Peachy Picks Calle Ocho Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know
Executive Chef Rodney Mitchell of Calle Ocho
The Best Dentist in Manhattan
&
Official Dentist of Whom You Know:
http://cosmopolitandental.com/
30 E. 40th Suite 1001
212 683 1960
Dr. Garo Nazarian is a Mover and Shaker:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/01/movers-and-shakers-dr-garo-nazarian-of.html
30 E. 40th Suite 1001
212 683 1960
Dr. Garo Nazarian is a Mover and Shaker:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/01/movers-and-shakers-dr-garo-nazarian-of.html
***
If you are in the mood for some fantastic Latin food, Calle Ocho is the place to be!
Executive Chef Rodney Mitchell is a shining star in this realm of cuisine, and our only question to ourselves is why didn't we go sooner? We're not sure we have ever had better Latin food. Owned by Jeff Kadish, it has been around for 12 years and since last August in its current location at the Excelsior Hotel.
Boasting a totally smart setup and a welcoming environment, Calle Ocho is a delight right from the start. Everyone knows that Peachy Deegan's idea of drinking a fantastic cocktail is simply drinking herself, but she will credit highly the Spanish Harlem, above, which is Peaches, Mandarin, Cinnamon and Dark Rum. A concoction with flavors that flow together quite nicely for this time of year, Spanish Harlem will impress you too.
Calle Ocho was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and we are pleased to announce it is dancing a Victor Cruuuuuuz salsa into the realms of Peachy's Picks!
A beautiful arrangement is not lost on us and you can be assured Calle Ocho has that too.
Peachy Deegan is from Connecticut as you all know and so was her panelist from this night so we especially appreciated the bread basket. Specifically, the bread is called ponde bono made with yucca flour stuffed with a mild white cheese. Traditionally it is given to workers at the end of a day as a bonus we understand.
We also noticed the decor is literally peachy in color!
Thumbs up!
We next tried some refreshing cheviches!
Langosta was Peachy's favorite, above. Poached Lobster, Tomato, Scallion, Grapefruit, and Passion-Chili Mojo will delight your senses and the lobster paired with grapefruit is a genius combination. Chef Rodney was very impressive all night.
Atun Marinated Aji Tuna with ginger, cilantro and a mustard vinaigrette was next on the agenda.
Simply fantastic and beautiful too! Marcus Underwood was a lovely waiter and Mohammed Hussain was an attentive busboy while Georgie Perez was a fantastic runner. They pay attention like fixing your napkin when you are away. Joe Delmonte was a welcoming manager and everyone we encountered was professional.
Do not miss the house cured salmon, Aji Amarillo, Sour Orange and Pineapple.
The pink and green combination is a winner!
Huachinango consists of Red Snapper, Cucumber, Mango, Papaya, Cilantro and Lime and was Peachy's appetizer of choice to begin. The incredibly tiny slices were absolutely perfect and the upbeat combination was heightened by the fun presence of popcorn!
And one last appetizer we sampled was Datiles; if you dream of bacon like Peachy, or even if you do not, you will fall in love with this scrumptious little bite of heaven. Bacon-wrapped almond-stuffed dates rest on a bed of palm until they expediently advance to your stomach!
Absolutely decadent and a must to order!
Now we will introduce you to the piece de resistence of Peachy Deegan for this meal: the outstanding paella of lobsters, mussels, clams, shrimp, chorizo, chicken, valencia rice, and tomato-calamari salad~!
Each aspect was unrivaled in the world of paella we know.
Every tastebud you own will be awakened to a different note of flavor in each bite.
A closeup of the center claw:
We also angelically ordered some garlic spinach which we'd highly recommend as well:
Our esteeemed panelist adds:
A night at Calle Ocho is one that you will not soon forget. The restaurant offers a fantastic menu of Nuevo Latino fare. After a warm welcome into the restaurant, I started off my evening with a Ginevra cocktail.
This refreshing drink was made with Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, Canton Liqueur, and Chambord. It was a perfect balance of gin and sweeter, lighter flavors. For appetizers, we were treated to a trio of ceviches - Langosta (Poached Lobster, Tomato, Scallion, Grapefruit, and Passion-Chili Mojo), Salmon (with Aji Amarillo, Sour Orange, and Pineapple), and Atun (Marinated Aji Tuna, Ginger, Cilantro, and Mustard Vinaigrette). I was truly wowed by the fresh tasting ingredients in each of these appetizers. The chef has thought out the flavor combinations of each dish so well. Each one was like a symphony of flavors on my tongue. My favorite may have been the Atun, where the fresh ginger flavor really jumped out at me. In addition to the ceviches, we also tried the Datiles. This appetizer really takes the cake! It consists of bacon wrapped almond stuffed dates, Hearts of Palm, and Cabrales. I don't even like bacon, but this was out of this world. I would come back to Calle Ocho just for this appetizer!
One last appetizer I was able to try before my main course was the Pulpo. Pulpo is Grilled Octupus and Chick Pea Puree with Chorizo, Smoked Paprika, and Chili Oil. Just as with the other appetizers, the Pulpo did not fail to impress! The octopus was grilled to perfection. It was very tender, and with its accompaniments, this dish was full of flavor. For my main course, I tried the Arroz Con Pollo. This is not your average Arroz Con Pollo. At Calle Ocho, this dish is made with a juicy Roasted Chicken Breast, Pigeon Pea Rice, Avocado Salad, and Crispy Plantains. I have had arroz con pollo countless times at other latin restaurants.
It is one of my favorite dishes, but Calle Ocho's version really blows all those others out of the water. They have taken a very simple dish and enhanced it with so many wonderful flavors. I really enjoyed the crispy plantains. They were almost like very thin plantain fries that were woven together. It was very tasty! At this point, my stomach was bursting, but after all this wonderful food, I had to try some dessert! We were lucky enough to be able to have sample of three of their delectable desserts.
The Domino was a dark chocolate cake served with dulce de leche ice cream. The cake was moist, delicious, and very chocolatey, and the dulce de leche ice cream was a the perfect complement! The Carmelo was a vanilla flan with a striking mango sauce.
This was a very good dessert, especially if you like flan. Finally, the Cubanito was a chocolate hazelnut mousse with peanut butter, and coffee ice cream. It was very creamy, and I always love when peanut butter is part of my dessert! By the end of this meal, I was in heaven. The food was fantastic, the drinks were delicious, and the service was friendly. If you haven't been to Calle Ocho yet, make a trip over to the Upper West Side and check it out! You will love it!
Peachy Picks Calle Ocho!
Calle Ocho is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
