Hello little fatties! As always, it's been a while since my last post, but obviously I was out doing "research." The past month has been full of great food due to the fortunate timing of my birthday and the spellbinding weather which is always conducive to fatty habits. For this post, I'll write about my dinner at Tertulia with my favorites - Teresa, Rachael and Christine - because I can't stop thinking about one unforgettable dish! Not to mention, it was a meal with miss @chaodownnyc thanks to her CFO's influence in getting us a reservation. Note: get there by 7pm or else!
Okay, so the dish I still can't get over was the Tosta Mejillones...so basically grilled mussels, fennel jam and raisins on toast. Let us just forget that the thick toast was warm, fluffy and buttery for a second. The super plump and juicy mussels paired with grassy sweetness was almost too much for me to handle, so much so that I couldn't stop raving and probably caused a scene of foodie delight. This appetizer was one-of-a-kind for me and my belly.
It wasn't just the mussels that got to me, the Tosta Huevo Roto y Jamón Ibérico also found its way into my belly's happy place. I found the crushed egg, potato and ham combination unique and discreetly rich. And oh, the toast.......let's not even go there. This post would go on and on.
With @rachaelbova at the table, our meal would not have been complete without some sort of octopus. FYI, this girl loves octopus like it's her job, and she's really good at finding the best octopus dishes in the city. The kitchen sent out a hefty piece of grilled octopus sprinkled with peas, leafy greens and lemon zest. This is a great example of a simple preparation creating bold flavors. Mmm...
It's still unusual for me to see eggs on anything other than a breakfast/brunch menu, but this trend (or whatever you want to call it) is certainly becoming popular in New York as I've seen it at The Fat Radish and North End Grill recently. The chef calls this dish "Cojonudo….Revisited" which could only mean that he modernized it in some way. I Googled "cojonudo" and got this from Urban Dictionary (...oh boy, never a good sign). Fortunately, Google Images gave me this. So it looks like he poached the quail egg rather than fried it while adding some fancy spring onions. I also remember that the egg rested on a biscuit-like thing which automatically led my taste buds into a heavenly breakfast realm for a moment.
We heard from a few people that the tomato toast was worth ordering, so we told the server YES to the Pan Con Tomate! And again, the thick, fluffy toast found its way into my belly! I don't know how this happens...#fatty ;) This tosta was the simplest of them all but really brought our attention to the beautiful dimensions of a single ingredient - tomato. I wish this had come out before all the other appetizers, because its subtlety was somewhat overshadowed by the heavier tostas, so ask your server to bring it out first!
Sorry for the wonderful quality of this picture, but I wanted to give you at least a feel for the next dish which didn't photograph well in the dark (I wonder why). Since everyone and their mother now loves brussels sprouts, we did everyone a favor and ordered the crispy Coles de Bruselas. They were good and a little spicy, but nothing really to write home about here. Fortunately and unfortunately, the mind-blowing brussels sprouts at dell'anima will always have the #1 spot in my belly.
So...the paella we ate...wasn't this paella on the restaurant's homepage which was practically begging me to order it. Our paella was too salty and kind of boring. I can't quite describe why we didn't like it, but the saltiness was definitely a deterrent. I really wanted to have another paella spot I could go to in the city besides Socarrat, but I guess I'll have to keep looking!
Again, another wonderful picture courtesy of Fatty Kat. My phone is in need of some TLC...I'll tell you that much! So our dessert choice was largely up to me (as usual), and I have to say that I could have and should have done much better. The Torta de Manzana - warm apple cake - sounded great on paper and from our server, but it fell flat when it reached our mouths (not literally). The heavy cake with rum ice cream and caramel just wasn't very special not to mention a little too heavy and sticky. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. On my next visit, I want to try the caramelized Spanish toast with hazelnut ice cream! Mmm, sounds great.
Despite a few hiccups towards the end, I really enjoyed this meal at Tertulia. Our server was knowledgeable and a little too snooty for his own good, but I'll give him credit for doing his job well. The bustling environment paired with young and sexy professionals in this downtown location was very much "New York," ya know? Although it was a scene and would've been much crazier if we weren't lucky enough to get a reservation, this experience was one that warrants another visit in the near future. Nomz away, my fatties.