New York Gnudi Bars and Tapas Joints

Gnudi and tapas were two major food trends in 2006 with Spotted Pig and Falai gaining a lot of notoriety in the food world for their pillowy ricotta pasta and places like Boqueria and Tia Pol cramming in the foodies for small plates and croquettes. After having some top quality gnudi and tapas recently, we figured we'd sum up some of the best places to find these '06 food trends in good ol' Feb '07. Also, the title sounds dirty.

Gnudi Bars:
Falai: Gridskipper sampled Falai's gnudi just last night, and we found them perfectly delcious. Though anything made mostly of cheese and served in a pool of butter is culinary perfection to us, we think these gnudi had an great soft texture and were light but still filling. These little guys were voted best gnudi in the city by New York Magazine. When interviewed about his gnudi, chef Jacapo Falai said, "At first they were a woman's dish at the restaurant...very pretty on the plate, very simple and light. Now everyone orders them."

Spotted Pig: Spotted Pig kind of put gnudi on the map in the city. When the media went crazy over the gastropub after its opening in '05, it was all about their incredible gnudi, long waits, and small tables. It was one of the first times gnudi was mentioned in the food press in an excited way. Chef April Bloomfield uses sheep's milk ricotta and spinach but also fries fresh sage leaves until they're brown and crispy and serves them with the gnudi.

Del Posto: Del Posto's Mark Ladner wanted to throw his hat in the ring for the city's best gnudi. For his upscale version Ladner uses triple-cream butter from Lombardy and a sprinkling of dried chipotle peppers. He also uses swiss chard for his green instead of the usual spinach. You can find the recipe in this New York Daily News article.

Al Di La:: Al Di La's gnudi is excellent and made with ricotta and spinach. However, it is not always on the menu so check first before trekking to the slope for a bowlful.

Maremma: Instead of being served in butter the gnudi at Maremma arrive in a tomato sauce. The sauce here is made with tomatoes, onions, and guanciale.

Tapas Joints:
Bar Jamon: Though less expensive than Casa Mono next store, Bar Jamon serves some delicious Spanish food in a teensy weensy space. The ham and cheese bocadito, the chorizo with piqullos and the tortilla Catalan are personal faves.

Boqueria: A hip Spanish tapas place (though some dishes are medium sized), Boqueria is riding New York's tapas trend as far as possible. The trendy looking place is painted in various dark colors and has a bar, a communal table and several two tops. Chef Seamus Mullen spent two years learning techniques in Spain so his creations including strips of Serrano ham and a tortilla Espanola, are pretty genuine.

Kuma Inn: Kuma Inn is a homey little Southeast Asian tapas place located on the second floor of an nondescript building on the Lower East Side. Chef King Phojanakong mixes influences from his Filipino mother, his Thai father, and his two chef mentors Daniel Boulud and David Bouley. We like the pan-fried Kuma crab cakes and the wasabi pork shumai.

Tia Pol: A neighborhood favorite since it opened in 2004, now Tia Pol has received city wide recognition for its delectable tapas and usually boasts an over two-hour long wait. The specialty here is Basque tapas and the restaurant excels at a variety of croquettes and their special lamb skewers.

Degustation: Teensy Degustation is a tasty homey gem of a small plates joint. It's laid out like a sushi bar around a busy kitchen. We especially love the squid stuffed with lentils and the grilled strawberries with eucalyptus. The menu is always inventive and changes often.

Bonus!
Samba-le: Samba-le wins points because not only do they have gnudi, but they have it on their tapas menu. Personally we are not huge fans of the food at Samba-le. We hear their gnudi are decent, but they won't win in any battles against the contenders above any time soon. You really want to head to Samba-le for their free Wednesday night dance lessons and their great pitchers of sangria.

Previously: The First Bite is the Sweetest: Dieci, First Bite is the Sweetest: Cronkite, Public Sex in New York, Infamous New York Murders