Restaurant Review: Ornella Trattoria Italiana by David Oliva

Hi everybody! This is my second review for Wine Taters.  This time I’m reviewing an Italian restaurant called Ornella Trattoria Italiana located in Astoria close to Ditmars Blvd. Ornella has been open for a few years. A co-worker of mine highly recommended it. I was filled with anticipation and hoped it stood up to its reputation.

We arrived at Ornella Trattoria around 7 PM on a very pleasant Friday in June. The front of the restaurant is entirely glass. The door and front wall allowed a fresh breeze to come in. There are a few tables outside if you choose to eat there.  My wife and I were greeted immediately as we entered.

The restaurant is not wide but it is long. There is just enough room to walk through as the waiters and waitresses scurry by. The walls are painted nicely with artwork depticing an Italian village.  We did feel as if we were in Italy. Once we were seated we were ready to order. 

Here is our order with estimated prices:

Antipasti:  Buffalo Mozzarella, Arugula, and Prosciutto di Parma (special of the day) - $10 (estimated)
Dinner: Rigatoni Alla Matriciana - $15, and Short ribs with Gnocchi and Brown Sauce - $21
Dessert: Tiramisu - $5 (estimated)
Wine: Half Carafe of Pinot Grigio $15 (estimated)
Total Bill: $85 w/tip (estimate)

Source: Ornella Trattoria Italiana

We were first served brucshetta on toasted Italian bread. The brucshetta was very good. I remember tasting all of the ingredients when taking a big bite.  I could eat this all day, it was so good. As a free item, the brucshetta was a great piece of the meal.

Buffalo Mozzarella, Arugula, and Prosciutto Di Parma

This special antipasti of the day interested me the most. I can never refuse a Buffalo mozzarella dish.  Since my wife (Angela) loves Arugula (I do not), I was able to taste the mozzerella and Prosciutto di Parma in its finest forms. The mozzarella was good, not great, but good. The prosciutto was excellent! The slices were cut thin and the taste was amazing.  Angela said the Arugula was outstanding. Overall, everything on the dish was well balanced.

Rigatoni Alla Matriciana


The Rigatoni Alla Matriciana contains tomato sauce, guanciale, onions and fresh peas (I do not like peas so I told the waiter to hold them). The rigatoni was cooked Al Dente. The sauce had some tomato skin and a great taste. There was a little kick to the sauce. As I started to eat I liked it more and more. I think the reason for that was that I started to taste more of the garlic, which I love. For $15 the portion size was average but the quality was above average.

Short ribs with Gnocchi and Brown Sauce

Angela ordered the ribs and found them very tender with the meat falling off the bone. The gnocchi was light with a perfect texture. You can tell that the gnocchi was homemade. I have been in restaurants where the gnocchi is hard and tasteless. This gnocchi was one of the best I have ever eaten in my life. To top if off, the brown sauce complimented the whole meal. If you are to put all the ingredients in your mouth at one time, you will be in heaven. This dish was simply amazing. . The quantity was just right. But the price of $21 was expensive for my taste. With the price aside, when you go to Ornella’s this is a must order!

Pinot Grigio

The wine was a simple house wine, a Pinot Grigio.  The wine was not fantastic, but it went well with the meal.  I have had better wines, but this wine was satisfactory for the dinner it accompanied.  Basic Pinot flavor, nothing outstanding.
  

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu had a wonderful balance between the Marscapone and the Espresso.  The Lady Fingers were perfectly soaked in the Espresso.  The flavor of this Tiramisu was unique and different from other Tiramisu's I have had.  I cannot put my finger on it, but whatever it was, it took the Tiramisu to another level of flavor. The Tiramisu was homemade and the texture was phenomenal. The cake melted in my mouth while savoring the flavor. I was full from eating dinner but couldn’t refuse the cake once I had one taste of it.
  
I highly recommend Ornello Trattoria for both the food and the friendly service. The owner Giuseppe spoke with us and is a very pleasant man. He is filled with energy and passion towards his restaurant. Thank you Giusseppe, we had a great time and will be back!

Scale 1-10 (1 is gross and 10 is stupendous)

Location: 8
Décor: 9.5
Food: 9
Service: 9.5
Price: 7
Overall: 9

Ornella Trattoria Italiana
2917 23rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 777-9477‎

Hours:
Mon    12pm    –    10pm
Tue     12pm    –    10pm
Wed   12pm    –    10pm
Thu     12pm    –    10pm
Fri      12pm    –    10pm
Sat     12pm    –    11pm
Sun    12pm    –    11pm

Transit: Astoria-Ditmars Blvd Station (0.2 mi) 


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IL Bambino Restaurant Review

I am very excited to write this entry for Wine Tasters! My name is David, my wife is Angela and we live in Astoria, NY. Today I will be reviewing Il Bambino in Astoria, Queens, NY. Il Bambino is a Spanish/Italian trendy restaurant.I hope to be reviewing restaurants in Astoria and other New York neighborhoods in the coming months. 

My wife and I arrived at Il Bambino around 7:45 PM. The temperature was 75 degrees and humid. Il Bambino has a backyard where you can eat. Because of the humidity we decided to stay indoors. When we walked in, the lights were dim but the staff attended to us immediately. The walls were covered with mirrors and wooden pigs, which is the Il Bambino theme. We were glad we decided to stay inside. The ambiance in the restaurant was fantastic. The restaurant was not crowded so we had our choice of seats. The menu was very simple to read and very descriptive. 1980’s and alternative music played in the background. We were now ready to order.

We first ordered the Cheese Plate – three cheeses for $10.00. Our choices were Manchego, Pecorino, and Gorgonzola Dolce.

The second round consisted of Red Pepper w/ Bacon spread with Stillman cheese crostini $6, Chick Pea Panzanella Salad w/ Feta Cheese - $8 and Fontina with Mozzarella, Pecorino, and Truffle Oil Panini - $9

Our choice of wine was a Jelu, San Juan, Argentina 2009 glass $8 | bottle $27, 100% Torrontes. The wine showed Honeysuckle and flowers with some minerality on the palate which was perfectly balanced by its level of acidity.

Source: http://ilbambinonyc.com

We first had the cheese plate and crostini.

Cheese Plate – Three Cheeses
The menu offers a choice of about 10 cheeses. The variety was good so the next time we head to Il Bambino, we can choose different cheeses to taste. The cheese plate was excellent. We also received Panini bread in small squares to put the cheese on top. The Manchego went well with the fig jam but disappointingly not the other cheeses. The Pecorino was sharp and tasty; very nice. I never had Gorgonzola Dolce cheese. I found the taste to be unique. The texture was creamy with hints of sweetness. However, you don’t get much for $10.

Next up was Stillman Cheese on top of Red Pepper w/Bacon spread Crostini
The crostini was spicy, a strong red pepper taste with a hint of bacon flavor. The color of the spread was orange. There was more spread then cheese which I was unhappy about because the cheese was awesome! I never had Stillman cheese before which was on top of the spread with a drop of balsamic vinegar on the cheese. Stillman cheese is a blue cheese but it is softer and less crumby than regular blue cheese. The combination with the crostini was great! The price of the crostini was $6. A little expensive but the quality of the crostini was excellent.

Now on to the Chick Pea Panzanella Salad w/Feta Cheeese
The salad came out with the dinner. My wife ordered the salad and she said it was very refreshing. The salad was a good size, not too big and not too small. The best part of the salad was the dressing. The dressing had a lemon taste which gave it that nice, refreshing sense. The combination of Chick Pea and Feta gave the salad a unique taste. Along with the fruit accents of the jello, it was an amazing combination. The two make an incredibly light and refreshing meal just on its own for a summer night. As with the other prices, $8 is a little expensive but was definitely worth it especially on a warm humid day.

And finally the Fontina with Mozzarella, Pecorino, and Truffle Oil Panini

This Panini was nearly perfect! The Fontina, Mozzarella, and Pecorino are a great combo. The cheeses are melted together and the truffle oil gives the Panini a special taste. The Panini is a good size and the amount of cheese in the sandwich is equally balanced. You can taste every cheese once you take a bite. The bread is toasted perfectly. The bread is toasted where it’s not too hard or burnt and compliments the texture of the melted cheese just right. The price is $9 which is not bad considering the size of the sandwich, which is quite generous.

Jelu, San Juan, Argentina 2009

I am not a wine drinker but my wife is. As previously stated, the wine partnered the Panzanella salad to a tee. Each element brought out the flavors of the other. The wine also complimented each one of the cheeses. This wine is all in all refreshing and compatible with quite a number of the meals on the menu! The price of $8 per glass is average for a trendy restaurant.

Overall the experience was great! We will definitely go again. I recommend it.

Scale 1-10 (1 is gross and 10 is stupendous)

Location: 8
Décor: 8
Food: 9
Service: 9
Price: 7
Overall: 8.5

Il Bambino Menu
Restaurant Location:
3408 31st Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11106-1433
(718) 626-0087


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