Well, I picked the right guys to go to Chi Spacca with.
Nephew & co. were running late, so we went ahead and ordered the dishes that take an hour to prepare (bone marrow pie, tomahawk, steak) figuring the guys would add an appetizer and maybe a few side dishes and… well… they found that completely unacceptable. It was like eating with the knights of the round table.
We ate:
Caesar Salad
Focaccia di Recco w/stracchino, olive oil
Grilled Octopus w/puréed & fried ceci, lemon
Veal Tongue w/oregano vinaigrette
Lamb Sausage
Bone Marrow Pie w/beef cheeks, cippolini, funghi
Tomahawk Pork Chop w/fennel pollen
Bistecca Costata (ny steak) dry-aged bone-in 36oz
Roasted Cauliflower w/crushed-lemon bagna cauda
Carabineros Prawns
The caesar was super bold, tangy, salty, a little overdressed but delicious. The focaccia was like creamy, skillet fried cheese melted on a thin slip of flatbread. Nice smokey octopus, with the crispy ceci (garbanzos). Yes! I had a couple of pieces of melt in your mouth veal tongue in vinaigrette. The lamb sausage is a sleeper hit @Nemroz. Bone marrow pie is a must every time! The 36oz ny steak is a skip. The server convinced us that it was the same as the 50oz porterhouse. Either she’s wrong or they both should be skipped. We got nothing from it. But I need to start bagna cauda-ing things - roasted cauliflower drenched in the salty, lemony, buttery sauce is the bomb!
Have you ever had that experience where you’re chowing down on something with wild abandon then suddenly remember you’re with other people? Well, this…
@PorkyBelly! The inside of a shrimp head is the best thing ever!
Tomahawk
(internet photo) A server said “Don’t neglect the bones”. I got tired of trying to explain what she meant and just grabbed one and started knawing on it. Tender meat, caramelized fat, toasty fennel pollen, salt & spices from the rub. Don’t neglect the bones!
We drank:
2012 Bosco Agostino Dolcetto d’Alba
2013 Tenuta Prima Pietra, Tuscany
Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
The guys brought one bottle and we also bought two from the wine list, no corkage fee. They no longer have the SP68 @Nemroz My favorite was the tenuta prima pietra. I’m trying to get away from my preferred jammy, dark chocolatey, peppery (primativo, zinfandel) and this is a nice bridge. It has a delicious, dark fruit aroma and flavor, but subtle, less jammy more acidic. The tasting notes say it needs more time. I guess I agree with that. maybe too acidic.
Fabulous time!