Aurora Restaurant, Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, NY

I just can't stop talking about this restaurant. It was a friend's birthday, a big one, and I wanted to take her out for a great meal. I did my research, came up with 4 places to go to and one by one I made reservations. After having 4 different reservations for the same night, same time, I had to eliminate. I did further reading and investigating and finally came to my choice, Aurora.. Woo Hoo, I hit the jackpot.
     
As you enter the restaurant you almost feel like you could be in a Tuscany spot in Italy. There's an outside area as well, really nice atmosphere, albeit you're in a Brooklyn yard. SMILE.
We ordered a bottle of Chianti, $48. Excellent choice. Smooth, soft, nice flavor. The first bottle we ordered was a Nero D'Avola which was very acidy so we sent it back. Not a problem.
We had a very nice waitress who gave us the specials and we were oohing and aahing at them all.

Crostini

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

We decided to split 3 appetizers amongst 4 people. Next time we do 4.

Gorgonzola & Cauliflower croquettes

We had the special of stuffed zucchini blossoms (above), the crostini with carmelized fig, goat cheese, arugula, a sliver of speck and a light sprinkling of balsamic reduction and the gorgonzola & cauliflower croquettes. Oh my god, each of these appetizers were stupendous.

There were so many tempting choices for entrees that I was in a dilemma.. Well, I had to go with my 

favorite, Pasta. Next time I will try another pasta and a fish dish or something else. But we all decided on a pasta dish. Most of the pastas here are all homemade. I had the spinach pappardelle with a veal ragu, asparagus and parmigiano reggiano in a very light sauce. The only problem here was the portion. I could have had 3 more fork fulls and been ecstatic. But the pasta itself had the perfect consistency, the veal melted in my mouth. Fantastic.

The next pasta dish that I tasted, compliments of one of my dining companions, and I tasted everyone's, is the Agnolotti ai Porcini, which is similar to ravioli, but different shaped. It was stracchino cheese and porcini filled pasta with asparagus and preserved lemon. Absolutely delicious. The flavors all melded together in a very soft, smooth yet savory dish. Again, just a drop more on the plate would be perfect.



The next pasta dish was a spaghetti frutta di mare which was just exceptional. It wasn't a traditional thick red sauce smothering fish. This was a light blend of tomatoes, but not a tomato sauce, and there was shrimp, clams, mussels and fresh, real crabmeat. Wonderful flavors, loved this twist on an old favorite.

The final pasta is a familiar dish, again with a different twist. Homemade large rigatoni  wheat pasta with roasted eggplant, tomato, buffalo mozzarella and pesto. The best pasta a la Norma ever.








The desserts, each of them that we shared, were just magnificent.

AFFOGATO. Gelato rolled in chopped hazelnuts and chocolate, then drowned in espresso.. What a surprisingly delicious experience.

Vanilla pannacotta served with Amarena cherries and aceto balsamico, and a short bread cookie

CHEESCAKE with grain, ricotta and a caramel sauce.

The desserts were of a really nice size portion. Wish I could say the same for the apps and entrees. But still, all in all, I'd go back in a second. 

Jill-icious Food Adventures: The Office in Cabo.. on Playa Medano

Jill-icious Food Adventures: The Office in Cabo.. on Playa Medano: The Office restaurant is centrally located on Playa Medano in CABO San Lucas, Mexico. What a delightful night out with great drinks, live ...

The Office in Cabo.. on Playa Medano

The Office restaurant is centrally located on Playa Medano in CABO San Lucas, Mexico. What a delightful night out with great drinks, live music, flowing tequila and really excellent food.  First we had red sangria which was tasty & carbonated (a little more than usual) but I liked it. No fruit in it, but still delicious. Then we ordered, a must have, Guacamole, Mexican Sauce and Totopo Chips. 
One of the best guacamoles I have ever had. Not too garlicky, just enough lime. The salsa, which they call Mexican sauce, the best I have ever had.. MUY BUENO.

I then had the Sierra Madre Salad which consisted of Organic lettuce, arugula, Apple, blue cheese, Walnut and avocado, Dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, Salt and pepper. A perfect blending of flavors with the crunchy apple, tart blue cheese, smooth avocado & crunchy nutty flavor made this a hit. 

My cousin ordered the Tortilla Soup, which is a big thing in Mexico. This one was good but not great. Basically it has tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, adobo, shredded chicken and chipotle.. they usually add avocado, sour cream and monterey jack cheese.. 

And for my entree... drum roll please... I ordered, and not because I wanted to deal with a whole fish, but i was assured by everyone in my group that it would be easy to eat.... whole grilled red snapper. This thing was huge. And it was simple to eat too. But the lusciousness of this tender, moist, juicy yet solid fish was exceptional. This snapper was by far the best I have ever had anywhere, on any island, in any restaurant. It must have been caught an hour before it was on my plate cause it was THAT FRESH! It was served with a small amount of rice & black beans, which worked for me, cause I was really trying to eat clean. 
I also tried the steak fajitas which was just delicious. The meat was tender & yummy. It came with a side of their fabulous guacamole and yet more chips. The steak had peppers, onions and tomatoes with a sauce on the side. 

The Office is a fun night out. It is located on the beach, so you're sitting with your feet in the sand and a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. They have music, a tequila guy who goes around pouring tequila shots right down your throat, if you so desire and even vendors selling their wares off the beachfront. It's pretty, lively and has a great fun vibe.


http://theofficeonthebeach.com/
The Office On The Beach Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico.

Ponte Vecchio Italian Seafood Grille in Old Bridge, NJ

Yep, in Old Bridge, NJ and it's terrific..
Friends have been telling me about this restaurant for a while, but knowing that Old Bridge isn't known for such great restaurants, I wasn't enthused.. But that all changed on Saturday when I was invited out for a celebration to Ponte Vecchio. And it's BYOB.. Love it!

Rock Shrimp

Huge shrimp stuffed with real crabmeat

Deliciously tender Osso Bucco over Risotto

The menu at first seemed ordinary. But as I read on, it got better. But the real test, the taste, made it fabulous. We had family style appetizers to start. Usually I am not excited about Hot Antipasto, at all. But being a team player, I went a long with it. The eggplant rollatine was creamy with its ricotta filling, and their marinara sauce was delicious. Clams casino, which I do not usually enjoy, was great, just enough bacon for taste, not to overwhelm. Grilled mushrooms with a garlic sauce, so tasty.
The rock shrimp arrabiata was just insanely delicious.  So far so great.
And I have to say, I wasn't eating dinner. I was full from my niece's communion lunch at Gino's in Brooklyn, I'll save that review for another day. But after tasting these appetizers, I was on my way to another great meal. I ordered the filet of red snapper (one of my favs) which was one of the many specials that night. It was a large portion of fish covered by fresh mushrooms, sundried tomatoes in a light buttery lemony sauce.. The fish was tender, moist and fresh. It came with roasted potatoes and a vegetable, and a salad.. I saved half to bring home for another day..

Red Snapper

Lobster stuffed ravioli with a light gorgonzola cream sauce

The desserts, which I didn't try, were enjoyed by my group. There was tartufo, panna-cotta with fresh berries, italian cheesecake, etc.. All of the regulars.. But the taste was not ordinary on any of these desserts.

I cannot wait to go back to this place with my family. Really good, fresh, homemade italian food with really large portions at great prices. Thanks Patti X2... Great recommendation.

Ponte Vecchio

Italian, Seafood  

3863 County Rte 516
Old Bridge, NJ 08857

(732) 607-1650

www.restaurantpontevecchio.com