Bugatti Cafe

I had always been intrigued by Bugatti. Situated on an ever-growing food corner, Bugatti neighbors local favorites Pachanga Patterson, Bareburger, and Il Bambino on 31^st Avenue, with Italian food rivals Bartolino and Portalia on Broadway. Bugatti characterizes itself as a more upscale Italian eatery, seen in its dark wood décor and offering of valet services. My relationship with Bugatti started off on the wrong foot. Having purchased a Groupon to try out the establishment, I was told by one of the wait staff that they would not accept my Groupon on the Friday night I was trying to book, even though there was no mention of this restriction on the Groupon. Conversations with Groupon resulted in this restriction being lifted, but reading Yelp reviews of other Groupon users painted a less than stellar dining experience. Numerous reviews stated that when using their Groupons, patrons were treated differently, charged unfairly, and had an overall negative perception of the restaurant. Unfortunately, it seems as if Bugatti does not understand the point of this service. Yes, restaurants may not see a profit from diners using a Groupon, but the use of this service and other similar services is to gain repeat visits and therefore, more customers. Restaurants that fail to recognize this only end up hurting themselves more when they offer a disappointing experience.

The interior of Bugatti Café features dark wood paneling, with an exposed brick wall and mural covering the main wall. Bugatti has a full bar, located to the right, and has outdoor seating for the warmer months.  Stereotypical Italian music is generally heard to passerbys, but on the evening of my visit, the music choice was the Buena Vista Social Club. While the music isn’t blasting like many other places, it was a bit loud.

interior

interior

interior

Our server was friendly, which helped ease my reservations about the place. A basket of crusty bread was set on our table, served with some roasted zucchini and garlic in olive oil. The bread was fresh , and paired with the vegetables, was a perfect prelude to our meal. For our dishes, my friend and I ordered the Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti and the Nodino di Vitello. I had wanted the Branzino (striped bass) entrée but it was sold out when I ordered. For a starter, we chose the Burrata.

complimentary bread

The Burrata is described as an imported cream-filled Mozzarella served on vegetable caponata and tossed pignoli nuts. This dish blew me and my friend away. A generous pouch of Burrata lay atop a medley of warm chopped vegetables and a bit of fresh pesto. The Burrata was so rich and so fresh, I have never tasted a Mozzarella like it before. Eaten with the seasoned vegetables further brought out the buttery flavor of the cheese. The Burrata is a winning dish at Bugatti, and one that I will be back for.

Burrata

The Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti consists of fresh taglierini pasta with grilled shrimp, basil, and pesto. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish as well  - the portion was perfect, and the pesto was homemade, and very strong. I love strong pesto, but after eating so much of it, it got a bit overpowering. The grilled shrimp was perfectly cooked, and truly grilled, as I could taste the smokiness on the seafood.

Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti

The Nodino di Vitello is a pan-seared boneless loin of veal, served with fresh sage, thyme, and a dry white wine sauce. It comes with broccoli rabe and roasted potato slices.  This dish was heartily enjoyed by my friend. The veal was extremely tender, and the rich wine sauce paired well with the meat. The broccoli rabe and roasted potatoes were both amazing, and well seasoned, making this dish a very fulfilling meal.

Nodino di Vitello

For dessert, my companion and I shared the Nutella crepes, served as two thin crepes rolled with Nutella. It is difficult to mess up Nutella crepes, and Bugatti did a good job in presentation and taste, offering some walnuts mixed in .

Nutella crepes

The owner of the place was sitting at the restaurant while we were there, and did not welcome us or ask us about our meal.  I noticed she catered to the regulars, and made no effort to see how we enjoyed the place, which was a bit disappointing.

Groupon and management issues aside, I really loved the food at Bugatti. We were lucky to get a nice server, and enjoyed our meal. The ambience and typical clientele at Bugatti is not the vibe I gravitate towards when going out to eat, but the excellent food alone makes this a place I will consider visiting again.  

Butcher Bar

Butcher Bar opened this past December to a flurry of hype, with critics, bloggers, and food enthusiasts raving about the part butcher shop, part barbecue restaurant that only carries locally sourced meats and vegetables. All their meats are antibiotic and hormone free, pasture raised, and grass fed, and come from a variety of nearby local farms, which are noted on a weekly basis on the blackboard inside the place (“This week’s farms are…”). Demand was so high opening week at Butcher Bar, that lunch service had to be temporarily suspended to keep up with the catering and dinner orders that poured in. Long before Butcher Bar opened, there were little clues gradually uncovering what this reconstructed space would be: first came the emblem of a cow’s head with the words “Got Grass?” underneath stamped on the wooden boards of a construction site across the street (adjacent to Pita Pan – they are still there!). Then came the vertical sign reading “Smoke” above the still under construction space, which led my friend and I to make guesses on what these place could be. My friend guessed a cigar shop. I guessed a barbecue spot. Then came the meat cleaver iron door handle on the outside door, leading me to believe, and get very excited for some sort of new, cooler take on your classic butcher shop. It wasn’t until I found out it was part organic, locally sourced butcher shop plus barbecue joint did all the clues come together – this is a genius idea. What better place to enjoy barbecue meats then in an actual butcher shop located within the restaurant, with real life butchers and meat connoisseurs on hand? Not only that, but Butcher Bar prides itself on not owning a freezer, ensuring nothing is ever frozen, not even their ice cream that comes with the apple pie. While we Astoria folks are very fortunate enough to still have a solid handful of good butcher shops in our neighborhood, we are not so lucky in the barbecue cuisine area, save for John Brown Smokehouse located 1.5 miles away from Butcher Bar.

A sign above the butcher area ties together Butcher Bar’s philosophy well: We cook what we sell, sell what we cook.  The interior of Butcher Bar consists of a seating area in the front, with a butcher’s counter behind the seating displaying various cuts of meats, burgers, and sausages. Further inside the restaurant there are shelves alongside the wall displaying various butcher guidebooks, cookbooks, and general items for purchase, including Butcher Bar’s popular dry-rub, various organic spices, apple butter, and their organic noodles that go into the Mac & Cheese. Deeper within is a door leading to a backyard area, which should be open in the summer for outdoor barbecues. The whole store is lined in wood, and has a rustic vibe. Alternative music plays in the background, a refreshing change from the usual club music blasting from the majority of shops on 30^th Avenue. While we were waiting to be seated, a waitress brought us each a warm Corncake from their menu, which featured a hint of Honey Butter. The Corncakes were delicious and the perfect mini-muffin size. Butcher Bar fills up fast, and the dining area is small, however, with their speedy service, turnaround is quick, and well worth the wait.

interior

interior

butcher counter

interior w. the Got Grass stamp

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dining area

My friend and I ordered the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and Beef Brisket Sandwich, each coming with house slaw and a pickle. We also ordered the Sauteed String Beans and Creamy Mac & Cheese as our sides. Butcher Bar also serves natural Maine Root sodas made with organic evaporated cane juice, replacing the corn syrup found in most sodas, and their Butcher Bar Iced Tea, sweet or sugar-free. I ordered the Maine Root Mexicane Diet Cola, which was very sweet due to the Stevia used in the beverage. My dining companion ordered the Butcher Bar Sugar-Free Iced Tea, which did not taste particularly special. There is a television facing the dining area which shows a loop of a cow sketch outlining the cuts of meat, as well as various photos of hanging meat and raw cuts of meat. I don’t think that is the most desirable thing to be watching on a screen while you’re eating, so that was a bit off-putting.

dining area

Our food came out literally four minutes after ordering. The Smoked Pulled Pork sandwich is described as tender, juicy, and dressed in BBQ sauce. I was apprehensive about ordering this, as more often than not, when restaurants serve pulled pork sandwiches, they come smothered in BBQ sauce, which greatly overpowers the flavor of the meat. A chalkboard in Butcher Bar explained that the meats are smoked using dry rubs first, with sauces added later in the process. I asked our waitress, which confirmed the pulled pork had BBQ sauce on it. However, I was happily surprised to find the meat came out with just the right amount of BBQ sauce drizzled on top, not soaking in it. The Pulled Pork is exactly as described, each bite tender and juicy. Each table features two sauces – Original, which is their BBQ sauce, and Sweet & Sour, which has a more subtle BBQ taste, enhanced with sweet spices with a bit of a kick. I was able to dress my sandwich as I pleased using these sauces. My sauce of choice: the Sweet & Sour. The house slaw was phenomenal, with crisp, fresh shredded vegetables in a light, tangy mayonnaise. The Creamy Mac & Cheese was tasty, with big macaroni noodles covered in a rich cheese sauce.

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich w. Creamy Mac & Cheese

The Beef Brisket Sandwich features 12-hour slow smoked brisket, which is so tender, it melts in your mouth. Brisket can normally be a tough meat to eat, but this one is anything but tough, and easy to bite into. The Sauteed String Beans are cooked with bacon and onions, and have a nice, smoky flavor to them.  The portions at Butcher Bar are on the small side, which I enjoyed, and helps you not feel overstuffed once your indulgent meal is done.

Beef Brisket Sandwich w. Sauteed String Beans

Aside from the barbecue offered, one can also purchase a range of pork, beef, chicken, lamb and turkey cuts available by the pound. Butcher Bar is a happy and much needed barbecue addition to 30^th Avenue. I enjoyed my barbecue there, and look forward to trying some of their other fresh offerings. Not only is the food delicious, but it is all locally sourced and hormone and antibiotic free, which is something you can feel great about.