June 21, 2009 10:32 pm

Gusto & Gastronomy

Gusto (n) — Italian, from Latin gustus, 1620:

a. An individual or special taste, different gustoes

b. Enthusiastic and vigorous enjoyment or appreciation

c. Vitality marked by an abundance of vigor and enthusiasm

Chef Ryan Lowder, formerly of Mercat and Jean Georges, showed us his Gusto at a special luncheon this week. For those of us who cook and chose the culinary path in life, it's always interesting to hear about the travels and twists/turns of our fellow chefs before they reach chefdom. For Ryan, his passion was skiing and mountain biking. Growing up in Utah he developed both an appreciation for the outdoors and also one for seasonal ingredients which influence his approach to Italian cuisine.

We started off with an Insalata di Funghi and enjoyed the array of wild mushrooms, poached egg and salsa verde. The Fritto Misto was crispy and satisfying while the lemon aoli made the fried seafood come alive with refreshment. The lunch highlight was the Pappardelle with Rabbit Ragu, one of my all time favorites, executed with precision and a deep rich flavor profile. The Orecchiette with Spiced Pork Ragu was too al dente for my liking. My favorite tip for cooking pasta is to under cook the pasta, add a little pasta water to the sauce and then sauteing the pasta right in the pan until it's al dente. This way the pasta soaks up the sauce and retains is flavor in each bite.

The Agnello Grilled Rack of Lamb with fava puree, spring vegetables, fruit and nut vinaigrette took me a level beyond full but thankfully so. I only dabbled in my dessert, a lovely Crema di Cioccolato (chocolate in a glass with olive oil and biscotti). While I'd like to say that chocolate and olive oil work well together, the olive oil texture was overwhelming for me. The Ronchi di Cialla Verduzzo 05 dessert wine pairing was as sweet as candy and gave the meal an intense fruit finish it deserved. The one thing I did forget to have is a cappuccino to awaken me after the expected Italian food coma :-).

—Divya Gugnani

Gusto
60 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212.924.8000

— Written by Divya Gugnani

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