Tre Dici [Click the photo above to go to Tre Dici’s website]
128 W 26th St New York, NY 10001
Where have I been may you ask? I started a new job, that has weirdly sucked the life out of me, because I’m all punctual and workin’ hard and that stuff (is someone from my office reading this?), but I’m also drinking my nights away instead of eating them away. But not this time, oh no. I more than made up for it when my dad decided to take my sister and me to dinner one night at TreDici in Chelsea.
I was pretty excited since my dad had promised he’d pick me up, so I wouldn’t have to cab it to the restaurant, and just as I was reapplying my lipgloss I get a text message from my sister, “why are we picking you up? You’re so far.”
And then my phone rings, and it’s my dad:
“We’re sitting in some traffic, so do you want to just meet us there?”
My sister has gotten to him. Damn it.
I of course beat these numskulls to the restaurant, even after forcing my cab driver to do a full circle so he could drop me off in front of the restaurant, and I slither into the booth to get the seat that I want, and I begin scanning the menu: kobe beef ravioli, something with duck ragu, mac n cheese, meatballs…this is going to be a hard decision ahead of me.
My sister and Dad arrive, and they sit down.
“You were cranky over there, not wanting to pick me up.” Like I’m not going to call my sister out.
“I’m starving.”
We’re all so mean when we’re hungry.
“You have a pimple on your face.” I got her back.
Thankfully the waiter brings over the bread basket, and we find out there are risotto balls inside the basket. I mean there are no words, fried balls of rice for a snack, done!
Full disclosure: my sister babysits for the restaurant’s owner, so I was already told that we needed to order the angry lobster appetizer, which was fine with me.
The waitress comes over and starts listing off the specials, and they were like little lullabies to my family’s ears: buffalo style calamari to start, a Mediterranean meatball, lobster ravioli, a pappardelle in a Bolognese sauce.
I could see my sister’s mouth water. I think I saw drool hit her plate.
I know right away that whatever appetizer we were discussing is getting replaced by the calamari, so we go with the calamari, the angry lobster, and meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese in the center.
Mains? I was committed to the kobe beef ravioli before I stepped foot in the restaurant.
My dad is having issues though, he hasn’t mastered cooking, and begins by telling us, “I haven’t had chicken in a while.”
“Yeah, because you don’t know how to cook it.”
“But I never order chicken.”
“So don’t get chicken.”
He goes with their orecchiette special served with spicy sausage and spinach, served in a oil and garlic sauce. He was never going to order chicken.
My sister, is completely overwhelmed. Lobster ravioli! Pasta! Spaghetti!
“I’ll have the lobster ravioli…I think.”
The waitress walks away.
“Why you gonna get the lobster ravioli when we already ordered the angry lobster,” my dad says as he butters the bread.
“I don’t know! It sounded so good!”
“What else did they say?”
I know which one she’s thinking about, “you want the pappardelle with Bolognese don’t you?”
“yeah,” and it is done.
Now that the ordering is out of the way:
“So tell me about your new job.”
To be brief, my new job requires me to cold call, all day, so my dad made me act out a cold call for him at the table.
“Call me.”
I give my shpeal (which I refuse to write on my blog), and he actually looks impressed.
“That’s good!”
I’m not going to lie. I was flattered. I feel like an idiot half the time on the phone jabbering to people on the other end, so to get any compliment, even from my clueless dad and sister, I will take it!
Appetizers arrive. I have never had lobster in a spicy pepper broth, and I really should have it more often.
Buffalo style calamari: I’m going to use the word innovative. Judge me.
The meatballs: for one, they’re gigantic, yep giant balls. And they were…my favorite appetizer.
I was full just from the appetizers, and then we see the waitress bring over pasta, but it’s not any of the pasta we ordered.
Surprise! “We know you wanted to try the lobster ravioli, so we brought you some to try”
And there they are! 3 personal raviolis, for all of us.
To say I was stuffed at this point would be a gross understatement: risotto balls, lobster, meatballs, lobster ravioli, oh wait…we still have another course coming.
My kobe beef ravioli was out of this world. It is not to be missed. Even if you just get an order for the table so everyone gets one ravioli, it’s one thousand percent worth it.
My dad and sister were pleased with their choices as well.
Dessert? Duh.
I know, I’m stuffed, but they have crepe cake! It’s my new favorite dessert. I discovered it at Novita, and I haven’t looked back. It’s fab.
And the biggest surprise of it all?? It was all for the price of “on the house!”
As we’re about to leave I realize we never took a picture. “Wait! We still need to take a picture!”
“I’m not letting you take a picture with this pimple on my face.”
Guess she won in the end.
Bread basket.
It’s not just an ordinary bread basket. It has risotto in it. It’s borderline magical.
Inside Out Meatballs: fried beef, pork & veal meatballs stuffed with fresh mozzarella & ricotta cheese, in homemade marinara sauce.
Um, yeah they’re as good as they sound, and as big as child’s head. “The human head weighs 8 lbs.” They normally some with just two, but they gave us three, so one for each of us.
Angry Lobster: 1lb maine lobster sautéed with lemon, roasted garlic, butter & white wine finished with red pepper flakes
I have never ever had spicy lobster before, and I don’t understand why. It makes perfect sense, and I want to have it again.
Buffalo Style Calamari
No real description necessary, it’s gourmet bar food, and it’s good! Eat some of the celery, you’ll feel better about it.
Lobster ravioli:
Oh here’s our surprise lobster ravioli! It’s delicious. The ravioli’s are plump. it tastes fresh, and the sauce has great flavor.
Orrechiette: Bowl shaped pasta, crumbled sausage, finely chopped broccoli rabe & hot cherry peppers with EVOO & roasted garlic.
I prefer pasta in more of a sauce, but if this is a dish you’re into, I highly recommend it!
Kobe Beef Ravioli: wagyu beef, caramelized onions & fontina di val’dosta in marsala, browned butter & thyme with natural reduction.
Surprise there’s truffle, and if there isn’t, it tastes like there is. I wish I could eat this all the time, but I can’t otherwise I would look like a beef ravioli. It’s an amazing combination, and no ingredients overpowers the other, they just work together!
Pappardelle with bolognese sauce. It is a meaty dish for lack of a better word, maybe hearty is a better word? Ok, yeah, hearty. It’s satisfying to say the least.
Crepe Cake
Look at this beautiful creation! There are caramelized bananas on the side, if you’re into that. I mostly went for the cake.
GirlyFoodie 