Convivio 45 Tudor City Pl., New York, NY 10017

I have actually been to Convivio 2 times with mixed results. My first visit was very tasty, my dining partner and I both liked our dishes very much. The second time around was good but for some reason not as good as the first time. I felt like some of our dishes werent executed properly

Sfizi:
Olive marinated castelvetrano olives (avg)
Arancini saffron risotto croquettes (below avg, bland)   

Antipasti:
Lingua slow poached veal tongue, salsa verde, capers (good, could have been seasoned with more salt)
Sgombro sliced yellowtail, olivada, pistachio, scallions (good)
Quaglia grilled quail, pancetta, radicchio, figs, mushrooms (Very good the first time, slightly over cooked the 2nd)
Fegatini rustic chicken liver crostini, marsala onions (good, was a little too runny the 2nd time)

Primi:
Malloreddus sardinian saffron gnocchetti, crab, sea urchin (very good, a must order everytime)
Fusilli neopolitan pork shoulder ragu, caciocavallo fonduta (very good, tasty)

Secondi:
Anatra crispy long island duck breast, swiss chard alla romana spaghetti squash, vino santo (good, duck was cooked well)
Branzino pan roasted wild striped bass, parsnips, baby fennel confit, porcini mushrooms, black truffle vinaigrette (very good, fish cooked perfectly, vinaigrette was favorful)

Dessert:
Panna Cotta vanilla panna cotta, fresh local strawberries, lemon sorbet (good, became watery when the sorbet melted)
Budino warm dark chocolate, hazelnut gelato, candied hazelnuts (good, like a warm chocolate molten cake)

Wine:  
Capichera Capichera 2006 Vermentino, Sardegna, Italia 
Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino Radici  2006 
Luigi Maffini Aglianico Klèos 2007


Food: 7
Decor: 6
Service: 6

Convivio 

Saul Restaurant 140 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11201

I was looking through the Michelin guide and was surprised that there were 3 Michelin one star restaurants in Brooklyn, Two which I have been to. Dressler which I went for brunch and Peter Lugars, The 3rd restaurant was Saul. Upon further research I found out Saul Bolton had previously worked at Bouley and Le Bernardin before he decided it was time to open his own place. My experience there was good and most of the dishes were either good to very good, he did not disappoint.

Appetizers:
Crispy Terrine Of Pork celery root puree, crispy pig's ears, sherry vinaigrette (good, not a tradtional terrine though), House-Made Squid Ink Tagliatelle calamari, dried tomatoes, artichoke, poached egg (avg, pasta was a lil too al dente for me), Caramelized Berkshire Pork Belly, Charred Octopus Salad grilled scallion, roasted butternut squash, toasted almonds, chili-citrus vinaigrette (very good, the vinaigrette was delicious)

Entrees: 
Roasted Line-Caught Cod brandade, roasted pepper salad, soft boiled egg, garlic vinaigrette (very good, the brandade was very tasty), Roasted Breast & Confit Leg Of Squab faro verde, medjool dates, pomegranate, toasted sesame seeds (very good, the squab was cooked perfectly)

Dessert: Warm Apple Brown Betty prune & armagnac ice cream (avg, should have went with their signature dessert the Baked Alaska coffee & vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate cookie)

Wine: Sancerre, Les Belles Vignes 2007 (Very good)

Food: 7.5

Decor: 5

Service: 5.5

Saul Restaurant

 

  

Scarpetta 355 W 14th St, New York 10014

I have heard a lot of Scott Conant and how he took a break after leaving L'Impero(Convivio) and Alto which are both good. I tried to get a reservation for a decent dining time for the last month and I finally got one for today so I was excited to go given the buzz for this restaurant.

In short the food was from very good to good but not exceptional, but reasonably priced for a NYTimes 3 star restaurant

Bread: OMG SOOOO good! they had a bread that was stuffed with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto. Came with butter, EVOO, and Caponata

Appetizers:
Chu-Toro  ricci di mare vinaigrette & cucumber salad (very good)
Polenta with mushrooms fricassee of truffled mushrooms (avg), Seared Scallop (avg)

Pasta:
Black Maccheroni sea urchin & minted bread crumbs (very good but a lil salty)

Piatti:  
Black Cod  caramelized fennel & concentrated tomatoes (above avg)

Dessert:
Coconut Panna Cotta  guava soup & caramelized pineapple (good)


Wine: Pinot Nero 2007 (very good), Valpolicella Ripasso 2005 (avg), Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2007 (very good)

I really wanted to try the Duck and Foie Gras ravioli but they were out of it :(

food: 7.5
decor: 7.5
Service: 6

I may return to try some more pasta dishes and duck and foie ravioli. The other entrees I wanted to try was the: Ash-Spiced Venison Loin polenta-bacon dumpling, baby cabbage, & dried cherry reduction, and the Sicilian-Spiced Duck Breast preserved orange, root vegetables & caramelized endive

http://www.scarpettanyc.com/