<a target="_blank" href="http://www.esca-nyc.com">Esca</a>

402 West 43rd Street,

New York, NY 10036

December 2008

Readers will have a very hard time finding better fish and
seafood than at Esca, located in mid-town Manhattan. I have eaten at Esca many
times, but each time I leave wondering why so much time has passed between
visits, as the food is never anything less than outstanding. Chef Dave
Pasternack’s cuisine is bright, pure and based on the most pristine
ingredients. The crudo is always a must-have dish. I am not usually a huge fan
of fried foods but both the crispy troutlings and crispy ruby red shrimp were
terrific, especially the shrimp, which we dutifully ate whole, as instructed.
My grilled pompano, cooked to perfection, was sublime.

The Bellini is
really more of a warm weather drink, and this tasty aperitif is rarely better
than it is at Esca, especially in the summer months, when the large terrace
allows for outdoor dining. On this bitter-cold day we enjoyed a pitcher of a
tasty winter variation, the Pomegranate Bellini, which promptly got us settled
in for this delicious lunch. Beniamino
Zidarich’s 2005 Malvasia was a wonderful match to our food. This white from
Friuli’s Carso district is fermented on the skins, an approach which gives the
wine a gorgeous richness and expansiveness that worked perfectly with our
fully-flavored dishes. All in all, this was another fantastic meal at Esca.&nbsp;

Food:

Crudo

Crispy troutlings

Crispy ruby red shrimp with sage, capers and lemon

Bufala mozzarella with wild arugula and oven-dried tomatoes

Whole grilled pompano with salsa verde&nbsp;

Wine:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV
 </td>
 <td>
 Pomegranate Bellinis 
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2005
 </td>
 <td>
 Zidarich Malvasia
 </td>
 <td>
 91</td></tr></tbody></table>

[Photo and credit: Esca, New York] --Antonio Galloni

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