Dear Food Diary:
Stalkerboy very nonchalantly asked me to dinner before my trip to Shanghai. I was a little suspicious, but dinner progressed without any surprise. After dinner, he suggested a walk in Bryant Park, but my 4 inch heels equaled unhappy feet. After a little argument we took a cab back to his place so I could rest my hurting feet.

While sitting on his couch, out of the blue, he proposed. *swoon*

Afterwards, he spilled his plan to propose at the restaurant, he was holding off until dessert, but it got pretty crowded and he got really nervous. So even though, it didn’t happen at Ai Fiori, it will always have a special place in our hearts. Our dinner was fantastic with great service. We’ll definitely be back to celebrate our special dates.

Ai Fiori is inside the chic Langham Place hotel. The massive tear drop sculpture hangs beautifully and a spiral staircase leads you to the restaurant. I’m a big fan of Michael White, from Marea to Osteria Morini and Nicoletta.

Four Course Prix Fixe $94

Amuse Bouche
Creamy mushroom soup with an herb and pepper cracker.

Cominciare (appetizer)

Ricci e Cavolfiore
A rich cauliflower panna cotta with sweet sea urchin bright lemon zest and a shaving of salty parmesan. The cauliflower’s subtle aroma plays so nicely with the uni. It melted in my mouth with little pieces of the vegetable adding texture.

Tartare di Spigola Panzanella
StalkerBoy chose a wild striped bass tartar with toasted bread, olives and cucumber. Refreshing and fresh with a lot of flavor and crunch.

Pasta 

Trofie Nero
We were both excited about this dish. I love chef Bianco’s superb pastas and  this squid ink pasta did not disappoint. Umami filled Lingurian crustacean ragu, seppia, scallops flavored the perfectly al dente ribbons of black pasta. Chewy and bouncy. Topped with spiced mollica to give it crunch and a hint of heat. I will come back just for this with a nice glass of wine.

I don’t eat pasta often, but when I do, it has to be Michael White’s.

Carne

Tagliata
It always make me giggle when servers bring over the red meat and think it’s StalkerBoy’s. I’m a carnivore and whenever the choice is between fish and meat, I usually pick the latter. This prime dry aged strip loin was full of flavor. The marbled texture reminded me of some of the beef I had in Japan. A deep bordelaise sauce, rich and flavorful. So fragrant from the butter. Endive, potato terrine, “cacao e pepe” and balsamico. The fresh bitterness of the endive helped cut the fat with tartness from the vinegar. Thought it’s a heavier entree, it was balanced.

The potato terrine was a highlight. Wonderfully crispy and buttery layers of tender and thin, paper like potato sheets. So good.

Agnello
Rack of lamb en crepinette, ratatouille and squash blossoms. I don’t eat lamb but StalkerBoy enjoyed it.

Dolci

Creme Glacee
Dark chocolate semifreddo with a light lemon verbena and roasted peach sorbet. Creamy, rich dark chocolate. A little bitter sweet and tart. A bit of pistachios for a crunchy salty touch. My kind of dessert.

Torta di Olio
Ligurian olive oil cake with mascarpone mousse, pistachio and strawberry sorbetto. Light and fluffy. Lovely way to end our meal with a warm cup of chamomile tea.

I liked the option of a 4 course meal, we got to try a variety of dishes without being overly stuffed. Can’t wait to be back to relive our special night.

P.S. Chubby’s Rating:
www.aifiorinyc.com
400 5th Ave (2nd level)
212.613.8660