FTWolf

October 13, 2011

#45, Lamb Meatball Slider, Locanda Verde

Okay, here we go. Shots fired on the Sandwich Game, courtesy of the Lamb Meatball Slider from Locanda Verde.

This place felt like a real restaurant-restaurant. Great decor- rustic Italian, with a hip, modern energy. Steel light fixtures. Sturdy, dark wood varnished tables. I get excited about eating where ever I am, but this sort of environment combines that excitement with a kind of ambition- I WANT to eat at this kind of place. I WANT to make sure I order the best thing on the menu.

I think we did.

The lamb meatball slider is served two per order, as an appetizer. The bun is soft without being mushy or soaking up too much sauce. The sauce is a very fresh, bright tomato sauce. Instead of mozzarella or another Italian cheese, the cheese on this is goat cheese, which has a much stronger flavor. I really appreciated that touch, given the small size of this thing. There is a slice of lightly pickled cucumber for tartness and crunch. And the meatball is outrageous. When you bite into this thing, it’s pretty remarkable that it doesn’t fall apart. It’s rich, but not too tightly formed, and the fats in the meat blend with the other flavors in a bold, yet almost delicate way. Great texture all the way through.

The experience of this sandwich reminded me of the Momofuku pork buns in a way. If you’re into those, you’ll be into this.

This restaurant was too nice to do a video, so I did the “radio play” instead.
http://vimeo.com/30520724

The meatball slider is tiny, but I actually liked it better that way. I don’t think the taste could hold up in a full-size patty. The way I described the sandwich was “gentle.” The lamb was delicious, I loved the bun and the flavor of the goat cheese. It was just fantastic.

Whenever our sandwich adventure takes us somewhere that’s not a shithole, I feel a bit awkward. Locunda Verde is a super-hip restaurant co-owned by Robert DeNiro located in the Tribeca neighborhood. One does not simply take a first bite video there.

That said, I really enjoy going to a restaurant that’s very much out of my ~~price range~~ comfort zone and trying something different. And I’m really glad I did, because the Lamb Sliders were amazing.

Also, I sat next to Olivia Wilde at lunch. I didn’t recognize her; Eva had to point her out.

10:19pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOWaTyAemu11

(Notes: 4)