GASTRONORMOUS

Hey folks, sorry for a lack of posts lately, which is due to lack of time and maybe lack of inspiration, though not lack of fodder. It is also partly due to the fact that I received a spiffy new camera as a birthday gift form the Hub, but have not yet read the instructions, and my attempts at creating fab food photos on my last night out was instead a fantastic failure!

That night out, by the way, was a meal at L’Asso, a brick oven pizza place, which serves pizza according to the rules of the DOC. L’asso has been one of my favorite pizza places in the city over the years. But last Friday it all just seemed a little mediocre (though maybe my pizza-loving taste buds were spoiled by the truly exceptional pizza I had at the Atlantic Antic).

We ordered an old standby of an appetizer, the fresh mozzarella and pistachios. Sounds weird, but in the past it has been delicious. It looked the same, with an entire ball of mozzarella, sectioned like an orange and scattered with roasted pistachios and drizzled with reduced balsamic, but just was just not as tasty as it has been in the past. We couldn’t put our finger on what was wrong, but it just wasn’t as milky, salty, fresh, and savory as usual.

We ordered one of the tartufo pizzas, with mascarpone, portobello mushrooms, truffle oil, and gorgonzola, and the Pizza Roma, which is topped with walnut pesto, mozzarella, rosemary, and walnuts. The former was really good, with just the right amount of truffle oil, which can be overwhelming if used in abundance, a chewy crust, and the right proportion of toppings. The Roma, however, bombed. It didn’t have a lot of flavor, except for the burnt flavor of the walnuts. It was a musty-tasting waste of good pizza dough.

All in all, this visit was a great disappointment, especially as we have had so many excellent meals there in the past. I wouldn’t say I won’t go there again, but it will be a while.

photo via lassonyc.com

L’Asso
192 Mott Street (at Kenmare)
212-219-2353

The night before L’Asso, I celebrated my birthday with The Hubs and some friends at Clover Club on Smith Street. I had been to this place before, too, but unlike L’Asso, this did not disappoint. I encouraged my friends to eat beforehand because the drinks here are expensive, and I didn’t want the bill to be too big. Well, I guess everyone was running as late as I was, because we all showed up hungry for food, as well as expertly mixed libations.

We ordered too many drinks to name them all, but they were all delicious (and I guess they had better be at prices approaching $15 a pop). I especially recommend the Bermuda Swizzle, which has a spicy, very unusual flavor, provided by exotic ingredients such as Velvet Falernum, which I had never heard of before visiting Clover Club, had you? Many of the cocktails utilize unusual ingredients, or sometimes ordinary ingredients are mixed in unusual ways, as with the El Diablo, which is silver tequila (check!), mixed with lemon (okay.), ginger (ginger?), and cassis (say what!?). But they all work.

We sampled a number of their small-plates style dishes, from the oyster po-boy, to the deviled eggs, to the pigs in a blanket (that’s what I said!), all were delicious. The stand out for me, though, was the beet crostini. I have seen this dish on many a small-plates Italian menu, but this was by far the best I have ever had. It started with a base of good, crusty, toasted bread brushed with a bit of olive oil, then topped with a thin schmear of goat cheese, a pile of brunoise‘d (thanks, Top Chef!) beets, thyme, and a dash of honey. I think that it was the ingenious inclusion of honey that pushed this dish over the top. We actually asked for a second order after the polished off the first—ok, and I ate most of it, but still, the fact is a testament to the scrumptiousness of the plate.

The service at Clover Club is friendly and attentive, and not at all snobby as they seem to be at many old-timey, club-chaired, serious-cocktail-lover cocktail lounges. The atmosphere is quite cozy, despite the soaring ceilings, with wood paneling, plush furniture, and even a little fireplace in the back. By the way, if you are over the age of 30, and/or not on the make, try to get a table in the back room, which is much quieter and more civilized. I whole-heartedly recommend Clover Club, especially for a special occassion, or when you are feeling swanky. It ain’t cheap, but it is a delightful experience all-around.

photo via metromix new york

Clover Club
210 Smith St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-855-7939