Happiness on the UES

Felice Wine Bar Upper East Side 24 October 10
www.felicewinebar.com
eat: Polipo Grigliato, Pappardelle alla Bolognese, Broccoli
sip: Maltese Bianco Tenuta Rapitale 09 (Sicilia) , Felice Sardi Giustiniani (Toscana) 09


Although my home is temporary on the Upper East Side, I have still been eager to find a nearby spot that fits my neighborhood needs. I was looking to fulfill that quintessential New York fantasy: where everything you need is just outside your door. The haute, culinary institutions like Daniel and JoJo are too hoity-toity for a nightly nosh. 2nd Ave's restaurant row, a sea of mediocrity, seems to exist more due to convenience and sociability rather than quality of food. Indeed there are some tasty ethnic joints, Baluchi's (Indian) and Pig Heaven (Chinese), but I prefer to savor their dishes at home in my pajamas. When I stumbled on Felice Wine Bar, I finally found my local.


Felice Wine Bar is the sister restaurant to Sant Ambroeus, the Milanese pasticerria and gelateria that has expanded New Yorker's waistlines for 30 years. Felice, which means "happy" in Italian, is more than the average wine bar thanks to one of the owners, Jacopo Giustiniani. Since Jacopo grew up in his family's Tuscany vineyard, which he now runs, his intimate knowledge of wine imbues the restaurant with oenophilic oomph. The vinicultural theme is embraced in the decor: enormous, glass wine jugs create a stunning candelabra centerpiece and wine bottles line the walls. With tufted leather benches, a communal wooden table and a flattering, candlelit glow, the ristorante is equally suited for romantic dates or family dinners. In warm weather, sidewalk tables offer prime viewing of the passeggiata - the urban stroll.


My amica, Inga, and I opt for a seat at the travertine bar. Our charming bartender, Ben, educationally escorts us through the wine list. We sip the Maltese Bianco Tenuta Rapitala 09, a crisp, dry, lemony blend of catoratto and grillo, Sicily’s indigenous white grape. Contrasting, the Felice house white, from the Giustiniani family winery, is a marvelous, medium-bodied misto of buttery chardonnay and grassy vermentino. When ordering, be sure to leave room for the addictive bread basket. Freshly-baked bread arrives with a bright chartreuse olive oil that is earthy and astringent . Unlike the drier focaccia I'm accustomed to, this version is drenched in olive oil. According to Inga, an Italian cognoscente thanks to many years spent studying in Italy, this is the traditional way focaccia is served.



Polipo Grigliato I’ve never used “octopus” and “juicy” in the same sentence before, but this dish heightens this cephalapod to a new level. Grilled, citronette marinated octopus is bursts with plump, moist flavor. Served on a green cauliflower puree with roast potatoes, red onion, black olives, and fresh greens, this hearty appetizer could easily be an entrée. For those who are wary of octopus, I urge you to try this gateway dish - it just might tip the scale in it's favor.



Pappardelle alla Bolognese I often use this dish as the barometer of authenticity in an Italian restaurant. Here, thick ribbons of homemade pasta glisten with a tasty veal ragú. Since the sauce is traditionally made - more runny than hearty - the toothsome pasta stands out. Usually, I prefer a meatier ragú, but the simplicity of the sauce allows for a less heavy dish.




For our greens fix, the contorni menu offers seasonal veggies that are simply roasted or sauteed with garlic. Here, the verdant broccoli is dressed with garlic and olive oil - simplicity is bliss.





As the name says, Felice IS a wine bar, offering more than 100 bottles of wine of which 18 are available by the glass. Scanning the room, I see a couple nibbling crostini while sipping wine at the bar, a woman dining alone, and a garrulous group at the center table. Like other local faves, Felice happily hosts a variety of diners. It is a welcome, and much-needed, fixture on the UES - whether or not you live around the corner.

Be Italian

Osteria Mozza Hollywood 4 Jan 10
www.mozza-la.com
eat: Grilled Octopus, Crostini di Anatra, Agnolotti Burro e Salvia, Bombolini
sip: Soave Classico Suavia 07

"Be Italian. Live today as if it may become your last". These words were passionately belted out by Fergie in the "Nine", the starlet-packed movie-musical based on Fellini and his assortment of often scantily-clad babes. The film is an orgy of Italian iconography - sporty Alfa-Romeo convertibles, sensual women, high fashion, breathtaking villages perched on cliffs, and the architectural wonders of Roma - that transports the viewer to 1960‘s Italy. Dining at Osteria Mozza, a Los Angeles gem co-owned by powerhouses Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, and Joseph Bastianich, has a similar effect; the magnificent food, attentive service, and bustling atmosphere combine to create a dreamland of Italian delicacies. Everything is bellisima - the soft lighting, the fresh ingredients, the tantalizing smells of braised meat and pungent garlic, even our fellow diners are beautiful.

In my opinion, a seat at the bar is the best view in the house. The traditional, zinc bar has been perfectly art directed with an array of rustic treats - a bundle of lavender sprigs, platters of roast tomatoes and leeks, white pumpkins, and an adorable menagerie of brass ducks. Behind the bar, aproned staff prepare plates of anitpasti; watching them slice a plump prosciutto is food porn, Italian style. After seeking ordering advice from our friendly & knowledgeable waitress, Julie, we are presented with a gift of ricotta, tapenade, and basil crostini. Since Mozza offers a tantalizing array of cheeses at their Mozzarella Bar, I wasn't surprised that the ricotta was creamy, fresh exquisiteness. Next, there was charred, dare I say "meaty", Grilled Octopus complemented by a lemony celery & potato salad. Usually, celery is an undistinguished ingredient in soups or stuffing, but here the crisp, crunchy veggie is raised to a culinary level and I'm longing to recreate this refreshing salad on a sultry, summer day. In keeping with my "greens at every meal" mantra, Market Lettuces with Crostini Di Anatra followed. The crostini were slathered with a fatty, flavorful duck rillettes (Italian vocab lesson: Anatra = duck) and the greens were perked up with a shallot dressing. Moving on to the carb-ilicious part of the meal, we have Agnolotti bathed in Burro e Salvia (sage butter); these little, pillowy pasta pockets miraculously stuffed with 5 kinds of meat, including veal cheeks, pork, and mortadella, are a new contender for the title "Heart Attack on A Plate", the affectionate nickname for Pasta Alla Carbonara. Honestly, this was hands-down one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted, a "last meal before you die", orgasmic dish. Perhaps the Tagliatelle with Oxtail Ragu was overshadowed by the awesome agnolotti, but I found the ragu to be overwhelmingly salty and mediocre, though the thick ribbons of homemade tagliatelle were divine. In spite of our bursting bellies, we couldn't resist the Bombolini, fresh doughnuts piled atop huckleberry compote, served with vanilla gelato nestled in lemon curd. The marriage of fried, tangy, sweet and creamy was a flawless finish to our magnifico meal. Throughout the meal, I savored glasses of Suavia Soave Classico 07, a medium-bodied, lemony, mineral-y white wine that complemented the hearty meal beautifully.

When I moved to L.A., I complained about the lack of Italian restaurants, which I blamed on both the absence of a large, Italian community and the carb-heavy cuisine's lack of appeal to fitness-obsessed Angelenos. Thankfully, Osteria Mozza, and the equally yummy sister restaurants, Pizzeria Mozza and Mozza-to-Go (their takeout joint) are here to satisfy my Italian cravings. Mozza isn't cheap, especially if you are an eater like myself, but it's worth the splurge. Deal Alert: A special menu is offered Sun.- Thurs nights at the Mozzarella Bar that includes a cheese, a pasta, a dessert, and a hefty glass of vino for only $35.