Yesterday my good friend Elli Jafari invited me to the friends and family tasting at the new Trump Soho Hotel restaurant Quattro. I've known Elli for more than 15 years. She is one of the most fun, down-to-earth women I know. Her career has taken her all over the US, and she is now settling in fine as the Food and Beverage Director there at Trump Soho.
I was seated at a nice table with a view of the entire dining room. It's a gorgeous spot - deep jade walls matched with emerald green bottles that absorb the western sunlight. Beautiful atmosphere. Quattro is bi-level and seat 160 people. I am especially excited about the hotel bar, (looks like something out of Mad Men) and the private library.
Chefs Fabrizio and Nicola Carro, identical twin brothers from Alessandria in the Piemonte region of Italy, served me items they hand-picked from the menu. Both were chefs at the Trump Quattro in Miami's South Beach, Florida.
They started me off with Insalata di Rape Rose Mouse in Capra e Frisee (Roasted Baby Beets with Goat Cheese Mousse, Frisee and Ren Wine Beet Vinaigrete.) Behind the salad, you can see a dish of Chiaccere Di Carnevale - or - Sweet Fried Pasta Dough. These came out as soon as I sat down. They are normally served during Carnivale season. These were phenomenal - perfect crispiness and smeared in honey.
After the beat salad, came the Vitello Tonnato con Capperi - a thinly sliced veal piece with Favignana Tuna Sauce and Capers. My guest likes this dish because it reminds her of breakfast buffets in hotels in Italy.
Our main courses were a seared Mediterranean Turbot with roma beans, black olives and capers and Fabrizio's infamous porcini truffle ravioli. I read that the chef sources a lot of his meats and vegetables.
We saw a lot of other delicious dishes pass our table that made me want to make reservations for dinner within the month. The Main Lobster Salad had bright red lobster meat and fresh asparagus that made me hungry all over again. The Spaghetti Carbonara (one of my favorite dishes in general) looked fantastic as it passed my table too.
For dessert we were given Bomboloni della Casa that melted in your mouth. The insides were filled with Vanilla Custard, Nutella and Apricot. I highly reccommend you order these when you visit.
After coffee (which was served in trendy, very Italian, dishware that I loved) I was so close to take up Elli's offer to take a mid-day nap in one of the suites. Unfortunately, I had to head back to work and save it for another night.Bon Appetito!
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