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Enoteca Maria – Delicious Traditional Italian Food

looking toward the kitchen at enoteca mariaAfter our time at the New Amsterdam Market for A Cider Revival, we headed down to catch the ferry to Staten Island for an early evening meal at Enoteca Maria. We’ve been wanting to go there for a while now, and when it became clear that we’d be close to the SI ferry that afternoon, heading over to Enoteca Maria seemed like a great idea.

I first heard about this place from NY State Senator Diane Savino (she represents part of both southern Brooklyn and neighboring Staten Island) – she mentioned it in an interview, explaining that it’s an Italian restaurant where the food is cooked by a different Italian grandmother each night. Each woman brings her lifetime of cooking experience, knowledge, and familiarity with her regional specialities to the restaurant. This is a very unusual setup for a restaurant, but an intriguing and successful one.

We knew we had to try it at some point… but how to get there without a car?!? Fortunately, there is a way – by ferry and foot.

So much of Staten Island requires a car to get around it, at first we thought that Enoteca Maria would be inaccessible to those without a car (I’ve lived in NY for 10 years without owning a car). Thankfully, the restaurant is only a short walk from the ferry station on Staten Island. That makes it extremely easy to get to.

By the way, the Staten Island Ferry is also free, and gives you a terrific view of the NYC Harbor – views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, and Ellis Island are particularly cool. If you come to NYC for a visit, consider taking the ferry for an extremely economical way to see that part of the city.

The space was not what I was expecting, but I liked it very much. I was expecting more of a trattoria atmosphere, but it makes sense that it’s more like a wine bar, since “enoteca” means “wine library”. It has a modern, sleek look, with a dining area on the left and in the front, and a bar on the right; I believe there are about 35 seats available at the restaurant.

Our cook for Sunday evening was Nonna Elvira from Palermo. Palermo is on the north coast of Sicily.

antipasti while you wait

We were served this plate of antipasti shortly after we arrived. It was lovely, full of late summer/early fall flavors.

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Burrata Twice

burrata with melon and prosciutto
Burrata with melon and prosciutto at Ornella in Astoria, Queens
burrata, prosciutto, and figs
Burrata with prosciutto and figs at Il Punto in Manhattan

Last week I had the chance to eat burrata not once but twice! I am consistently mesmerized by burrata, that magical, delicious, amazing cheese. I try to eat it whenever I’m presented with the opportunity.

I first encountered burrata – which translates as “butter” – at Peasant, a restaurant in the NoLita neighborhood in Manhattan. We went there for my birthday a couple of years ago, and it was a wonderful evening, in part because we started with their burrata dish. I was served with roasted tomatoes and the whole thing was just heavenly. I was in food love.

Burrata is basically a fresh mozzarella pouch stuffed with a mixture of warm, loose mozzarella and cream. When you cut into it, it’s very soft and when you taste it, it does live up to its buttery association. It’s a traditional cow’s milk cheese, and a speciality of the Puglia region in Italy.

I would love to learn to make it, too, truth be told.

Last week, I had burrata at two different Italian restaurants – one in Queens and one in Manhattan. Monday night, during our bi-monthly We Heart Astoria Blogger Social, it was available as an appetizer at Ornella Trattoria, a lovely Italian restaurant in Astoria, Queens. It was served with slices of melon and prosciutto, which was seasonal and all delicious.

The following day for lunch at Il Punto, I had a taste of my dining companion’s appetizer, which was burrata served with figs and prosciutto. It was a beautiful seasonal dish, too. I love seeing more burrata on menus around the city.

I’ve also heard that my local Italian Deli, Rosario’s, sometimes carries burrata. Hmm… must inquire about this!