Pages


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Pulino's: Brunch Perfection

I was so excited when a little over a week ago Eater announced the reservation number for Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria (Bowery @ Houston). I had heard this was going to be one of the best restaurants of 2010, so I was glad to snag a reservation early on before the wait begins to resemble that of McNally's other star, Minetta Tavern. Pulino's debuted last Monday and currently they're only open for breakfast and lunch. Fortunately, I was able to get a four-top for last Sunday.

I arrived shortly after 12:30 (I should've known that time was a little ambitious after a night at Sing Sing) and was greeted by a friendly team of three at the door. They checked me in and kindly asked me to wait at the bar until the rest of my party arrived (my brother is rarely on time). Upon my brother's arrival (we ended up only being two), we were quickly seated at a nice table by the open doors that align the restaurant on the Bowery side. The decor was comfortable, warm and unpretentious and the crowd was attractive and energetic. I was more excited than anyone should be to see Eric Ripert and family sitting in a nice corner booth (don't worry, I kept my staring to a minimum).

Our delightful waitress presented us with menus and took our drink order... first up: the Bloody Maria, one of the three Bloody Marys offered on the menu.  It was wonderful (no bloody bull from Prune, though that wasn't as good last time so it's an even playing field these days).  It had a kick, though wasn't too spicy and actually had flavor rather than being overrun by too much vodka.  Second up on the drink list: the Pulino's Milkshake.  This too, was delicious.  For someone who isn't too fond of sweets this dessert like concoction was served up in a champagne flute and was pleasantly rich, while not making you feel like you had just inhaled a chocolate cake.

Food wise, we started with the Prosciutto di Parma.  This came out with baked ricotta, right out of the oven and drizzled with olive oil, as well as grilled bread.  All manners aside, it was nearly impossibly not to dip the bread directly into the warm ricotta and oil before topping the bite off with the prosciutto.  This was wonderful! 
We also shared one of the many breakfast pizzas, which come in two sizes.  The Salsiccia was a crispy white pizza topped with eggs, sausage, bacon and white cheddar.  Also amazing!  While I usually over order and feel like I need to be rolled out of restaurants, these two dishes were the perfect sized meal for two.  Ohh, and yes, we had to get dessert as well!  Aiming for something on the lighter side, I ordered some sort of Limoncello granita, which also came in a champagne flute.  It was tart and refreshing, especially considering the beautiful, warm weather awaiting us outside.

All in all, it was en excellent end to an enjoyable weekend.  I definitely hope to return in the near future to try some other pizzas, all of which sounded incredible(fingers crossed that I will still be able to get reservations) !

This Little Piggy gives Pulino's three Oinks!

ps. WineChap and Eater have recently paired up, creating the new column Decanted, in an effort to combine the best of food and wine reviews.  Check out their most recent review of Pulino's wine list here.  Just a heads up, this contradicts the review in julib stating that they do not have wine?!  I think I'm going to go with WineChap on this one since Ripert was enjoying a bottle next to me.

pss. UrbanDaddy also had a nice write up on the resto.

No comments:

Post a Comment