Terrific Takeout: The Leopard at des Artistes Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Executive Chef Michele Brogioni and Manager Henry Nekrasov
Three meat and prosciutto tortelloni, the best edible we dined upon at The Leopard at des Artistes
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It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and we first met our friends Gianfranco Sorrentino and Vito Gnazzo when we first visited The Leopard at des Artistes ages ago when it first opened:
We were delighted to return, and recently Il Gattopardo, also owned by Gianfranco and Vito, was featured:
This time at The Leopard at des Artistes, we began with a lovely salad pictured above of Grilled Octopus and celery and we were cordially greeted by Henry, whom we believe would make an excellent GM. It was further enhanced with green olives from Italy, pickled onions, extra virgin olive oil and lemon dressing. Just like the rose we featured earlier by Alex, the idea of this fresh salad extended summer for us if only on our plate!
The octopus was grilled just right and is from Spain.
Another winner of a starter is the thin sliced tuna fillet which is served with tuna sauce, Pantelleria capers, organic lettuce and radishes. It is embellished with a decadent veal broth that goes well with the flavor.
The new executive chef at this venue, Michele Brogioni, suggested we try the Homemade friselle also. This dish of sophistication takes three days to craft: the bread is from southern Italy and it is soaked in tomato juice. Served with stracciatella (the INSIDE of burrata-do not forget this!), swiss chard, anchovies and cherry tomato, this is also a lovely appetite-igniter. Michele hails from Perugia and joined The Leopard at des Artistes in May 2015.
Michele's father Nello was a chef in Italy and he taught him respect for culinary products, the sacrifices it takes to be a chef and all the basics of Italian cuisine. Michele is a graduate of the Culinary School of Assisi and tells us: "I'm so passionate about my work; I've revamped the menu which will change seasonally featuring the creme de la creme of Italian cuisine that honors this restaurant's namesake movie and book."
Michele also suggested we try the Bucatini "alle Sarde" with wild fennel, red pepper, garlic, pine nuts and raisins, shown above. If you are a fan of multiple flavors and textures going on concurrently, you will like this pasta dish that is garnished with toasted breadcrumbs.
Our absolute favorite item we tried on this visit was without a doubt the Three meat and prosciutto tortelloni, above. Amazingly exquisite, these fresh tortelloni are filled with an absolutely tantalizing combination of pork, beef and veal and some prosciutto de parma, parmigiano, nutmeg, lemon, and ricotta cheese. They waltz in a light veal sauce finished with marscarpone cheese and thyme and their dance on this plate would earn 10's from every judge on Dancing with the Stars. We wish this pasta was in front of us right this second in 3D! You may not pass go and collect $200 without trying this dish at The Leopard!!!
Oooh how we love fish! A dream entree is the Pan-seared red snapper with fennel, capers and lemon sauce that is just perfection. Michele is uber-talented and the execution here was superb. It's local, wild snapper from Canada that comes from "Premium Ocean" (supplier in the Bronx.) It's fresh and every bite will win you over; we suggest pairing it with the fragrant sauteed broccoli rabe with red pepper.
Two desserts is better than one when they are this high quality! With a thin crisp wafer outside, above please meet the Nutella chocolate mousse served on hazelnut crunch and banana gelato which is sure to delight all those that love chocolate and nuts together.
We loved best the Rum Babba below with "panna montata" and accented with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blueberries!
The Leopard at des Artistes is Terrific Takeout!
