This will be the freshest review yet. I waited a couple days between the dining experience and the write-up of it in previous blogs, but that was until last night. That was when Cucina Urbana dazzled my socks off. Walking through the front door, down that awesome stair case into that marvelously lit dining room made me feel like I rolled into a dim lit speakeasy in the 1920's, the light wasn't so dim as to be dark, but it created a feeling of warmth and nostalgia. I was instantly put at ease. I went on Sunday, so NO CORKAGE. Whoohoo! You see, Cucina, as I now lovingly call it has a region of their dining room called "the wine cellar." In that wine cellar are awesome wines at retail price, which on any normal night would have a 7 dollar corkage for dine in. Though still a good deal, it was not as good a deal as getting a 2008 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir for 23 dollars. This is a wine I've paid 14 dollars a glass for at a wine bar. This is good. The wine had big fruit, was easy drinking, and retained its smooth character no matter what we ate. It was in place of drinking white for the night, and it worked well.
We started with a Burrata Vasi. The Vasi are little mason jars full of goodies like gorgonzola walnut mousse and sundried tomato, or hummus and piquillo jam. The Burrata is a blend of burrrata cheese, olive oil and fresh herbs and is so salty. Not a bad salty, mind you, a savory sea saltiness. Almost like grey sea salt. It was awesome. The cheese was stringy and soft, easily spreadable. It was served with baguette and a toasted bread that I believe had some sort of wheat origin and had seeds. Too tasty. After this we moved onto the BBQ Octopus. I went down this path on a whim, but I was incredibly happy with the results. It had perfectly barbecued octopus, seared and crisp around the edges. It was served with a arugula and endive salad with mandarin oranges, radishes, and what appeared to be like a baby octopus tenticle sashimi. It was dressed well. For those of you who are cringing right now, you really have to try it anyway, Maybe not the baby octopus part, but the main barbecued part for sure. My dining partner said, and I quote, " I never knew octopus could taste like that." It's so tender. Almost indescribable.
Next it was onto our main course. We both had pasta and took the advice of our server, David A, and got his suggestion of Pesto Ravioli and Short Rib Peppardelle. Okay, like too freaking good. David described the ravioli as light and luxurious and it truly was. The pesto sauce was full of fresh basil flavor, and ricotta inside was like eating a pillow. Presentation, amazing, texture, perfect. The peppardelle rocked my world. Everything was so tender and the pasta soaked up a good amount of juice from the meat. The mushrooms were a little too awesome to be served just as part of a meal. I mean, I could've eaten a whole bowl of just those mushrooms. When David was describing the pappardelle, he said a bunch of other stuff I can't remember now, but he sold me at Epic. It was quite that. It wasn't a meal I could eat everyday, but when dining out one is not looking for the mundane.
This experience was one of the most awesome experiences I've had dining out. The atmosphere, the service and the comfort were all amazing. The food was expertly prepared and David's descriptions were dead on. What do I like the most? It's hard to decide, but if I absolutely had to choose, it would be the amazing wine selection, the great service and the good food. The flow of courses can make or break a good meal and this was perfect. Everything tasted delicious and fresh, perfectly seasoned. There was salt and pepper on the table I think were there as a joke. It didn't need anything. For dessert, we shared a Tiramisu Cocktail. David said it was naughty and it was. Almost pure alcohol, yet it tasted just like tiramisu. Lately drinking dessert has been just as exciting as eating it. I've recently been following meals with Grasshoppers and limoncelllos. It adds a nice twist to the euphoria experienced after a good meal. I'd say it's downright psychoactive.
This is a place for both the experience and unexperienced palate. There are simple flavors and there are big ones. They all work very well together, but what I noticed the most is that texture did not come second to flavor. They both played equally in each dish, but this characteristic was most notable in the Pesto Ravioli. They were pillows handed down from the gods for our consumption. It was hands down my favorite pasta I've ever eaten, and definitely the best ravioli. The way everything played together is just awesome. Couldn't have asked for more, except for maybe a larger stomach, and a few more hours to do it all over again.
This is my first visit and upon going back I would like to try more, perhaps an entree perhaps a pizza. The point is that this was a great evening, and I'm almost scared to go back for fear that it won't be as delicious, or perfect. It's almost like my honeymoon stage with Cucina. I met her, I love her, and I married her all in one fell swoop, Now we're in Maui drinking Mai Tais in the sunset in our swimsuits, soon to go back to our suite with clean linens and the cool ocean waves echoing in the distance. Can this be replicated again? I certainly hope so. This is the beginning of a great relationship with Cucina Urbana. There are ups and downs in our future, but in the end hopefully we will both be happy.
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