Piattini Ristorante

Saturday lunch at Piattini Ristorante in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Dining companions: Robyn, Diana, Alice & Michael, and two of Diana's friends.

First read: a bit about the restaurant history in a recent review by the Village Voice

Olive Oil

We started with a meal of appetizers selected by the chef, "leave it up to us!" he declared. We obliged, happily of course. And so, he send out a parade of goodies. So many that we declared fullness prior to the delivery of pastas/entrees.

Bread

They came out one after another, sometimes two servings of the same dish, and sometimes only one. Photos follow below:

Manila Vongole - Steamed Clams

Camalari alla Griglia - Grilled Calamari and Chopped Tomatoes

Prosciutto and Figs

Mortadella and Porchetta

Pollo in Cassa - Chicken Breast Salami; Carciofi a Romana - Fried Fresh Artichoke Hearts; Salame di Tonno - Poached Seasoned Ground Tuna

Polpette Baccala - Baccala and Potato Patties


The various pasta dishes and entrees we each ordered came out soon after...


Bucatini con Sarde - Bucatini, Fresh Sardine Sauce, Grapes

Tagliatelli Bruciati - Black Pasta, Spicy Sauce

Bucatini a Matriciana - Tomato Sauce, Onions, Guanciale

Linguine with Clams

Skirt steak, Cimi Ciuri Sauce

Post-savoury, we were up for the big finale, GELATO!!!!!!! This history of Gino Cammarata's gelato travels from the East Village in the early 1980s, to a tanning salad in Brooklyn, and now his own restaurant, where the savoury dishes might be just swell, but the gelato is the draw.

Gelato to go is $3 cup, or $7 a pint, but if you eat it in the restaurant, it's $7 for two medium sized scoops. But note, pistachio will always cost more.

This is The Gelato Machine, the Lab 500. Gorgeous, huh?
That's pistachio on the bottom right. The flavour made famous here, here and here.

Other flavours, including licorice in the back, hazelnut on the left, and cassata to its' right.

Gino also bakes his own brioche in-house...

Gelato Sandwich in the Making

...with which he'd gladly assemble you an ice cream sandwich. Or you can assemble your own heheh.
Pistachio gelato on top, espresso on the bottom. I don't know what I was expected, but it was a lot. A lot of...awesomeness? magic? swooning? All of the above? I think so. But you know what, it was good, great, but not awesome. Not magic. Not swooning. Robyn and I both agreed that we still like L'arte del Gelato's pistachio better. Gino's pistachio is so incredibly pistachio-y, very fatty, and, for lack of better words, thick and solid. Very un-gelato-esque. More akin to pistachio ice cream than to gelato. Don't get me wrong, the pistachio taste was so bold and very there...it almost felt like eating frozen pistachio paste. Loved the espresso though, as well as the hazelnut. Not sure where I stand on the biting licorice front...enjoyed a taste, though doubtful I would commit to a full cup.

Total for lunch averaged $35 a head. Not shoddy at all for such a grand midday meal. The owner even threw in a free bottle of wine, completely unexpected and very sweet ^_^

Happy Friday!

Piattini Ristorante
9824 4th Aven
Brooklyn, NY 11209
(718) 759-0009