It's White Truffle Season!

November 24, 2009 11:49 pm

$Behind the Burner: It\'s White Truffle Season!$

White truffle season is upon us, ladies and gentlemen. And like New Year's and the Fourth of July, this foodie holiday screams to be celebrated with nothing less than fireworks. Mario Batali's inimitable Del Posto is the go-to place for a transcendent truffle feast.

The cavernous, two-floored dining room feels like the perfect church to worship the one of the most luxurious ingredients on earth.

With the help of our server, we crafted a tasting menu to best showcase the truffle. We would all start out with truffleless appetizers before moving to a tasting of fettucini alfredo and risotto followed by lamb.

The appetizers were a disappointment. I went light with a salad and my companions sampled the seared lamb with sea cucumber. When anything precedes a truffle it's not going to shine but I've never had a Batali dish that I didn't finish. But then the waiter presented our little darling--a 28.6 gram white truffle—and a stringed symphony soared in my head.

It was time for funghi. Each trip across the mandolin brought a burst of that overwhelming and distinct aroma. A knot of tender pasta ribbons with a sheen of alfredo served as the perfect bed for the truffle. The table went silent. I may have wept. Unfortunately, after two plates of perfection, the lamb fell flat. The preserved lemon and cherries overpowered the truffle.

White truffles are decadent, but they don't always have to bust your wallet. For a more reasonable place to get your fix, check out Sapori d'Ischia in Queens for their famous $50 Tuesday night white truffle menu.

Last year, I visited Veritas to venerate the season. Their wine list reads like a good book and, for a reasonable price supplement, they are willing to shave white truffles over just about any menu item you want. I stopped at dessert. But just barely.