Gottino

Slipped in the midst of the West Village, Gottino is a diminutive and arcadian spot for hanging out. Think small-plates, good wine, and complimentary nuts for you to crack open.

On balmier nights, there is a garden, all the way in the backyard of the space. In or out, Gottino is warm and still comfortably sophisticated.

If you opt for the bar, an extensive slab of white marble serves as a polished surface for a chat, a sip, or even a nibble or two, amidst a really intimate ambience. With breakfast and lunch hours available, this destination seems elegantly suitable anytime of day. Food choices include morsel creations of crostinis, seasonal vegetables, meats and fish.

Gottino
52 Greenwich Ave
NY, NY 10014

Roasted Cauliflower with Chesnuts and Anchovies

Building from the momentum of Thanksgiving and its nutty temperament, I had been thinking of other ingredient medleys that would express the season on a plate. I thought of the disenfranchised ingredients, disenfranchised because I typically wouldn’t cook with them, particularly cauliflower and anchovies.

In a little bowl I disheveled a few anchovy fillets with olive oil, freshly chopped garlic and pepper. I added sliced chestnuts and ground Parmesan. Finally, I doused some cauliflower florets with the concoction and let it roast in the oven. The result was rustic, nutty, deep and so comforting.

© 2010 Faris Habayeb

Soundtracking Moments: A Spiced December

1. Fee Da Da Dee – The Guggenheim Grotto
2. Crying like a Church on Monday – New Radicals
3. Trick Pony – Charlotte Gainsbourg
4. STRT SRNS – Wise Blood
5. Endlessly – Duffy
6. Loud Pipes – Ratatat
7. Home – Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
8. Break Even – The Script
9. Kiss the Sky – Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra
10. Hey Boy – The Blow

© 2010 Art by Faris Habayeb

Rolling in the Deep Video

Glasses of water shake to the vibrating gospel beats of this great number, are just one, of many reasons why this track is giving me goosebumps.

Others are the recurring stunts of dishes breaking and the dust dancing in the midst of what seems to be a gorgeous brownstone undergoing major renovations. All this amidst a livid Adele, who somehow manages to remain graciously seated in a living room chair.

Enough said, see the video here.

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© 2010 Faris Habayeb