Briscola

Went to Briscola back in September and loved it. I was trying to find a location for my Birthday dinner next month and I end up choosing Briscola since they have a big enough space, yet affordable menu for my guest. It's always such a hassle to get a reservation for a large crowd during the holiday seasons at a restaurant that you like, so this year I plan in advance. And that's why I'm writing this post, to give my friends an idea of what they are going to be eating on my Birthday (^v^)

♥ Love their decor ♥

It was just the 2 of us but since we heard about so many good dishes, we order way too much.... but we did manage to finish everything and also order dessert at  that =P 

Even their bread and Balsamic & Olive Oil was so good (I'll have to pick up a bottle of their balsamic next time I'm there, they sell it for $25 a bottle)

Their bread was so good that, even with all of our dishes, we manage to have 2 baskets =P

Fried Olives w/ orange and parsley

This was surprisingly light and not greasy. The orange zest and parsley actually bring out the flavor of the olive... I can just munch on these with some wine all day long.

Ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers

This is a dish that I've been wanting to try forever and it was on their seasonal menu. The batter was super thin and crunchy. And surprisingly, with all the strong flavor of the batter, seasoning and ricotta, you can still taste the thin zucchini flowers' flavor.

Prosciutto di Parma w/ stuffed figs and candied spiced almonds

Wish there was more than one fig =( Love fresh figs, I can't remember how many I've bought this past summer and stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese. It just can't get better, the salty creamy cheese was perfect with the sweetness of the figs plus the crunchy candied almond adds the perfect texture to the dish =D

Bruschetta

Yummy Bread + fresh tomatoes + aged balsamic + shaved cheese = Simple & Heavenly

Maltagliati ~ basil pesto, oven cured tomatoes & black pepper mascarpone cream

It doesn't look as pretty as the other dishes but there was just a harmony of flavor here. The melting pepper mascarpone just blended perfectly with the yummy pesto on top of the al dente pasta and the oven cured tomatoes just add such a tang and smokiness flavor to it at the same time.

Braised Beef Short Ribs ~ farro risotto, vegetables & cipollini agro dolce

I love how there was still fat in the ribs, love the fall off the bone fatty meaty goodness and it had such intense flavor throughout. 

Also love the texture of the farro risotto which was chewier than your usual risotto and the cipollini agro dolce (sweet and sour onions) just brighten up the otherwise heavier sauce.

Panettone bread pudding w/ dates, pistachio & Vanilla Gelato

By now you should know that I have a ooyee-gooyee dessert obsession and this is now one of my favorite (same level of goodness to the one here from Marben & here from Beast)

It was the perfect combination of flavor & texture served perfectly warm almost hot

TO DIE FOR !!!

Verdict :

Since I'm coming back for my Birthday, you know how much I love it

Every dish that we had was perfect from start to finish, no complain at all and that's rare =P