Puffer jackets at the ready…this week’s gonna be a chill one with temperatures rumored to be dropping down to the 30’s by midweek. Brrrrrr. Fortunately our favorite neighborhood Italian Adelina’s has added some excellent new dishes recently and they are exactly the kind of thing we want to be eating on a cold winter night, washed down with a nice glass of red from one of the many wine casks that line the walls of the restaurant.
Here’s what we tried and LOVED when we visited at the weekend:
Pumpkin and Ricotta Malfatti with Sage and Brown Butter
‘Malfatti’ roughly translates from Italian as ‘badly made’, so called because of the misshapen appearance of the dumplings, but there is nothing badly made about these little darlings. The malfatti are light as clouds, and use only the minimal amount of flour needed to hold them together when they are carefully immersed in water. Glistening with brown butter, the gently spiced creamy pumpkin flavor is complimented by salty leaves of crispy sage and slivers of fried garlic.
Beet and Farro Risotto with Gorgonzola and Beet Greens
I simply cannot say enough good things about this risotto. The beet and gorgonzola make for a velvet-smooth texture, the nutty farro is delightfully nubbly, and the overall flavor divine. Walnuts studded throughout and shreds of beet greens complete the dish.
Free Range Chicken Involtini with Sage and Prosciutto
Happy meat is a priority to Adelina’s owner Toby Buggiani (as it should be to all of us), and this chicken breast is carefully sourced from an upstate farm. Glazed a lovely golden brown, it is stuffed with free range prosciutto and sage and comes with a heap of glossy roasted Yukon golds and local carrots.
Adelina’s is at 159 Greenpoint Avenue.
Hours are Mon-Fri 5pm-12pm and weekends 11am-12pm
See the website for regular events that include:
Record Night – Tuesdays from 7.30pm
Comedy Night – Last Wednesday of the month from 10pm
Vintage Movie Night – Sundays from 10pm