Round two of "Zoe" restaurants meant that we spent my birthday at I Fratellini, which was even more desired due to Elli Snyder's weekly reviews that have been taunting Patience for years.
Even though it was an extra cold winter night, the restaurant was quite warm due to the kitchen. I'm guessing that is the reason why the gentlemen requested to move to the newly opened table that had been waiting for our reservation.
Since they might have been regulars, I politely let them know that they were welcome to have a dessert delivered to our table in exchange for our extra wait time and giving up the more comfortable seating. They just laughed and I shook their hands as if we were old friends.
The tactic worked and we received a lovely bottle of Prosecco to start our evening!
For the first course, I had to pick the cheesiest dish, which turned out to be the Speck with Artichoke Hearts and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. (You know I picked out all the good bits.)
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Speck with Artichoke Hearts and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano |
Patience and Linda enjoyed a Roasted Beet Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts, while my Dad played it safe with potato soup.
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Roasted Beet Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts |
To help Patience make the most out of her first time, I agreed to the Spaghetti with Lobster Tail, Butter, Garlic and Shallots, while she chose the Squid Ink Linguine with Mussels and Chorizo.
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Spaghetti with Lobster Tail, Butter, Garlic and Shallots |
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Squid Ink Linguine with Mussels and Chorizo |
Linda kept it mild with the Pappardelle with Wild Mushrooms and Shallots in Brown Butter and Sage, while my Dad ordered his usual meat and potatoes.
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Pappardelle with Wild Mushrooms and Shallots in Brown Butter |
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Grilled Beef Filet with Fresh Wild Mushrooms and Escalloped Potatoes |
Since Linda and I were both celebrating our twin birthdays, we had to have dessert! There was plenty of gelato, but since there was no chocolate option, I ordered the Chocolate Mousse Torta instead. I'm sure you're very surprised.
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Vanilla Bean Gelato |
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Chocolate Mousse Torta |
Definitely a good birthday!
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Happy birthday, Linda! |
Resources:
I Fratellini =
https://www.ifratellini.com
Photos by Patience Scanlon