GOTTINO IN THE WEST VILLAGE

I love entering into a warm restaurant on a cold dreary morning to be welcomed by a plate piled high with flaky and buttery pastries, it's enough to restore the life sucked away by the chilly winds outside.  This past weekend, the very gracious food blogger, Jessica, hosted FoodMayhem's first meet-up at Gottino, a cozy Italian wine bar and popular brunch spot in the West Village.

Judging from Jessica's review, I had plenty of good food to look forward to at Gottino. Without any haste, we dug into the Surfer Waffle, a thick belgian waffle lightly drizzled with maple syrup, and topped with eggs, prosciutto and cheese.  This dish was a big hit at our table. Shortly afterward I found out that these waffles are an off-the-menu item, so if you're interested, be sure to ask for it when you visit.

Since we heard scrambled eggs ($9) were the specialty at Gottino, several versions of the dish were ordered at the table, one with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese, and another with lox, cheese and capers, both served with thin slices of toasted artisan bread. No big deal, right?

 

And with the first bite, I instantly understood what all the fuss was about, these were perhaps the tastiest, fluffiest, mousse-like eggs that have ever hit my tongue. I paid closer attention to the technique behind the making of scrambled eggs at Gottino. It turns out the restaurant utilizes dry steam from the espresso machine to cook these eggs! How ingenious!
Jessica who has dined here several times ordered a rustic dish composed of long thin slices of apples topped with walnuts ($8). It was quite tasty with a medley of wonderfully chewy, crunchy and hearty textures. As with each of the aforementioned dishes, the creations were simple but it was the emphasis on high quality ingredients that made the experience so outstanding. Much can also be said about the staff, who were attentive and polite.

At the end of the meal, we received complimentary shot of Gottino's rich and creamy hot chocolate made from bits of dark ganache. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter ending!

21 comments:

KennyT said...

I'll definitely go for that waffle!

lululu said...

me too, love the feeling of running into a warm b-fast place in a cool morning! the satisfaction of filling my empty tummy with such high-cholesterol food was so fulfilling that i could possibly not eat for a whole day.
btw, thx for dropping by my blog re. ethan's bay. and u r really sweet. sometimes this is just the beauty of blogging that perfect strangers could bond so tight like that! :)

Dolce said...

I opened this page and went "that's my picture!" and then realized you took the same ones ;)
You have pictures I did not take well (the hot chocolate pics I had were just blah).
It was so nice, I hope there will be other meet ups!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Oh my, I'm swooning! It all looks so magnificent! And, happily, Gottino is just downtown ... so I will absolutely try it. Thanks so much for this wonderful recommendation!

I've had eggs steamed in the same way before, and, I agree, they are spectacular. There was a wonderful cafe in the New Haven mall years ago that used to steam the eggs like this and it was a favorite place of mine. Sadly, they closed and I've not had them since. Now I can rectify that! :)

Heather S-G said...

Wow...everything looks awesome...esp that surfer waffle!! Fun meet up :D

Reeni said...

Everything looks absolutely delicious! Especially that waffle! I'd love to recreate that.

Fresh Local and Best said...

Kenny - You definitely should try this when you visit.

Lululu - Of course!

Dolce - It was great to meet you at Gottino

Diva - I'm glad you're looking forward to Gottino, they have a great wine bar with cheeses and cured meats.

girlichef - thanks!

Cinnamon-Girl - I'd love to see you recreate the surfer waffle!

Kitchen Butterfly said...

Without a doubt, I'll br recreating that waffle. Yummy...the runny eggs, ham and some grated cheese..with a sprinkling of dried chillies, fantastic wake me up

Anonymous said...

Oooo That croissant looks delicious!! missing a good perfect croissant..

XoXo

amycaseycooks said...

The waffle, the waffle!! And the shot of hot chocolate too.

Velva said...

You know I am so there in November! I can hardly wait. I will definitely let you know how it goes. Great review!

Nancy said...

This food looks fabulous! I've got to try their scrambled eggs - interesting technique.

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

What a great spread for breakfast!! I'd definitely try the scrambled eggs-they look so darn good :)

Meals by Misty said...

I am so envious of you and your fun adventures! Alabama has some neat places, but its easy to run out of things to do and new restaurants. I love living through your stories! :)

Sook said...

All of them look amazing! I agree. There's nothing like walking into a warm, cozy restaurant or bakery when it's freezing outside!! Unfortunately, or fortunately :), I now live in CA so I don't get to experience that much anymore... I miss it.

chow and chatter said...

oh wow great brunch i am going there he he he

HoustonWok said...

The surfer waffle? I am sold, I am catching a flight to New York and joining you guys for breakfast. Wooh, breakfast the most important meal of the just got much more appealing.

Mardi Michels said...

That just looks amazing. Again, bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

After paris, I've become quite an expert on the croissant, and that, my dear, is an absolute beauty!

Fresh Local and Best said...

Heavenly Housewife - Welcome to this blog! Doesn't the croissant look enticing?!

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

Glad you liked it. I always feel all nervous when I recommend places. What if they don't like it?!?! But, of course, Chef Jody is a genius. I shouldn't have worried one bit.