Alta

Random fact about me: For years, I've kept a list of restaurants I want to try on a tattered piece of paper next to my desk, crossing restaurants off as I go and adding new ones that I hear about. I sit in front of a computer all day, and a blackberry when I am not in front of my computer so it would make sense for me to make my list digital and bring it into the 21st century. But every time I start to type it, I just can't pull the trigger. For some reason, I have a sentimental attachment to this weathered scrap that has been by my side for years.




I noticed the other day that Alta, a trendy Mediterranean tapas restaurant, had strangely taken up permanent residence on my list. Armed with fellow food and wine lovers in NYC for the night, we decided it was finally time to cross Alta off my list.




Alta has two levels, the upstairs is rumored to be quieter, but wasn't. The dimly lit restaurant hummed with excitement, the perfect ambiance to kick off a Saturday night.

Alta's wine list was impressive, offering over 100 wines from Spain, Italy and France. For a trendy, upscale restaurant, Alta there was a surprising number of affordable wines included on the list. We opted for the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso from Fruili, priced under $40. This wine was berry heavy and medium bodied, perfectly accompanying the skirt steak and molten chocolate cake.

Sadly, shortly after the wine was poured and our first two tapas arrived, the busboy inadvertently knocked over our friend's wine glass, destroying the shirt he purchased just a few hours earlier. The restaurant, to their credit, was apologetic and when discussed, offered to replace the shirt if the wine did not come out from dry cleaning. Also, the manager came by with another bottle of wine on the house.

Between the four of us, we ordered about 15 tapas. If you go with a group of 9 or more, you can order the whole menu, which is a very cool idea, except that some of the dishes are total misses and you wouldn't want them in the mix.





The tapas arrive at your table as soon as they are ready and in rapid succession. You, as the diner, are tasked with pacing your meal. We enjoyed many of the tapas, especially the fried goat cheese with lavender honey (Micha, Jen was right, we needed two orders). The goat cheese is lightly fried, which provides a satisfying crispness and warm contrast to the goat cheese. The honey has only a hint of lavender and succeeds in not overwhelming the main ingredient.















Some of the tapas, however, should be avoided. No matter how much you love/crave short ribs, don't order them here. The short ribs were flavorless and had the consistency of corn beef.




Also, when we complained that the Pan Roasted Striped Bass was not fresh, the server apologized, took it back and informed us it would be removed from the bill.





What to eat:









Seared Sea Scallops. This was actually one, perfectly seared, giant scallop. The froth was light and perfectly complimented the scallop.











The Philadelphia Truffle Surprise. This fried treat is filled with cream cheese and truffle, nuff said.



Skirt Steak with Chimichurri sauce. This came out medium rare, tender and packed with flavor.



Seafood Paella. The paella includes a generous portion of seafood, including shrimp, mussels and clams. This dish has a sizable kick to it, so if you can't handle spicy food, this dish isn't for you.



Chocolate Molten Cake. Alta hit the nail on the head with this simple yet fabulous dessert. Chocolate molten cake's have become somewhat commonplace at NYC restaurants (to my joy). Unfortunately, many restaurants over cook the cake so that it is dried out (to my disappointment). Alta's Molten Chocolate Cake had a generous portion of rich melted chocolate in the center of a perfectly cooked, moist cake. The dish is accompanied by a creamy, refreshing chai gelato (we asked for vanilla instead). I would have included a picture but we inhaled it.





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