The List: #4 and #3

#4 Malatesta Trattoria



This charming restaurant came as another recommendation from Ayumi. The night before our first reunion, she asked me what kind of food I wanted to eat. One thing I've always wanted to have was really good, fresh pasta. And since we were in New York, I knew there must be some good stuff around. Being the thoughtful and sweet person that she is, Ayumi looked it up, and made reservations for Malatesta Trattoria. We started with a caprese salad (I have to do a shout out to C -- when I saw this on the menu, I thought of you and had to order it!). The classic combination of tomato, mozzarella, and basil was a nice start . . .



But then we were served the fresh pasta, and that's when the magic started. Ayumi and I ordered the spinach ravioli stuffed with artichoke while Steph got one with a "pink" sauce (I can't remember what was inside, probably cheese).





It was all so good. Steph's face sums it up the best:




#3 5 Napkin Burger

On my second night in town, Steph and I made plans to tag along to dinner with my college friend Justin, his fiancee, and his sister. Justin's one of my most food-loving friends, and he came into my life senior year of college. That was the year my culinary world exploded, since I lived with two world travelers who loved to bake and cook amazing food. Justin also helped a lot with introducing me to different ingredients and dishes. I was shocked when he told me that he could watch the Food Network all day . . . but now I'm guilty of doing that every Saturday! He was also the coolest sophomore at Brown because he hung out with three senior girls and went on road trips with them! Here we are back in the day boogeying at the MIT luau . . .



And now those three girls' brother is engaged and all grown up. I'm super happy for him! Ok, back to the food. I knew it would be good because it was Justin-recommended, but Steph, who isn't a very enthusiastic meat eater, wasn't so thrilled when she heard they'd chosen a burger place. We decided to share the "Original 5 Napkin Burger" . . . a juicy concoction of burger patty, carmelized onions, gruyere cheese, rosemary aioli, and fries on the side. And a really really soft, delicious bun.



So amazing was this burger that Steph said it was the best one she ever had . . . and that it was #1 on her list! Coming from an almost-vegetarian, that should give one a hint that this burger is pretty extraordinary. Directly after that mind-blowing experience, I took a pretty nasty fall and earned this pretty little shiner.



That was my second fall in two days! Damn those hot $10 Savers boots with worn-out grips! But all was ok since the klutz in me remembers to pack band-aids everywhere I go. Steph and I had a pleasant subway ride home . . . still talking about that burger.