Jonathan
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Everything posted by Jonathan
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I would probably never go back to the restaurant ever again. -
Was Orso world-class? What about Range? 2 amys is a wonderful restaurant that helped usher in Neapolitan pizza to this area. But it's charms, and there are many, have never really been their pizzas. It's all in their small plates at the wine bar, their amazingly affordable wines, their gracious servers and bartenders. While I won't apologize for not serving "world-class" pizzas, I do think that what we are doing at Ghibellina is filled with love, care and thought. Try our finnochiona pizza, with shaved fennel, fennel salami, tomato confit, and olivata...you are not finding that anywhere...not Bianco, not Franny's (where I learned the craft), not in Naples either. And it is a stunner. Our dough undergoes a 2-3 day fermentation. It's made with minimal ingredients. I don't adhere to AVP or APN or DOC or whatever alphabet agency looks over the P-I-Z-Z-A. And at the end of the day, Ghibellina, is not a pizzeria (for better and for worse). We have a multitude of other stuff on our menu that we put as much love, care and attention to as our pizzas. But at the end of the day, we aren't able to be as focused as a place like Bianco or Paulie Gee's or Franny's.
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The reason why we do not take orders over the phone is indeed because the hostess is very busy seating tables, greeting guests and dealing with an often out of control wait list. It was a difficult decision, and one we have mulled over on at least 3 different occasions. But we just felt the hostess did not have time to take orders, deal with questions regarding the menu and take credit card information on top of their other responsibilities. One day, hopefully when all the apartments along 14th street are full, we will change the policy so we can accommodate our neighbors. As for the Palena diaspora, we have Carly, who is a prep cook and the dining room captain; we have Noel (a former pastry chef at the Amernick Bakery as well as at Palena); we have Michael Rosato (former server in the back dining room); we have Aldaberto (a former cook). All are great people that have helped make Ghibellina a better place. We do hope you give us a try, even though our pizzas are higher priced than you are accustomed. We sell our pizzas at 1/2 price everyday (7 days a week) from 4pm-6:30pm at the bar. Perhaps you will come in, and if you do, please say "Hello."
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Too many cooks spoil the broth, I hear...though Roses' managed with a Chef/Owner a CDC and an Exec Sous. But not everyone is Roses. Seems like a whole lot of labor $$$ from my perspective, but I would have to know a bit more to really understand what's going on.
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Oh how I miss Bread Line circa 2002. It is what every sandwich shop should aspire to be.
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Had a very nice first experience at Le Diplomate last night. My SO and I were searching for a place to grab a bite around 10pm (why is that so darn difficult in this town?) after working the Turn Up the Heat event benefitting Ovarian Cancer Research. We settled in on Le Dip and sat at the lovely round booths in the front that reminded me of those booths in the old Palena. We shared a Salade Lyonnaise, which they graciously split and gave us each a poached egg, a burger and a roast chicken. All well done. The crowds were not overwhelming, and the restaurant was quite charming from our vantage point. Service was professional and friendly, the food well executed and comforting on a cold night. I will certainly be back, and most likely during their down times, as it is much, much better than Bisto du Coin or Lepic in my opinion.
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Went recently for the first time and really enjoyed both the felafel and the shawarma. Delicious. And not overly filling or heavy. Only complaint is I wish the cold stuff (pickles, etc.) was a bit more tempered. I think it would make for an even better sandwich. Also, imagine this felafel or shawarma on Kapnos' hot, thin delicious flat bread they give you with the dips...mmmmmmmm Wheaton is the bomb...just saying.
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He worked at Palena for at most two weeks before leaving for his "dream job" (which is what he articulated to me at the time) at Komi. I believe he worked at Komi for about a month before quitting there.
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I do not have a pizza stone. At home, when reheating my pizzas, I just use a regular old sheet tray. Preheated though. And again it only needs to be in the oven for 3-8 minutes (depending on your desired crispness).
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I find the best way to reheat a wood-burning oven pizza (and I reheat A LOT of pizzas) is to preheat the oven and a cookie sheet or stone for a few minutes at about 350-400 degrees. Once the oven is hot and the stone has heated up a bit, throw the pizza in and cook until the crust refreshes to the desired crispness. I think putting a pizza in a skillet, while probably delicious, changes the complexion of the pizza.
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Thank you very much for your support and feedback. Carly is a superstar. She is knowledgable, dedicated and truly cares. She spends her mornings in the prep kitchen and her nights on the floor. As for the fagiole e zucca. We have been getting a lot of raves for the dish and it will be on the menu through the winter most likely. Please say hello next time (and bring some chocolates)!
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I couldn't agree more. When I was thinking about, conceiving of and testing my dough/pizza recipe for months, the only thing I was trying to accomplish was to create a pizza that I wanted to eat every day. Thank you for the kind words and the feed back. Just to be mentioned alongside of institutions like 2 Amy's and Pupatella is an honor.
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Thomas thank you for this. It is terrible news. This is a place I spent six amazing years at...and it feels as if I'm losing a member of my own family. Please all, come out in large numbers to give this temple of gastronomy the send off it rightly deserves.
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We'd mourn bens for less than a day. Think bigger. This place puts DC on the culinary f'n map.
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Paesano's has very, very good hoagies (http://www.paesanosphillystyle.com/) and you CANNOT stop by the south 9th without going to Fante's (http://www.fantes.com/). Probably the best kitchen store I've ever been to.
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Ramps are here! Mozzarella di Bufala, Garlic, Pecorino Romano, Confit Cherry Tomatoes and our favorite early spring vegetable, Ramps. For a limited time only. The new spring menu also has: a porcini rubbed, dry-aged ribeye; suckling pig porchetta braised in milk and served with crispy testa and salsa verde; and francobolli en brodo (veal, mortadella and culatello stuffed ravioli in a beautifully clear and flavorful broth with spring vegetables). And of course, one of the best happy hours in DC. Half-priced pizzas 7 days a week from 4-6:30 plus drink specials.
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I like his square slice better too. And again, I would love to have it in my neighborhood (much better than Smiling Pizza which was my closest slice joint). As for Franny's, I still keep in touch with all of them and want to get up to Marco's and the new Franny's. It holds a special place in my heart, though it also is a polarizing place.
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I said John's and Bleecker St., not John's of Bleecker Street. And while yes, John's and Lombardi's are not slice joints, they serve big pies in a non-neapolitan format, so I'm lumping them in with the gas oven places. Perhaps not apples to apples, but certainly not apples to radiators.
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I was referring to non-Neopolitan pizza joints.
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Di Fara is a neighborhood slice joint in a part of the country where there are lots of neighborhoods with lots of slice joints. From my perspective (as a chef, a pizza fanatic, and a pizza cook who has lived and worked in the great county of Kings and called Brooklyn home), Di Fara is just not that good. It's fine. And I'd be happy if it was my neighborhood slice joint. But I would never, ever conceive of travelling hours, or even across Brooklyn for his pizza. The lines are staggering, the product is middling, and he arbitrarily skips over people causing you to sometimes wait an hour or more even after you have ordered your pie. Johns, Bleecker St., Lombardi's (on a good day) are just some of the many pizza places that are far better than Di Fara.
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Thanks for the kind words Simul. As for your observation regarding the crushed red pepper, you are spot on. We buy whole dried chili de arbol, then dry them out a bit more in an oven over night, and grind them ourselves. It's a task not for the faint of heart, and our prep cooks deserve a medal for enduring the chili vapor that pervades the whole kitchen. But it's well worth it. Also, the Calabrian chili's are very spicy too. In a salty, spicy kind of way. I love cooking with them.
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Thanks for the kind words Don and Laura. We are working very hard over here to just try and keep pace with the Pupatellas and 2 Amys of the world. As for the chicken...the pan sauce is impossibly simple. It is just a very, very good Aged Balsamico, Chicken Stock and butter...along with the fond from the roasted chicken. We then finish the whole plate with a great olive oil.
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Please join us at Ghibellina for Valentine's Day dinner. We are having a 4 course menu with choices in each course as well as pizzas and other menu options available at the bar.
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Wagshals for their smoked meat is delicious.
