I’ve been busy in the last couple of weeks. I’ve been spending time in Michael White haunts and living high on the treats sent my way. Since Alto and Convivio, two of my favorite Italian restaurants, went with Chris Cannon in the White-Cannon divorce, I had to make some progress in sampling White’s custodial counterparts—Marea and Ai Fiori and, man, was I blown away by both restaurants.
I started with Marea, a light and airy space just off Central Park’s south side. Like at Alto and Convivio, Marea’s lunch is a price fixe affair of two courses for $42 and for the most part there are few supplementary charges (the dover sole and lobster being exceptions). The seafood focused menu draws heavily from the waters surrounding Italy, and every dish we sampled was savored.
The menu is large, broken up into Antipasti and Crudi first courses, and Pasta and Pesce e Carne second courses. Debating the Crudi selections—Long Island fluke, marinated razor clams, Maine sweet shrimp, bigeye tuna, or a tasting of three for an $8 supplement—my eye went right to the Nova Scotia lobster Antipasti dish. Served with burrata, eggplant, and basil, for my palate this was an irresistible combination (supplement $6). It worked, for moments after it was plated in front of me, I was sopping up the lobster’s remnants with my second piece of bread from the continuously roving bread server.
For entrees, we were a split bag. My dining partner got pasta while I chose a fish. The gnocchi were light, flavored with rosemary and enhanced by shrimp. She melted with each bite that entered her mouth, and I was slightly jealous of her pasta choice, especially when dishes like spaghetti with crab and sea urchin, garganelli with pork sausage ragu, and spinosini with clams, calamari, and hot chiles rounded out the list. My John Dory, however, was flavored with mushrooms and sunchokes, and I was not at all disappointed. With a skate wing (which I would try at Ai Fiori) in anchovy vinaigrette, scallops with chestnut ragu, bass with lentils and hazelnuts, and chicken with spaghetti squash begging favor, there’s clearly something for all tastebuds at Marea. A wonderful lunch had, complete with caramel laced warm chocolate cake and an affogato for desset, I quickly booked into Ai Fiori for Restaurant Week.
Ai Fiori, in Midtown’s Setai Hotel, is another Michael White winner. Perched on the second floor, past a long and inviting bar area, a bright L-shaped dining room awaits. Like at Marea, service is at a premium, and Ai Fiori’s staff—from hosts to waiters to those unrelenting (in a good way) bread servers—doesn’t miss a trick. Different than Marea, Ai Fiore doesn’t offer price fixed meals, but since I visited during Restaurant Week, I was able to sample the high end of White’s menu for a sheer $24.07. Yes, a total steal.
With choices of salad, consommé, sardines and pasta as appetizers, my choice was easy, especially after the jealous tinges I felt at Marea. Pasta. The Trofie Nero—a texturally wonderful squid ink pasta with scallops, cuttlefish and spiced breadcrumbs—exceeded expectations. I could’ve eaten four bowls of this dish, and I’m sure I will dream about it with upcoming frequency. I followed this with the skate wing, which I wasn’t sure could deliver as wholly as the pasta. Again, expectations exceeded. It was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and the brown butter sauce drizzled over the fish was just the right accent. Nobody at our table got the cod, though peering over the elbows of passing servers I found a meaty piece of fish being delivered to neighboring tables. One of my dining partners got the short rib, and…you guessed it…she swooned.
The dessert highlight was the apple rosemary tart with vanilla gelato. The alternative, the chocolate mousse dessert, felt heavy to me, but if you’re a chocolate addict, this one’s for you.
With restaurant week extended until February 27th, I’m headed back to Ai Fiori to rob Michael White’s kitchen one more time. After that? Well, I’m happy to pay full price. More than happy.
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