Fooding and Schmoozing

Once again, I'm able to reep the benefits of my sweet internship at Behind the Burner. Last night I was sent to the Second Anniversary party at Via Dei Mille in Soho. Funky pop art paintings contrast with the dim lighting and the sexy bar to create a trendy, yet relaxed atmosphere. Even the crowd seemed to match this vibe: lots of beautiful, tall people (Elana and I were probably the shortest people there), with a low maintenance, but put together style. I think we both felt a little out of place, not knowing anyone else and probably being the youngest people there, but a few glasses of prosecco and bellinis helped ease us into the crowd.

Once the waiters started to come around with hors d'oeuvres, we felt much more at ease. Appetizers ranged from Italian classics, such as bruschetta, to modern surprises, such as a caprese salad in a shot glass--a tomato gel-like mousse topped with mozzarella and pesto. A big hit were the risotto balls: risotto with mozzarella cheese and peas, shaped into little balls and fried. Yum. Elana and I were both fans of these teeny-tiny poppyseed rolls, filled with smoked salmon and goat cheese with fresh dill. It was like a mini bagel with lox--not necessarily Italian, but very cute and fun to pop in your mouth.

As guests of the party, we were able to order whatever we wanted off the dinner menu. Elana had squid ink pasta with calamari. I had lasagna with butternut squash and lamb ragout. If you can believe it, I used to hate lasagna when I was a kid. My Ga-ga makes it every year on Christmas Eve. I used to get weirded out by the texture of ricotta cheese and refused to try it. Maybe it was my maturing palette or my ever-growing love of food, but one day I finally tried lasagna and it was like a revelation. I couldn't believe I'd been missing out on such yummy goodness for all these years! Baked layers of pasta, cheese, and tomato sauce...how could you possibly go wrong? Needless to say, I am now an official lasagna lover, and the lasagna at Via Dei Mille was some of the best I have ever tasted (sorry Ga-ga!). The pasta was so tender, and the lamb ragout had such a great meaty flavor, but was still so light and velvety. The butternut squash added an elegant, seasonal twist to this simple comfort food. Regardless of its massive portion, I finished every last bite.

To top off this great meal, Elana and I shared Nutella crepes and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. We both laughed in delight as we shoveled bites into our mouths. The crepes were especially delicious, and brought us back to memories of eating nutella-banana crepes in Reims, France this summer. Ahh, c'est la vie...

Our night at Via Dei Mille was such a great "New York" experience--important and trendy looking people wining, dining and schmoozing. Maybe one day when I make it as a successful food writer I'll be part of that schmoozin' crowd. But for now, I'm happy to pretend and at the very least, get a free meal...especially when that free meal turns out be great.