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Il Punto for Lunch

This week I mentioned the wonderful cheese goodness I had last week during my lunch at Il Punto, an Italian restaurant on 9th Ave in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Il Punto serves classic Italian dishes from the regions of Florence, Naples, Milan, Rome, Puglia, and beyond. It is a great place to get a solid and flavorful meal, prepared with care and attention, and beautifully presented. I found it to be a calm, soothing spot for a leisurely lunch with a new friend.

After our appetizers of caprese salad and burrata with figs and prosciutto, we were presented with a dish called Timballo. As one of Il Punto’s signature dishes, it was reminiscent of a round lasagna and was obviously al forno (from the oven) – it was baked and had a pleasant crust on it. Within there were wide sheets of pasta layered with béchamel, surrounded by a beautiful meat ragu reminiscent of a bolognese sauce. It was rich, savory, and smooth, and I loved it. I would absolutely order this again.

timballo at il punto
Timballo at Il Punto

My dining companion and I split this dish, but it could easily be split between four people, or eaten by one for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.

Continue reading “Il Punto for Lunch”

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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!

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Caprese Salad at Il Punto

caprese salad at il punto

One of my favorite salads is the caprese salad. Usually it consists of tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella, and I’ve seen it in myriad configurations in restaurants around NYC – sometimes with greens, mostly not; more often than not stacked, but sometimes not. I love ordering this dish in part to see how different restaurants construct it.

At Il Punto last week, the caprese salad came in a configuration I wasn’t accustomed to – big wedges of yellow and red tomatoes surrounding a half a ball of fresh mozzarella – in this case, it was buffalo mozzarella, so extra decadent. The balsamic vinegar that dotted the plates was a nice touch – it mixed perfectly with the shimmer of extra virgin olive oil. The fresh and chopped basil finished off the flavor palate.

Il Punto Ristorante
507 9th Avenue
New York, NY