Peachy Picks Scaletta Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know
Freddie and Omer Grgurev
The Best Dentist in Manhattan
&
Official Dentist of Whom You Know:
30 E. 40th Suite 1001
212 683 1960
Dr. Garo Nazarian is a Mover and Shaker:
Brothers Freddie (left) and Omer Grgurev (right) have shown the world that they have created their own stairway to heaven: Scaletta! That means stairs/ladder in Italian we've heard and believe us you want a little piece of heaven too.
Scaletta was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and it has earned its spot in Peachy's Picks because of its smashing cuisine, ideal atmosphere-even the walls are PEACHY, and absolutely charming owners. Scaletta is open 7 days a week for dinner, and we suggest you make your reservation right away-even Barbra Streisand loves it and told her entire audience so last time she played Madison Square Garden. The entire experience was one of the highlights of our dinner reviews in recent memory, and here's why.
Peachy Deegan absolutely knows exactly what she wants practically 110% of the time. However, sometimes we like to see how well those being reviewed can tell what their clients would want, because we want you to be understood too when you visit a place we recommend. Freddie is a great host not only because he graciously greets every party when they arrive and seats them immediately with positive cheer, but also because he is an expert on selecting the right wine to please his clients. Peachy sipped on an outstanding 2008 Tenuta Di Castigioni Toscana which is absolutely perfect for a frigid January night. Robust and full-bodied, it will invigorate you and gear you up for the excellent meal that awaits you at Scaletta-and its versatility will please you as well. Freddie is pretty versatile himself-he is also a star soccer player-but more about that later. He's very modest too-now we see he was a first team all star...and led the league in scoring also.
Peachy can vouch for the fact that a lovely starter is the Carciofi e Funghi: baby artichokes and mushrooms sauteed with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. The garlic was ever-present without being overwhelming and the piping hot plate was just perfect to warm you up in this weather. Peachy actually waited a minute before taking the picture or you wouldn't be able to see clearly from the steam. The size of each bite was just right and we also wanted to emphasize that this is a healthy choice too. We love the atmosphere at Scaletta-the tables are spacious and set apart well so you feel as though you have privacy...and the acoustics are terrific. It's not noisy.
You know Peachy loves seafood year-round, even in January. The Shrimp Scampi in a lemon white wine sauce with rice pilaf is an outstanding choice by Executive Chef Omer Grgurev, who shows that his Adriatic Coast background in Croatia was highly influenced by Italian cuisine and once you taste it, that will become even more apparent.
Every bite of shrimp was mouth-watering and succulent, grilled perfectly and the tails were sliced in half vertically and twisted artistically, which was not lost on Peachy. They taste even better when they are presented so beautifully!
Omer graduated from culinary school in Yugoslavia in 1968 and then came to the United States. You know Peachy is a sports enthusiast and was delighted to hear that Freddie Grgurev is a famous soccer player from the Cosmos-US National Team, playing center forward and when he retired he was lucky enough to have a brother as culinarily talented as Omer, and Omer was lucky to have a brother as great of a host as Freddie. They make a great winning team together and you can see everyone that works for them truly enjoys it and there is low turnover as far as we can tell-Pepe the waiter was on the ball all night and has been there for 13 years. You can even see Freddie's team photo right next to the bar-do check it out when you are in Scaletta.
We love it when restaurant owners have interesting stories, and these guys came ready with all of them. Did you know that Scaletta opened on New Year's Eve in 1988 with Oliver Dragojevic? Oliver is nearly as famous as Freddie is in Croatia, but Oliver does not play soccer: he sings.
Here's another date to put in your calendar: September 14 because guess who's coming to dinner-Sidney Potier also goes to Scaletta and did so on Freddie's birthday...these brothers have the best stories to regale all their guests with.
The desserts are absolutely to-die-for...they also come around on a cart with each star entry under a clear display lid so you can see them up close and personal before you make your final selection. And what was our final answer?
ALL OF THEM!
We suggest you order all of them too.
If Peachy could pick one only, the pear tarte on the left was her favorite.
Here is the master behind the dessert: the amazing Pastry Chef, with Freddie!
Up close, the rice pudding cake:
Up close, the black and white chocolate mousse:
Our esteemed panelist adds:
What happens when a famous soccer player and his brother (the chef at Le Cote Basque) decide to open a restaurant together? Scaletta happens! Frequented by the celeb and the famous, this surprise of a restaurant is found downstairs (hence the name) on West 77th Street.
Barbra Streisand must have her Vongole Oreganate when she comes to town. We ordered them and found them Babs-worthy: wonderful mouthfuls of baked clams dusted with a savory couching of bread crumbs. We followed with the Capesante e con Burro di Nocciola (scallops to those of us who don't speak Italian). Succulent morsels, huge, as divine as if they had just come from the sea. This dish has the psychology of a stew: plated with a light ratatouille, tender asparagus, green beans al dente, and a poached potato, it is sublime comfort food.
The impressive glowing atmosphere: air, space, soft lighting, immediately impresses you with one major fact: in a packed house (on a Monday!), you can still have a conversation. No din, no overcrowded space where elbows invade your dinner. The staff provides the equivalent of white glove service, with very smooth transitions from course to course. Our host served a choice Pinot Grigio (Bottega Vinnaea 2010, Trentino), for my seafood choices, and regaled us with stories from the restaurant's rich history.
And the desserts! You'll want to marry this pastry chef after you taste his concoctions. Rice Pudding Cake? Sounds odd, but it is so in demand, that they must make back ups for their regulars. And light! Nothing heavy in the Tiramisu either. Cakes are layers of heavenly chantilly, with a cake made from a "biscuit" recipe that the chef prefers over the common "genoise", with chocolate. Not overtly sugary, not overwhelming, just pure sin.
How did we not know about this restaurant? They've been a staple in the neighborhood for decades, yet even locals are just discovering it now. You'll be really happy to discover it yourself. I'm thinking Valentine's Day, pre-Opera.
***
Omer and his daughter, Michelle
Peachy Picks Scaletta!
Scaletta is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
Go down those stairs!!!
