Day 51 Dinner at Tavolo in Ashmont, Dorchester

the menu (with an unfortunate shadow of my photo skills)

Spreads: Tuscan beans, whipped ricotta, roasted garlic, grilled bread | 12

Chitarra Carbonara: guanciale, pancetta, pink & black pepper, farm egg | 19 

Lasagna: ragu bolognese, gruyere, mozzarella |23 

Daily dessert special- lavender cheesecake with kumquat marmalade $ Priceless

Twas a brisk March night,  when i got the call….Do you want to go out to eat at Tavolo's ?

Tavolo i responded with a slight bit of confusion. For i must confess, i had never heard of this establishment. Well i have to tell you , i may not have been familiar with it 2 weeks ago, but baby i won't be forgetting it anytime soon.  

Located just a stones throw from Ashmont station in Dorchester, this Italian restaurant had some of the best pasta i had in a long time. We started with a cocktail, i can't recommend the mango punch enough. it was fruity, and flavorful, but had just the right kick to it; stung but not too strong. 

We then had the Spread appetizer(pictured above), a great combo of spreads for perfectly grilled bread. The roasted garlic was my favorite , but mixing that with the whipped ricotta…utterly delightful.

My dining compadres the Dr. and the Dean enjoyed the lasagna ( while i was graciously offered to try, i declined as i don't like to mix pasta sauces) but i have to say i was terribly envious of the Dr.'s piece of lasagna, as it was a corner piece with just a little crispy edges ….which is my favorite. They both devoured their meals, and declared that it was some of the best they had in a long time. The gruyere was an especially nice addition.

I had one of my go to pasta dishes, the carbonara. A dish i have cooked at home, with some success, but not even in the same ballpark as the entree at Tavolo's.  The pasta, cooked perfectly, the right amount of saltiness from the pancetta, the egg was blended in just right , with just the right amount of pepper in the seasoning. I know for sure i will attempt to replicate this dish at home, but even if i fail. I know its a short train ride to Ashmont for the real deal.

We had an outstanding waitress that evening, who was friendly, offered great suggestions and answered all of our questions. One of her recommendations was the dessert we split 3 ways. The lavender cheesecake with kumquat marmalade.  wow is all i can say, so smooth and creamy and the addition of the kumquat marmalade i regretted not getting my own instead of sharing. ;-)

Our waitress also taught me an interesting fact, that the kumquat is the only citrus fruit you can eat the skin along with the meat of the fruit.  I didn't know much about the kumquat other than its a fun word to say, but it makes a scrumptious marmalade.

I can't wait for my next visit to Tavolo's and i recommend you try it yourself.

Have a great night and an even better meal

Kevin B.

http://www.tavolopizza.com/menus/

Day 50 ( wow # 50 !) Dinner at Caffe Bravo in New Haven, CT

Toscana Pizza (fontina, gorgonzola, prosciutto di palma, fig preserves)

 Limoncello mascarpone cake

I have to confess i did you all a disservice, i can't believe i don't have more pictures to demonstrate how amazing the food was at Caffe Bravo. 

I was in New Haven, having a get away with my friend Paul and we were heading to a different bar we had gone too last year,  that bar was packed due to the NCAA tournament ( fyi i got 3 out of the final 4 on my bracket) but it was too busy to get a seat and hear ourselves.  So we kept on walking, it was a nice brisk New England evening, and Paul thought he recalled another bar just a short walk from there. 

Well on our walk we stumbled upon a cute lil restaurant, Caffe Bravo…well little did we know, we had just found one of the best gems in all of CT.  We sat at the bar, and had a couple of finely made cocktails by a very friendly bartender.  The bar is small but perfect for trying to have a conversation with someone and not trying to be heard over 11 TVs and people surrounding you yelling. 

We had 2 appetizers, the calamari and the artichokes. The calamari, big portions , lightly breaded and a nice marinara dipping sauce. The artichokes, were plump and came with a heavenly pesto aioli ( yes i know what i have said about pesto in the past, but when something is delis, i am going to admit it).

They also give an excellent bread basket , with bruscetta.

The pizza, was a recommendation of the owner, a wonderful man who was very friendly and accommodating.  The pizza pictured above, was easily one of the best i have ever had. The perfect combination of sweet, and salty and savory. A perfectly cooked pizza with forina, gorgonzola, prosciutto and fig preserve, topped with a balsamic drizzle.  I can't emphasize how much i loved this pizza, in a town filled with famous pizzerias , Caffe Bravo can be counted as one of my favorites.

Just when i thought i couldn't be happier with my meal( and fuller) the owner brought us out one of the most delicious desserts i have EVER had.  Holy moses smell the roses, limoncello mascarpone cake, a was just exquisite.  Light, incredibly flavorful, perfectly moist with just the right balance of cake and icing. The ultimate after dinner treat.

So if you find yourself in New Haven CT, a small walk from Yale, do yourself a favor and stop by Caffe Bravo for a meal that i promise you, you will not regret.

have a great night and an even better meal.

Kevin M. B.

http://www.caffebravo.com/#!menu/c1ta4