Italian for the Frenchie

We had a fabulous Sunday afternoon celebrating the birthday of our fav Frenchie, Carole!  

We all met up up at Eastside Billiards for some quick games of pool.

 Then we headed to Sotto Cinque for some delicious Italian cuisine.  The service left a bit to be desired (Deep actually had to issue complaint), but the food was enjoyable.  We both wound up getting seafood, which was well-prepared.  But we agreed that the sauce was just a bit salty, which became overpowering after the initial few bites.  

Mel's Risotto Marachiara
(calamari, shrimp, clams,
white wine/butter)

 

DJ's  Linguine Alla Pescatora
(clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, olive oil,
roasted garlic, tomato sauce)

 

Grill Master Strikes Again!

We'd been eating a lot of chicken lately, so we both agreed a bit of red meat would be nice.  So Grill Master DJ worked his magic with two amazing cuts of aged beef from Whole Foods.  Can we say melt-in-your-mouth pieces of heaven?!  Just what we both needed on a tired winter night.

 This Emeril grill pan is really awesome.

 DJ has the line marking down to a science!

Better than any restaurant!

Pio Pio in Hell's Kitchen - Rotisserie in Style

We have been to the Pio Pio on 34th Street many times (including one of our first dates!), so when Niko and Kristen suggested we meet up at the one in Hell's Kitchen we thought it would look identical.  But to our surprise, this one is a very fancy sit-down restaurant with two levels of dim lighting, bamboo wall decor, and a full menu that goes beyond just their rotisserie chicken.  What a change of Pio Pio pace!

We couldn't resist ordering the chicken as usual (since they're really known for it), but we also tried the ceviche which was quite delicious.  The pisco cocktails and sangria were also delightful.

We will definitely return when we're in the mood for some Peruvian flavors!