Quickfire Review: Pulino's

Quickfire Review: Pulino's 

Quickfire weekend review

Hey everyone. This weekend I ate at Pulino's, a newish Nolita pizza staple right in my old neighborhood. Pulino's opened right as I was leaving my first NYC apartment, so I never got a chance to eat there. I have to admit, I was drawn when I learned that Food Network's Nate Appleman cheffed there, but he's long gone. I don't know how much of Nate is still in the food, but whoever has a hand in the menu, it's good. Opened by Keith McNally, owner and restaurateur of such restaurants as Balthazar and Pravda in the same neighborhood, Pulino's offers very respectable thin crust pizza with fresh, tasty toppings and fells a lot like his other restaurants. 

We had the burrata pizza which had a simple and fantastic crust with a marinara sauce that stole the show. We also had the braised duck 'gnocchi' which fit the weather with a rich and powerful wine sauce over a polenta cake... not quite gnocchi. We got a hot fudge Sunday dessert only because it came with Amarena cherries, which are heaven sent. The vanilla gelato, whether it was homemade or not, was great as well. Overall, the place was just right; we will be going back.

On a side note, go see All is Lost with Robert Redford... an absolutely great movie that might go unnoticed. 

- Adam from Tipped Mixology

Fall is Here -- Spiced Apple Cider

Fall is Here -- Spiced Apple Cider

This is my 'Oh shit, how long has it been since I've posted?' post

Yeah, I know. It's been a while... we've been very busy over here! We're going to have some exciting news in the next couple of weeks, but until then I'll get back to some quick posts. As we all felt this morning in the Northeast, fall is finally here. This is easily my favorite time of year--pumpkin everything, squash is in season, the leaves are changing, giving us their amazing smell and crunch, and spiced apple cider. I remember calling it spiced apple spiders when I was a kid and had a speech impediment... but let's move on to a super easy recipe! 

If you can find it you can get a bag of mulling spice, but don't go out of your way looking for it. Definitely don't as someone that works at the supermarket where the mulling spice is because they will look at you like you have multiple heads... it seems no one knows what this stuff is actually called. Mulling spice consists of cinnamon, dried orange peel, clove, allspice, and star anise, and the ratio usually changes from company-to-company. Don't make the same mistake I did this past weekend and use a bag of mulling spice with the wrong ratio-- our spiced cider was too licoricey. Yes, skip the pre-made stuff, grab some cheese cloth, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, an orange, and a two liter bottle of fresh apple cider, hopefully fresh-pressed without preservatives. 

Mulling spice. Photo Via http://www.chadotea.com

Recipe:

• 2 liters of apple cider, fresh-pressed
• 3 cinnamon sticks, medium size
• 5 cloves, whole
• 5 allspice berries, whole
• 2 large orange peel segments
• Cheese cloth

You'll want to take all your dry spices and the orange peel and tie them in the cheese cloth like a homemade tea bag. Just take a peeler and peel the orange from top to bottom without any of the white rind--this is the easiest way to get the peel. Put your apple cider in a large pot, add the cheese cloth sachet, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about five minutes, and serve. The longer you let the cider simmer, the more spice will get added, but it will never be overwhelmingly spicy and this ratio is perfect--notice I don't add any star anise, I'm not a huge fan. Keep the pot simmering for hours and your apartment/home will smell like all the best parts of fall.

Bonus time! Enjoy your newly made spiced apple cider in a mug with a shot or two of bourbon--it's the best alcohol to add. Drink it up hot for an amazing break from raking leaves. If you let the cider cool, don't throw it out; put it over ice with bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters for a wonderful fall Manhattan on the rocks. Not sure what bourbon to use? Get Bulleit (pronounced bullet)... it's easily the best for these cocktails. Enjoy!

- Adam from Tipped Mixology

Restaurant Review: Primo

Restaurant Review: Primo

Coming Soon: Michelin Guide, Maine

I sat on this review for a couple of days to collect my thoughts after eating one of the best meals of my life. I keep flipping through the incognito pictures I snapped throughout the dinner, except the one where my flash went off as I panicked and pocketed my phone while glancing around the dining room to see how many diners I pissed off with my embarrassing mistake—I don’t think anyone cared. I’m not faced with the same dilemma I was faced with after eating my birthday dinner at Le Bernadin: how do I write a review of something that is as close to perfect as I have experienced thus far in my life? I scrapped my review of Le Bernadin because I didn’t think I could do it justice… I kept getting stuck on the first paragraph where I tried to justify why some restaurants should get a fourth Michelin star. I think I have more to say about Primo. Primo isn’t quite the dining juggernaut that Le Bernadin is; it’s unassuming, casual, hidden, and every bit as good as Le Bernadin, but for completely different reasons. More so, I feel like everything has been said about Le Bernadin; We all know they’re leaders in the world of sustainability, boast a menu of the best fish dishes you’ll experience in your life, and we all know the accolades of Eric Ripert, and even his fish prep chef à la an episode of No Reservations. Everyone knows Le Bernadin is amazing, and I insist you eat there if you appreciate food and haven’t yet, but not everyone knows about Primo. I may still be able to introduce a few to some amazing things happening in a cozy converted Victorian getaway.

For those of you who saw my recent Instagram, I was in Maine with my girlfriend this past weekend celebrating our one year anniversary. Primo is located in Rockland, Maine, about an hour and a half drive along the coast from Portland. It’s a hike; my first trip to Maine was totally formulated around a meal at Primo. Saying it’s worth it is a complete understatement. Primo deserves all the accolades they’ve received and more. Melissa Kelly is a genius, admirable for her approach to farm-to-table cooking, and I don’t hesitate to say that Primo is the best restaurant in Maine—possibly the best restaurant in the Northeastern United States excluding New York City. I don’t think I’m just taking a leap for the purpose of this review, I really mean it. Let me get into things and see if I can do that statement justice: