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| - I've eaten at Carnevino a couple of times in the lounge area where I've ordered from the less expensive bar menu, and have been thoroughly impressed (they have a better fancy burger than Bradley Ogden, if you ask me) so my husband and I decided to eat in the dining room for our first anniversary on Sunday. The understated decor is reminiscent of a simple yet sophisticated Italian country villa, and the general aura is relaxed and welcoming.
Every person on the wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the managers were gracious and accommodating. Because it was our anniversary we each received a complimentary glass of Bastianich's own Brut upon arrival (normally $14 a pop), but more notably, because we are locals, we received 15 % off our entire bill. I believe Batali is the only chef thus far to offer such a discount on a regular basis, and he should be commended for it.
For an appetizer we ordered the pappardelle with 'porcini trifolati,' or cooked porcini mushrooms($22). Porcini mushrooms are my favorite mushroom. They are generally large and have a sponge-like underside rather than gills, giving them a kind of chewy yet slippery texture. When I saw porcini I got incredibly excited because the only place I have seen fresh porcini mushrooms in the states is at the Ferry Building farmer's market in San Francisco. While living in Italy they could be found everywhere in the Fall, even at road stands, and I frequently ordered this exact dish whenever I could. Needless to say I was truly disappointed when the dish came out full of shitakes and other varieties of mushrooms, with nothing like the porcinis I know and love. If the menu had just said 'pappardelle with mushrooms' I would have been completely satisfied, as the pasta was beautifully home-made and tossed in a light yet buttery sauce. Sadly, this misrepresentation showed up more than once on the menu. Our spinach side was supposed to have cherry peppers to give a kick, yet didn't, and our 'spring peas with pancetta' turned out to be snow peas.
The steak was the real showstopper of the meal. I try to be frugal when dining out, but as a self-proclaimed foodie I am also willing to pay big money for something novel and ridiculously good. That something today was the 240 day dry-aged steak that cost $100 an inch. Dry-aging of beef is basically the controlled rotting of the exterior of the meat in a cold environment that results in the formation of a skin, or pellicle, that is then removed prior to cooking. It is an expensive process and therefore results in better, but less frugal, cuts of meat. Most well-marbled high grade meat is dry-aged for some amount of time as it dramatically enhances and concentrates the flavor, but this time can range from a few weeks to about the 240 days given the riserva steak here (we were told the slaughter date for our beef was circa early August, 2009). A second manager prepared it for us tableside by skillfully slicing it on a wooden board and drizzling it with the chef's recommendation of a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. We ordered the horseradish black pepper zabaglione as an accompanying sauce, but despite its ethereal qualities, it was utterly unnecessary and almost felt like a sin to use on this particular piece of meat. The inherent flavors of the steak were not powerful enough to stand up to it, and only by eating the steak alone could you truly appreciate the process and time required to create such a masterpiece. The wait staff described the flavor as earthy, but for me it was as if the aroma you get when you first walk into a fabulous cheese store (such as Murray's in the West Village) found its way into the meat and then ultimately into your mouth in a subtle yet obvious way. Combine that with the intensely flavored juices of the best quality steak you can buy and the result is unlike anything you've had before. As I continued to analyze the complexity of flavors twinkling in my mouth I looked over at my husband and saw teardrops welling in his eyes. When he noticed I was looking at him he said, "I'll cry over meat, I don't give a f*#!." I was hoping he was tearing up over how happy he felt to be married to me, but no, it was the steak he was feeling such a fondness for. I really wasn't hurt at all because I felt the same, and in all fairness, you can't have a steak like that everyday for the rest of your life.
As far as Strip restaurants go, I would be more inclined to come back here rather than try some of the other celebrity chef restaurants I haven't yet been to. Usually you don't get what you pay for, but I felt the prices charged here were deserved. To boot, the service and ambiance were top notch without being stuffy. If you are looking for a special occasion place, Carnevino is now on my list of top ten Strip restaurants.
For my full review, go to my blog.
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