Acqua Restaurant NYC

My love of good food starts with my mother who only allowed me to eat fresh, natural foods-nothing frozen, canned or boxed. Everything in my house was made from scratch. Throughout the years I have been lucky to meet people that share my love for fresh foods. My closest friends are those with whom I can talk to for hours upon hours about food. I am also extremely lucky to have met a wonderful man who shares my passion for cooking and exquisite cuisine. He opened my eyes (and my appetite) to a variety of new ingredients and cuisines. I created this blog to inform my audience about the hidden culinary treasures New England has to offer. Think of it of a restaurant guide for foodies or for any one who wants to try something different. Before I review my first restaurant I want to give all of you a bit of advice:

Don't be afraid to try new things. My new year's resolution wasn't to lose weight, exercise more or eat better, it was to eat things I would have never imagined eating. A few months ago I was at the Rattle Snake Bar and Grill in Boston, MA and I tried CHILI INFUSED ARIZONA RATTLESNAKE! As someone who has an irrational fear of snakes, I couldn't believe that I was actually eating one, but I am glad I did. It was delicious! The meat was very white and it reminded me of crab, both in texture and taste. In your adventure to try exotic things, start with small portions and remember, don't be afraid! As long as it's not poisonous, it's edible! :-)

This past Saturday I went to Acqua in New York City located in the upper west side on the corner of Amsterdam Ave and 95th St. It was a very quaint Italian restaurant. The heat of the brick oven made the restaurant pleasantly warm and very cozy. It is a great restaurant to go with a group of friends, have a romantic dinner with your hunny, or simply enjoy a glass of wine at the bar by yourself . At first I was a bit upset that they were out of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which happens to be my all-time favorite red. I ordered the Malbec instead and I was very, very impressed and at $8 a glass it was a bargain. I skipped the appetizer, which is very rare with me, but there was a large variety of very reasonably priced appetizers- the most expensive appetizer was $10. I ordered the striped bass with green olives and tomatoes with a side of wilted spinach as my entree. The fish was perfectly seared on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It was topped with olives and tomatoes that had been cooked lightly in olive oil. Did I mention that the olives were massive!? They looked like baby bella mushrooms. The spinach was not listed on the menu, so it came as a little surprise. It was exquisite. I usually have an issue with wilted spinach because most restaurants tend to over cook it and I am left with gooey leaves. This was NOT the case at Acqua. It was by far the best spinach I have eaten at a restaurant. The texture was leaning more towards that of fresh uncooked spinach, tender and crunchy. It was seasoned to perfection with just a dollop of butter. Sometimes that is all you need, butter. My food was absolutely flawless. My plate was $18, which was surprisingly the most expensive one on the menu. Inexpensive and flawless Italian food. It doesn't get any better than that!

Until next time. Bon Apetit!