Thread View: la.eats
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Started by Meg Worley
Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:48
Mmmmadeo
Author: Meg Worley
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:48
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:48
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Last night's gnocchi quest turned out much better than the previous episode of our exciting new reality show. I'm not yet completely convinced (as everyone else around here is) of the utter perfection of Jonathan Gold, but he certainly was right about Madeo, near Cedars-Sinai. According to Gold, Madeo serves up some of the best gnocchi in LA; according to the Resident Lurker, they serve up some of the best gnocchi he's ever eaten. That said, the sauce wasn't perfetto. It was a simple gorgonzola sauce -- a little too simple, I think it's safe to say, if Himself took the garçon up not only on parmesan but also on the fresh-ground pepper (something I'm not sure I've ever seen him do). But most everything else there was excellent. My insalata tricolore was an Italian flag on a plate -- radicchio, endive roots, and arugula -- and a flag I would be quite willing to salute, patriotism be damned. And I finally got an opportunity to try bottarga, in a fabulous spaghetti alla bottarga. Even if I had a source of bottarga here, I couldn't have made it that good, after my dozens of years of skillful spaghetti-wrangling. The place is fairly expensive -- $9 salads, $22 pastas, $35 mains -- but my usual curmudgeonliness was ratcheted back a few notches by the quality of the preparation. Most places that charge that much don't do it that well. Aside from the bland gnocchi sauce, there were only two flies in the ointment: The hostess had a very odd concept of 10 minutes, and the bartenders (whom we had ample opportunity to observe in action -- much of which action consisted of pulling their forelocks as the GM hustled up and harangued them in Italian about filling glasses too full) were barely competent. My dirty gin martini was so filthy that I could barely taste the gin for all the brine -- and you know if they mix a drink better in Sprinklerville, that mixologist needs re-education and self-criticism. Rage away, meg -- Meg Worley _._ meg@steam.stanford.edu _._ Comparatively Literate
Re: Mmmmadeo
Author: JXStern
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 03:48
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 03:48
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On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:48:45 +0000 (UTC), meg@steam.Stanford.EDU (Meg Worley) wrote: >And I finally got an opportunity to try bottarga, in a fabulous >spaghetti alla bottarga. ? Google, ... http://bottarga.net/ OK. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/05/10/med.feast/bottarga.html From "A Mediterranean Feast" by Clifford A. Wright William Morrow & Company Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti Salt 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove garlic, crushed 2 to 3 ounces bottarga, finely grated 3 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) Just like that? Nice review, Meg, thanks. After many years of drought, I begin to suspect that LA is no longer an island without good pasta. J.
Re: Mmmmadeo
Author: Meg Worley
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:13
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:13
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Re the spaghetti alla bottarga I had at Madeo, JXS notes: >From "A Mediterranean Feast" >by Clifford A. Wright >William Morrow & Company > >Ingredients: >1 pound spaghetti >Salt >1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil >1 large clove garlic, crushed >2 to 3 ounces bottarga, finely grated >3 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) > >Just like that? This was more subtle than that. For one thing, it had breadcrumbs -- from a rosemary bread, I'm guessing. Also, the sauce (really just the pasta-coating; there was no sauce on the plate) was more complex than good old evoo+garlic, although I couldn't identify all the flavors. >After many years of drought, I begin to suspect that LA is no longer >an island without good pasta. Well, although Bottega de Marino on Larchmont is pretty mediocre in the sauce department, their homemade fettucini is wonderful. Hmmm, I wonder if they sell it take-out.... Rage away, meg -- Meg Worley _._ meg@steam.stanford.edu _._ Comparatively Literate
Re: Mmmmadeo
Author: rickym
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 18:48
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 18:48
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JXStern wrote: > On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:48:45 +0000 (UTC), meg@steam.Stanford.EDU (Meg > Worley) wrote: > >And I finally got an opportunity to try bottarga, in a fabulous > >spaghetti alla bottarga. > > ? > > Google, ... > > http://bottarga.net/ > > OK. > > http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/05/10/med.feast/bottarga.html > > From "A Mediterranean Feast" > by Clifford A. Wright > William Morrow & Company > > Ingredients: > 1 pound spaghetti > Salt > 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil > 1 large clove garlic, crushed > 2 to 3 ounces bottarga, finely grated > 3 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) > > Just like that? > > Nice review, Meg, thanks. > > After many years of drought, I begin to suspect that LA is no longer > an island without good pasta. > > J. Via Veneto, on Main St. in Venice, makes awesome bottarga. It's usually listed as an appetizer, but one can order it as a main course. --r
Re: Mmmmadeo
Author: Meg Worley
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 19:07
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 19:07
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ricky writes: >Via Veneto, on Main St. in Venice, makes awesome bottarga. >It's usually listed as an appetizer, but one can order it as a >main course. How do they serve it? With spaghetti, or with beans (which always struck me as a weird pairing -- where else do you get beans and roe?), or in a zuppa? It's not my numero-uno most favoritest food in the whole wide world (or even my favorite type of roe, come to think of it), but it's pretty darn good. Does anyone know of a good retail source? I wouldn't mind trying to make spag-bott at home, and I know that Claro's, the Italian market nearest my house, doesn't carry it. Rage away, meg -- Meg Worley _._ meg@steam.stanford.edu _._ Comparatively Literate
Re: Mmmmadeo
Author: rickym
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 22:27
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 22:27
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Meg Worley wrote: > ricky writes: > >Via Veneto, on Main St. in Venice, makes awesome bottarga. > >It's usually listed as an appetizer, but one can order it as a > >main course. > > How do they serve it? With spaghetti, or with beans (which always > struck me as a weird pairing -- where else do you get beans and roe?), > or in a zuppa? > > It's not my numero-uno most favoritest food in the whole wide world (or > even my favorite type of roe, come to think of it), but it's pretty > darn good. > > Does anyone know of a good retail source? I wouldn't mind trying to > make spag-bott at home, and I know that Claro's, the Italian market > nearest my house, doesn't carry it. > > > > Rage away, > > meg > > > > -- > > Meg Worley _._ meg@steam.stanford.edu _._ Comparatively Literate They serve it with spaghetti; they'll add shrimp of you choose, but I never do. I also would be interested in a good retail source from which one could purchase less than $85 worth. ;) --r
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