our server kept checking in and the sommelier kept the wine flowing, so all was good in the proverbial hood.

When our mains finally arrived, I was treated to Tocqueville's signature dish, seared diver sea scallops and foie gras. This was the dish that caused me to obsess over Tocqueville in the first place, so it seemed fitting to return to my 'first love'. I was not disappointed. The scallops were perfectly seared and seasoned and the lightness of the fish held up well to the richness of the foie gras.

RRR enjoyed the local wild striped bass poached in asparagus vichyssoise, with rutabaga purée, white and green asparagus. The fish had a great char on the outside and was moist and extremely tasty. The asparagus was thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned. It was such a standout that the asparagus would have worked well on it's own.

By the time we finished with our main courses, we were a bit too sleepy (I think I was in a foie gras induced coma) to enjoy dessert so we decided to call it a night. On the way out, we found Marco sitting at the bar and struck up a conversation (I used to sell Marco potatoes and tomatoes during a stint years ago at the Union Square Greenmarket). Jo-Ann joined the conversation shortly thereafter and the couple were quite charming. I certainly think it added to RRR's "I am dining like a rockstar" experience!

Borgo Antico - A neighborhood gem

MPV came into the city last night and I found myself struggling to pick a restaurant. I wanted somewhere low key and casual, with great food. Ideally, it would be one of the few places left in my Union Square neighborhood where I've never been eaten before.

The amount of restaurant choices sometimes leaves me paralyzed by indecision. In the embarrassment of culinary riches that is the New York City dining scene 'too much' can often be as frustrating as 'not enough'. (What a rough life, huh?)

The eventual winner: Borgo Antico!

We arrived on the early side of the dinner rush and were offered a large table near the window on the second floor of Borgo Antico's charming townhouse. After ordering a bottle of Valpolicella Marion from the well-priced wine list, we decided to start our meal with a bit of salumi and cheese.

We chose an aged salumi and a cow and sheep blend cheese to start. They were presented on small cutting boards with an adorable butcher knife for the cheese wedges. Both plates puzzlingly came with hazelnuts, sliced red onion and mushrooms but also with a delightful bit of honey complete with pears. Unfortunately, only one piece of toasted bread came with each order but our bread basket was able to provide some additional cheese and honey vehicles for us.

For our main course, we both went with pasta dishes. MPV chose the pappardelle con ragu di funghi while I went with the ricotta gnocchi with sausage and mushrooms (my apologies for not writing down the official name of this pasta special).

MPV's pappardelle was in a hearty ragu of assorted mushrooms and the scent from the truffle "perfume" wafted above the table as soon as the waiter presented the dish. The pasta was fresh and perfectly cooked and the earthiness of the mushrooms were complemented by the subtly of the truffles.

My gnocchi were small, light and melted in my mouth. The tomato sauce was hearty and while I did feel that there weren't enough sausage or mushrooms in the dish the perfect execution of the gnocchi more than made up for it. Most gnocchi on Italian restaurant menus tend to be heavy and sit in your stomach like a ton of bricks after two bites. In Borgo Antico's case, this was one of the few times that I took a chance on gnocchi and was pleasantly surprised when my gamble paid off.

While Borgo Antico is not a 'fancy restaurant' by any means, it is a down-to-earth comfortable neighborhood place with good sized portions and gentle prices. Judging by the amount of people who had filled the restaurant by the time we left; this is not so much a neighborhood secret as it is a great date place or in this case a place to spend some quality time with one of your best friends!