Tag Archive for: italian food

AMORE E AMORE PRESENTS A NIGHTMARE ON HIGHLAND THIS OCTOBER 

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/2/23

Celebrating the Spookiest Time of Year With a Month of Frights, Delights, Monster Halloween Bash and Two Costume Contests

Family-Friendly and Adults Only Reservations Now Available

The countdown to Halloween is on at Amore e Amore in Inman Park. Throughout the month of October, guests will be treated to a monthlong Halloween-themed pop-up, a Nightmare on Highland, filled with ghostly decor, chilling delights, and wickedly delicious Italian cuisine curated by Professor Giovanni, specialty cocktails and much more. The grand finale? Not one, but two high-energy Halloween parties, complete with costume contests and plenty of bone-chilling surprises, on Saturday, October 28, 2023. 


Beginning at 4:30 p.m., and with additional seatings at 4:45 p.m. and 5 p.m., on Saturday, October 28th, Mama Gale and the team at Amore e Amore are kicking off the Halloween festivities with three family-friendly seatings. Kids 12 and under can compete for hair-raising prizes in a family-friendly costume competition while feasting on a spooktacular kids menu featuring pizza bites, meatballs, and child-sized portion of fan favorite entrees such as cheese ravioli, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs and more is available for $20. As moonlight creeps into the sky, revelers ages 21 and over are invited to an adults-only dinner where they can indulge in a four-course pre-fixe menu for $100 per person plus alcohol, tax and gratuity. With seatings at 8 p.m., 8:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m., guests can sip on chilling cocktails like the Witch’s Brew and Vampire Kiss, as costumed connoisseurs compete for prizes and bragging rights in a spirited costume contest.

 For more information or to make a reservation for a Nightmare on Highland, visit www.amoreeamore.com or call 404-600-2176. Amore e Amore is conveniently located at 467 N Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30307. Stay connected on Facebook and Instagram at @eatamoreatl.

Bastone

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/2/22

The lure of neon red draws you in from the road, while the outside patio sits ready for hungry patrons. Inside there is a mirror wall that casts beautiful light into the dining room, while the large bar that is the length of the restaurant puts out amazing cocktails.  From the genius of Pat Pascarella, the brand spanking new Bastone is an upscale mozzarella and wine bar that doesn’t skimp on their perfect pasta dishes, carefully curated wines, amazing apps, cool cocktails, and let’s not forget the magnificent mozzarella flight! The Porchetta Group has another winner! Let’s dig in.

Starting with the sips, they have huge, carefully curated wine list that boasts one of the best crisp white wines we’ve ever had, the Cincinnato Bellone from the rare Lazio region. It’s the perfect wine to go with the creaminess of the mozzarella. Want to try Italian beer? They have a crisp and cool, Birra Lucana, that’s the right body and lightness to go with the cheese, as well. Run, don’t walk to try the Ace of Spades. It’s so cool with the ingredients themselves: gin, salted pasta water(!), tomato, and a mozzarella ball! The salted water starts salty but ends with the carbines of the pasta mixed with a piney gin then stuffed with what Pat said was a “caprese salad in a glass.” They’ll blister tomatoes, basil and olive oil and add it table-side for an exciting experience cocktail. It’s different, yet something everyone should at least experience. He’s spot on with his description. Must try.

Something that Bastone does so well is Mozzarella, and they show it off with their signature item, the Mozzarella flight. It’s the combination of Fatt Amano (favorite of the four), Burrata Siano, Stracciatella, and Burrata Di Stefano. The Fatt Amano was both of our favorites being a little more bold and saltier, while the Burrata Siano is milder with a light creaminess and tang on the end. As you go down the board, you’ll get Stracciatella that is sweet and smooth, as well as Burrata Di Stefano! We also got a hand-pulled mozzarella in house from Pat himself and it was so fresh and bright! If you want a little meat to pair with that cheese, they have meat and cheese boards. We got the Taglierino mini board that had a large array of meats for the size, mozzarella to pair, and vegetables like garlicky artichokes that round out the flavors.

We didn’t find a bad bite in their tasting plates, like the Caldi Arancini or the Freddi Lamb Tartare. Arancini is always a go-to as it’s crunchy, savory, and creamy and this one didn’t disappoint. We call them crunchy balls of goodness! They’re stuffed with savory short rib, earthy butternut squash that melts into the cheese. It’s crunchy, sweet, savory, and creamy! On the other hand, is the Lamb Tartare that’s fresh and bright with a ton of fun flavors. It starts hearty and savory with a good crunch, then a mustard-forward tang comes in on the back. Pile it all on the crunch and salty chip for the best bite.

We’re not going to lie, the pastas at Bastone are the real showstoppers. Something that Pat does so well is his fresh, homemade pastas that are perfectly cooked in salted pasta water! He always says, “Salt your pasta water!” The first one is the Orecchiette with a fun presentation: a bone sticking right out of the middle. So, with a bone marrow indulgent middle, perfectly cooked hat pasta, pancetta for salt and savor, and tangy stew, it was a well-rounded bite. The favorite bite of the night is the Cresc’ Tajat. It is stuffed with rich herbaceous sausage, fantastic creamy sauce, and perfectly cooked inside out corkscrew pasta. It went from savory up front to creamy and sweet on the back, the myriad of flavors culminates in one of the best bites you can have here.

Not only is the dessert pretty to look at, but it also tastes just as good. The Pear Lemon Torta was tangy pear enveloped in creamy meringue, mellow tart, and creamy ice cream. The lemon explodes from the middle and then mellows with the as you eat all the other ingredients. So, yes, stay for dessert.

TRE VELE: SANDY SPRINGS TO WELCOME NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPT FROM THE TEAM BEHIND MISSION + MARKET

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/14/21

Tre Vele, Italian Restaurant and Market, to Open Mid-Summer
 

Following the success of opening award-winning Buckhead restaurant Mission + Market, brothers Ryan and Jonathan Akly and Ian Winslade today announce their expansion into the Atlanta restaurant scene with new restaurant, Tre Vele. The new concept will open in the former {three} sheets location in Sandy Springs and will be a modern, elevated Italian restaurant specializing in handmade pasta as well as other classic Italian dishes.
 
In collaboration with Chef/Partner Ian Winslade, most notably of Mission + Market, Executive Chef Giancarlo Ruiz will be at the helm of Tre Vele. Ruiz touts vast experience in Italian cuisine with both his Italian heritage and culinary training in Florence where he lived for 16 years. Following his tenure under Italian chefs, Ruiz moved to Atlanta where he gained experience in some of Atlanta’s top restaurants, including Storico Fresco, before being appointed Executive Chef at the new concept.
 
Chef Giancarlo will be serving up classic Italian dishes with a modern twist including fresh house-made pasta courses like Cavatelli al Sugò D’agnello (homemade Cavatelli with lamb sugo) and Strozzapreti with vegan kale pesto. Guests can expect starters like fresh burrata with heirloom tomatoes and grilled baby artichokes with salsa verde. Mains will consist of items including Veal Milanese, Coda alla Vaccinara (braised oxtail with a red wine tomato sauce), and Red Snapper Acqua Pazza. The dessert selection will be comprised of items such as Basilico Panna Cotta finished with Saba and summer fruit Tiramisu.
 
Tre Vele features a 3,500SF dining room as well as a 1,500SF rooftop patio. The restaurant will also offer a 600SF Italian market and café, open for specialty coffee drinks and fresh pastries all day, and retailing house-made pastas, sauces, and prepared meals to go. In addition, the market will retail a specially curated selection of Italian wines while also hosting wine tastings, wine dinners, private events, and pasta-making classes.
 
Restaurants Consulting Group, Inc., an award-winning full-service design-build firm with a focus on hospitality, restaurant, bar, and nightclub design, led the interior design transformation of the space. At the helm, President of RCG, Tony Akly’s, vision has created a light-filled, bright atmosphere with inspiration from Italy seen throughout, from the plant-filled trellises on the ceiling to the Carrara marble accents. Elements of the market and café include a glass-enclosed pasta room upon entering where guests can observe Chef Giancarlo in action, retail wine, pasta, and dessert displays, design accents of white and black marble, and white ceramic walls accented by gold leaf mirrored backlit shelving. The dining room, featuring a 30-foot Carrera marble bar, is designed to be humble and exciting, inviting guests to meet up with friends and loved ones. The interior feel is warm yet striking with natural wood accents and bold geometric shapes all against a white background. Above the dining room, guests will find the rooftop terrace and bar, designed to create a continuous experience operating as additional dining and lounge areas. With seating for up to 90 guests, the rooftop bar is the perfect place to begin the night with an Aperitivo or end the night with a relaxing cocktail.
 
“While we are so proud of our long tenure running {three} sheets, we are very excited for this next chapter,” said partner and co-owner Jonathan Akly. “Like many in the industry, the pandemic brought upon challenges, especially for {three} sheets since its focus was hosting large corporate events and gatherings. Looking ahead, this presented us with the perfect opportunity to pursue this new endeavor. Additionally, Sandy Springs’ food and beverage offerings have transformed so much in the last few years, and we are excited to be a part of the evolution.”
 
Additional details, website (www.tre-vele.com).

Pricci: Authentic Italian

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/14/20

Good Italian isn’t hard to find in Atlanta, but the moment you walk into Pricci, you’re taken back to a time when waiters doted over their guests, warm greetings where you almost felt like family, and classic dishes were made so well, you didn’t want anything more.  The Buckhead Italian staple does everything well from the savory meatballs, fantastic focaccia bread, meaty carpaccio, hearty pappardelle special pasta, desserts, wine selection, and a premium veal chop that will leave your mouth watering. Authentic Italian, homecooked classics, are back in style at Pricci, so let’s get going on an Italian culinary journey.

Before we even got our appetizers, we received the BEST bread, focaccia made with garlic and onion with a goat cheese and marinara sauce on the side. As it melted in our mouths, we had to order more because it was some of the best bread. Of the stellar starters, we chose the meatballs (you know we would) and the carpaccio. These two dishes that are on any real Italian menu and both were just divine. Starting with the meatballs, they were rich and meaty with a good mix of meats to even out the flavor, and a generous amount of marinara. We loved that the marinara boat had a little bit of ricotta cheese melted into it and you could chop up the meatball some and get a bite of the ball, cheese, and marinara all at once. Pro tip: top the focaccia bread that comes with your meal to eat the chopped-up meatballs. WOW! Second, the carpaccio super tender and thinly sliced topped with a tangy and sweet vidalia onion aioli. With the tangy, richness, and sweet of those ingredients, it really paired well with the earthiness of the arugula and the creaminess of the cheese. The best part was wrapping it all up on your fork and getting a little bit of those crunchy capers. It was just the icing on the cake: crunchy, earthy, creamy, rich, meaty, tangy, and sweet.

The second that Marco, the GM told us that their special pasta of the day was a lamb ragu pappardelle pasta dish, Liz exclaimed, “did you know I was coming today?” Ragu pappardelle is my (Liz’s) favorite pasta dish on an Italian menu, so I was thrilled. Starting with the perfectly cooked and tender lamb in a hearty ragu, tomato-based sauce which was savory and rich. The addition of wonderfully cooked and tender pappardelle and paired with a hint of blue cheese, it was divine. What I love is to roll up the lamb, sauce, and cheese into the pasta and eat it almost like a little wrap. Delicioso!

If you try anything at Pricci, it’s the veal chop. They bring in their veal from Holland and its diet is totally milk based, so it turns out even more tender, rich, and less gamy than other veal dishes you can get elsewhere. They carve the meat in-house and only receive 4 or 5 level meats. This melt-in-your-mouth carved cut of meat is heavenly. Like we said above, it’s perfectly cooked, light, tender, then topped with a savory and rich sauce that is a balanced sweet and savory. It really brings out the lightness of the veal. Then, paired with potatoes that soaks up a good bit of the sauce and earthiness of power greens in olive oil and lemon and you have a complete gamut of goodness: earthy, savory, sweet, starchy, I could go on. Are you sold yet?

Whatever you do, stay for some dessert and amazing in-house brewed espresso. The coffee was so rich and creamy, you didn’t need to add any sugar or cream. It was perfect all by itself. The crème bruele was everything you’d want in your vanilla custard-based dessert, perfectly flambeed with a crunchy and buttery top. John adored the gelato that had FRESH whole maraschino cherry gelato with very rich and creamy chocolate.

With every course finished, the last sip of wine was gone, espresso was empty, and our time at Pricci ended with the best Nutella brownies we got to take home. Can we go back now?