Vespa was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/01/terrific-takeout-vespa.html
It was fabulous so it graduated to Tasty Tidbits:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/02/tasty-tidbits-vespa.html
We are pleased to announce that it has graduated to Peachy's Picks because of its fabulous cuisine! Peachy Deegan was thoroughly impressed with the scallop masterpieces she encountered! You would think with the number of Italian restaurants in New York City we'd be running out of things to say, but we aren't at all. Vespa is a cool, happening place with a youthful feel right from the colored lights that greet you from above when you arrive to the crowd you'll see in the dining room. In the takeout test, Vespa proved to be formidable in meat - Peachy ordered the steak- so in the formal review she thought she'd see how the seafood was. It was exquisite:
The fresh scallops were seared perfectly and the garnish of oranges were a great citrus touch in cold February in Manhattan. The watercress gave it color and crunch and the orange drizzle was like the cherry on top! It made Peachy feel like she was somewhere tropical although in fact, she was still on the Upper East side! This cuisine must know it's fashion week because it was presented with flair and panache as you can see!
Clearly on a scallop kick, Peachy then tried the outstanding Pappardelle which consisted of scallops, leeks, and garlic cream sauce. This standout dish will disappoint no one on your next trip to Vespa, and it is a wonderful comfort food for the current climate.The only thing we missed was the sparkling personality and delightful fashion sense of Lynn, wife of Gigi the manager. Lynn is a peach and so is Gigi. But don't listen to Peachy alone. She brought a bright panel with her that includes a far more accomplished writer, and they say:
When reviewing restaurants, we often choose standards so that we can gauge the offering by others we have sampled in the past. With that in mind, our panel selected two appetizers that are frequently found on an Italian menu: octopus, shown below, and bufala, shown above.
The Bufala mozzarella was a soft and milky Italian delight while the prosciutto was sliced appropriately thin, which served to bring out the flavor of the cured meat. Onions and tomatoes added to the overall presentation.
The Grilled Giant Octopus was accompanied by potato, fennel, capers, red onion, and a scattering of grilled calamari. While octopus can be chewy if not cooked correctly, the chef at Vespa obviously knew how to handle this mollusk. The meat was firm yet tender and lightly seasoned to perfection.
For a main course, our panel selected Duck Breast and Pollo Paesana. The Pollo Paesana, Vespa’s take on the classic Italian staple, chicken scarpariello, was delightfully different than the traditional fare. Moist chunks of “cognac flamed” chicken were tossed with mushrooms and artichokes. Again, borrowing a little something (cognac) from a French kitchen provided a unique culinary experience that was much more sophisticated than one has come to expect from the humble combination of chicken and sausage.
As we all know, duck is an extremely difficult dish to prepare well. Also, the fowl is served in many ways around the world -- Peking duck, for example. Even in Italy, a duck entree arrives at the table in many different ways, depending on the region. At Vespa the duck is prepared in a manner that does justice to authentic Piemonte cuisine. Slices of breast were nestled among mission figs and polenta. The exclamation point was a savory fennel demiglace which was so delicious we can forgive the chef for using a French style sauce.
For dessert our panel selected cheesecake and, of course, tiramisu. Both delivered a fitting finale to a wonderful meal. Bravo to Vespa.
http://vesparestaurant.us/
