Review: Ristorante Il Melograno

Alberto Tartari, chef and owner of Il Melograno, has recreated a little corner of Italy in his restaurant on West 5lst Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. Named for the pomegranate which adorns most dishes on the menu, this neighborhood spot is just large enough to seat about 50 or so lucky visitors. Dishes are prepared in the Northern Italian tradition and feature imported Italian ingredients and homemade pasta. They are made to order, fresh and hot.

Americans familiar with southern Italian cuisine might be surprised that the menu offers fish and meat dishes with potatoes, but Tartari's recipes are drawn from the Lombardy region, which encompasses Milano and is close to the border with Germany. Pasta does appear on the menu, but it's often paired with savory meat and cream sauces, also typical of northern cuisine.

As we studied the menu, one item after another caught my attention. For a while, I lingered over the veal ravioli with butter, sage, and Parmegiana sauce, but in the end I opted for a lighter dish, pictured in the photo. This luscious blend of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and pasta melted in my mouth. If you look closely, you'll see the fresh basil and pomegranates adorning the dish. Rich and Sue tried the eggplant and penne special, Alex had the fresh pappardelle with sweet sausage sauce, peas and truffle oil, and Paul had the osso buco with roasted potatoes. Everyone declared that their dish was delicious.

Somehow we fended off the tempting offers of homemade desserts, such as tiramisu and chocolate souffle cake, and simply sipped some cappuccino. Even after paying the bill, I wanted to linger in this cozy spot with its open kitchen and winking white lights outlining the front window. But as we reluctantly stepped outside, we promised ourselves that we'd return. In fact it happened sooner than even we expected, for a few days later, we met our nephew and his girlfriend for dinner and settled into the now familiar wooden seats and ate another delicious meal. If you go, buon appetito!



501 West 51st Street
(corner of 51st and 10th)
New York, NY 10019
212.757.9290 or
www.ilmelogranonyc.com

The Metro Diner

It’s nothing fancy, but the waiters are friendly, the food is fresh, abundant, and tasty, and the prices aren’t bad…for Manhattan. Besides, what’s New York without the deli experience? Rich always orders the tuna on rye with onions, which he declares tastes like none other. I’m more inclined to get the Greek salad, or the hummus plate loaded with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, baba ganough, tabouli, olives and a basket of warm pita bread. The omelets are also winners. I usually get the Greek. The rye toast has the requisite buttery crunch and the hash browns are crisp and savory. Am I making you hungry? Well, what are you waiting for?

The Metro Diner
2641 Broadway # 1
New York, NY 10025
(212) 866-0800

On the Road--Sedona

DSC_0002.JPG, originally uploaded by fredsworld.

The Coffee Pot Restaurant
2050 W Highway 89A
Sedona, AZ


When we were in Arizona two weeks ago, I was looking for a breakfast place where the locals go. When I read that The Coffee Pot offers 101 types of omelets and they leave a big pot of coffee on the table, my search was over. True, the parking lot is small and the line can snake out the door on weekends, but that's part of the experience.

Did I mention 101 omelets? With ham, with steak, with feta cheese, with spinach, with lox...Decisions, decisions. I had the classic with feta, spinach, and onion and home fries crisp and browned on the griddle. Rich was less happy with his tuna sandwich, but you really have to go for the omelets.

And the view of the Coffee Pot red rocks out the back is an added bonus.

Home Away From Home

coconut chicken soup, originally uploaded by mwhammer.

When we're on the road, we're always looking for a place to eat where we can get a warm welcome, the food is predictably good, the waitstaff is attentive, and the prices are reasonable. When we find it, we keep going back. Isn't this what we're all looking for on the road? A home away from home.

In Boston, we always return to Chilli Duck on Boylston Street, right across from the Prudential Center. I must have walked by this place a dozen times before I noticed the set of stairs leading down to a little shop below street level. But once I walked through the door and tried the food, I kept coming back.

People will quibble that the decor isn't inspiring, but I'm more interested in the food. The menu is divided into 2 sections--the front lists familiar Thai food like Pad Thai. The back section has more traditional Thai, like Mama's Tom Yom soup, a huge bowl of savory broth filled with your choice of chicken, shrimp, tofu, or pork and vegetables. Delicious. Other favorites include green curry with vegetables and coconut chicken soup. I always order their jasmine tea, which is especially soothing in cold weather.

Chilli Duck
829 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
617-236-5208