Quite a Bit of Catching Up to Do

Went through a quite a week so there's some catching up to do....

Last weekend we finally made our way to Al Di La with some friends and it did not disappoint. No wonder New York Magazine named it one of the best restaurants in New York City. Although they don't take reservations, they do have a bar next door which you can sit at while you wait. However, last Friday evening the weather was so nice we stayed outside while we chatted with a friend on 5th Avenue.

The food was top notch - from the appetizers to the entrees (I went with the duck) to the selection of sorbettis and gelattis. Service was attentive and the atmosphere was nice. Best part of all, for the quality of service and food, the prices were not ostentatious. A very affordable and enjoyable meal.

Meanwhile, we wrapped up our participation of "Dine-In Brooklyn Week" with a swan song at Tempo. We brought a couple friends this time - one from Manhattan and one from Brooklyn (the Heights) - and they both thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as did we. I had the Duck Pastilla Roll which is on their regular menu. It tasted a bit like a Filipino dish called lumpia but with duck meat inside. It was good. As for the entree, I went with the Pan-Roasted Organic Chicken which did not disappoint. Finally, I finished off with the "Nutella" flavored gelato which was awesome. Tempo, like Rose Water, did things right by offering selections from the regular menu as part of the "Restaurant Week" promotional menu.

As for the final tally of the week - Tempo receives 4 stars **** tying Rose Water for best experience all week. Next is Sette Enoteca with 3 stars *** and bringing up the rear with a "lower" 3 is Applewood with three stars *** simply because it fell short of lofty expectations.