I didn't have high hopes for
Il Gatto, though I admit that it wasn't exactly fair. I had become totally bored with Figlio and was excited that a new concept was coming into the space, but for whatever reason I couldn't get too excited for it. I was however, excited to meet a few friends for dinner a few Fridays ago, though we were in the heart of Lent, and none of us could eat meat. We decided a pasta/seafood joint would offer enough variety to get us through, and figured it would be a good time to try Il Gatto.
The one thing I was willing to admit right off the bat, is that I like the ambiance and layout much better at Il Gatto. Thank God they did something about the bar. We perused the wine list and ordered a few glasses before jumping on the main menu. I decided I'd get a simple margherita pizza since I had heard their pizza was good and wanted to start the meal off with their isalata rucola. The salad, was quite simply, one of the best I'd had all year (The winter caprese at
Broders' still take the cake). The greens were spot on, the dressing strong, yet not overpowering and the portion perfectly arranged. The cherry tomatoes and diced peppers provided a sweetness that helped offset the powerful, but pleasant citrus vinaigrette and the peppery arugula proved a bitter foil for the sweetness and tatartness of the lemon. Lastly, the grana padano rounded out this sweet, bitter, tart and salty plate. All of the flavors were loud, yet balanced by the power of their companions -- good company indeed.
I have to say that the fall off from there was fast. The pizza I ordered had a great crust with plenty of crackle, char and pull. The sauce, However, was about as entertaining as a Jennifer Aniston flick. The mozzarella, though homemade, was pretty pedestrian and the basil alone couldn't overcome the other short comings. A margherita pizza can be a thing of beauty built on simplicity, but this execution just fell short. A sample of Jessi's three cheese ravioli proved rich, strong and all-together overwhelming, wearing the senses out as quickly as an overly-hopped IPA.
So the experience was mixed, but I'll give Il Gatto another shot when I can go back and explore the menu a little more, but again, my hopes won't be too high, though I'd love to be proven wrong.
Happy Eating,
-Teddy
I was hoping to find a fun way to wrap up a great Sunday so I decided to head over to Chatterbox Pub for some drinks, food and a little cheap entertainment. I had a great time, but was the food any good? Find out here.
On Monday, the talented and hilarious guys that produce The Well Fed Guide to Life had a temporary lapse in judgment and invited me to be a guest on their show. We met at Cupcake in Minneapolis (home of seriously good sweets) to discuss my blog and other food related topics as well as the Oscars. These guys put on a brutally honest and an extremely entertaining show and I suggest you check them out. They usually record at local establishments and cover a wide variety of topics and give a pretty insightful run-down of their surroundings and the food they serve.
Friday nights during Lent are usually reserved for pizza or a good-old fish fry. I made a tasty tuna salad for lunch, so it was time for pizza. We headed over to Galactic Pizza in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood (sandwiched between The Lyndale Tap House and Tiger Sushi) and quickly realized that it's a pretty darn unique place. Just about everyone is familiar with their super hero-styled delivery drivers and the corresponding electric cars, but you may not know that they've created other initiatives such as leveraging wind energy and creating an extensive waste reduction program.
The Epic Sandwich feature may be a bit more difficult than usual with my new diet habits, but I'm also viewing it as a bit of an adventure, or an opportunity to try things I normally wouldn't. Take the Planet Burger at the Good Earth for instance. Never would have tried that on my own! Full review here.
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