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| - An excellent choice for a dinner date, my friend and I booked in a spot here on Friday night. Braving the impending rain, we were tucked into a small table near the window and sat down to enjoy what would be a lovely evening. Ascari Enoteca is a cute little place, soft, and warm, with a minimal decor and amazing food. Pasta is made in house daily, and the menu rotates to keep it fresh. And real.
Having visited only once previous to this, I was very much looking forward to sampling the menu wares. My prior visit was a stop in for a drink. We ordered up a round of Amaretto Sours, and watched with amazement as the bartender poured all kinds of potions into the shaker and produced the best Amaretto Sour I've had to date. My sister nearly toppled off her chair with amazement. Now, the food that the friend and I had this past visit was the equivalent of the seat topple. Yes, that good.
I ordered the linguine with sausage and clams, dusted in an anchovy bread crumb. She enjoyed a dish with a truffle puree and hen of the woods mushrooms. Each dish arrived, well presented, easy on the eyes, nose, and of course, the palatte. The truffles in the one dish paired up nicely with the earthy meatiness of the mushrooms and left me wishing I had room for more. My own dish was just delightful as well. The sweet of the sausage against the brine of the clam was a welcome contrast, with the breadcrumbs offering a nice texture to hold up to the softness of the two.
Having said all of this, for some reason, I feel that this place has the potential to be something greater, based on the menu alone. I can't say exactly what it was that I felt lacking, small details, perhaps, but I hope in the future, my next visit will be of the five star variety.
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