Believe the hype: this place is GOOD. Bestia is one of those trendy and desirable restaurants in the Arts District that never seem to die down. With reservations being hard to get at even 3 months out, forget about trying to drop by and dine; it’ll be at least a 3-hr wait before you get seated!! Approaching Bestia, the industrial exterior loft already throws off any first-time comer that this IS worthy of dining at.
In the midst of aromas and tastes of the Italian from multiple regions, you’re drowned in the hip contemporary interior design glued onto (what must be) centuries-old brick wall building. From tile, steel, wood to marble materials, chevron and hexagonal elements fuse within the steel tracks, fight weapons, raw copper.. wait I can go on and on.. but I’m here to talk about the food. (Sorry I didn’t take pictures of the walls haha).
So I don’t know how I was able to grab reservations to eat here last night, but I did. Must have been lucky will a stranger’s cancellation? But here we are! Or were..
(Left) GRUNER VELTLINER. 2014. bern ott (der ott) Wagram, Austria.
(Right). Riesling. 2007. trier kabinett (scharzhofberger). Saar, Germany.
To start off, my big bro got a dry white wine that grows only in Austria. Made with high acidity, the level of dryness is very light. Its hint of sweetness reveals citrus and fruity flavors like berry.
Ever since Toronto, I fell in love with Riesling so now it’s my newfound desire to try every Riesling made in the world! This sweet Mosel wine was just bursting in smoky and savory honey and tangerine, ending with an element of apricot. Briskly sweet. So sweet. I love it 🙂
Let’s start off with some piatti picoli, or Italian for small dishes!
Lobster crostino, squid ink aioli, pickled chilies, opal basil, citrus. The chunks of freshly boiled lobster was lightly seasoned with all this citrusy flavor. The aioli sauce kind of took me back to the original seafood flavors with the squid ink. It was a fun crunchy and refreshing starter for me!
Veal tartare crostino, shallots, parsley, lemon, tomato sauce. This would be my favorite of the two crostinis. It’s creamy all around with the flavors of veal dominating the entire dish. No secret there!
Roasted bone marrow bone, spinach gnocchetti, crispy breadcrumbs, aged balsamic. What! This dish was unspeakably fatty and oily (but in a good way, is that possible)? The bone marrow was very soft, fatty and slippery in texture. The spinach gnoccheti was my favorite pasta in the whole world!!! It was very chewy and soft, but definitely not soggy. Had a hint of an al dente crunch in the middle, but so soft and chewy. The breadcrumbs was a great crouton for this pasta.
Our gracious waiter offered to scrape the bone marrow meat off the bone for us; we figured he would do a better job than we would.
Spaghetti Rustichella, Dungeness crab, citrus, calabrian chili, Thai basil, onion seed. If you want a lightly creamy spaghetti, then this is the pasta for you! Balancing in between of the citrusy flavors of tomato to the creamy textures of the sauce, it’s like you can have the best of both worlds: creamy tomato? It’s perfect for the not overbearing crab: we still want the crab to scream a little!
Smoked chicken liver pate, preserved lemon, herb salad, date vinegar, grilled bread. Aii yai ya. I almost didn’t order this dish but I am so happy I did. I am a sucker for the French pate anywhere but always feel like it might not be all too worth it at such a nice restaurant like this; especially when I know I can get it for cheaper at the market and enjoy it with a baguette at home all by myself. But wait, it is sooo good. The smokiness draws out the chicken liver taste more; that orgasmic feeling when you bring the bread to your mouth and inhale smokiness at the same time!
And here is my spread. 🙂
Tip: Make reservations way in advance if you want to eat here! I know it’s hard to plan ahead but with Bestia, it’s actually worth it! I already want to come back to try their whomping $130 32oz prime rib AND remember to take pictures of the ambiance .. 😬
Happy hump day everyone!!
