How To: Alain Allegretti’s Provençale Fish Soup

Arthur Bovino — June 28, 2010

Above from left: Provençale Fish Soup (before water), Chef Alain Allegretti using the food mill, the finished soup. Below, the chef on the line.

You may recall a recent meal featured at Allegretti in early May that highlighted three dishes. The first two, the Panko Crusted Frogs Legs, and a Tripe á la Niçoise, were strong, but the dish that had me on the verge of a Proustian paean was Chef Alain Allegretti’s Provençale Fish Soup.

This soup was one of the best I’ve ever had. So I asked Chef Allegretti if I could join him early one morning in his kitchen as he prepared it. Below, he takes us through the way he makes the soup at his restaurant, step-by-step. His suggested recipe for making it at home follows.

In the kitchen with Chef Allegretti >>

Featured Restaurant: Allegretti

Arthur Bovino — May 04, 2010

Panko Crusted Frogs Legs with Coco Beans and Gorgonzola.

When a restaurant is so nearby in your neighborhood, you sometimes forget it’s there. So it is in the Flatiron with chef Alain Allegretti’s restaurant. There’s little to prepare you for the white tablecloth propriety that greets you immediately upon stepping inside, but for the formality of Allegretti, you’re reminded that there are a few French bites that can quickly make you feel quite cozy. Among several dishes sampled during a recent invitation, this winning trio did exactly that.

Three Great Dishes at Allegretti >>

AlwaysPartying: Tap & Tapas 2010

Arthur Bovino — April 20, 2010

Clockwise from top: Chilled Seafood Sausage from Alto, participating chefs pose with beneficiaries of Groove with Me’s free dance classes, and the scene at Studio 450.

The relocation of Groove with Me’s Tap & Tapas Spring benefit event from the Westside Loft (where it was last year), to Studio 450 meant a great cause and good food, in a space with river views, fantastic light, and more room to dance for the event’s beneficiaries— the kids.

This was the sixth annual tasting benefit for Groove With Me, Abigail Rosin’s nonprofit youth development organization that enlists volunteer dance teachers to give free classes to inner city girls. Donations, combined with last night’s auction meant Groove With Me was able to raise between $90,000 and $100,000, about a quarter of their annual budget.

While renowned tapper, Savion Glover, was unable to attend at the last moment, the event didn’t suffer for celebrity. Chef Tom Colicchio, Today co-host, Hoda Kotb, and The Times’ publisher Arthur Sulzberger, mingled among other notable New Yorkers, along with some of New York’s hot chefs.

All told, there were 11 food stations, including Colicchio & Sons, The Harrison, Scarpetta, and more. Among the best tastes were a Mussel Soup from Aldea, and a Warm Duck and Snap Pea Salad from Perilla. And, of course, Michael Laiskonis’ impeccable desserts. A hot ingredient, Black Beluga Lentils, made another appearance, with Alto’s Chilled Seafood Sausage.

More Photographs at Tap & Tapas 2010 >>

AlwaysInvestigating: Allegretti’s Focaccia Sandwiches

The Gluttoness — July 17, 2009

When it comes to grabbing a sandwich for lunch in the Flatiron District, Allegretti (restaurant page) isn’t the first place you’d think of. The casually elegant atmosphere doesn’t scream high-end, but Chef Alain Allegretti’s French cuisine is upscale and priced accordingly. For the summer, they wanted to offer something a little more casual: focaccia sandwiches.

The new lunch sandwiches give diners the chance to experience Allegretti as a place for a three-course meal or a quick bite. They’re made with golden-brown, well-salted, homemade focaccia and are served with a butter lettuce and herb salad tossed in a mustard-shallot vinaigrette. The focaccia’s lightly crisp exterior gives way to a moist, doughy inside— a substantial sandwich base.

Crescenza Cheese Roasted Tomato and Charred Scallion ($11). Warm confit slices of tomato (slow-cooked in olive oil and herbs) pepper the creamy Italian sheep’s milk cheese that oozes between two thick layers of bread. The herbs offset the crescenza’s decadent mouthfeel and its lasting tang. The flavor profile was reminiscent of a supreme slice of pizza, and was enhanced by charred scallions. The combination of flavors put the traditional pairing of mozzarella and tomato to shame.

Spicy Coppa, House Pickles, Arugula and Pecorino Toscano ($13). Where the intensity of crescenza was well-matched to the thick focaccia, the thin slices of Coppa and thick slices of pecorino Toscano couldn’t stand up to it. The imported Italian Coppa was relatively mild, as was the semi-soft nutty pecorino. Allegretti’s homemade pickles change depending on what is in season. This sandwich featured pickled ramps, green tomato and fennel. They were this sandwich’s best component— brightening the flavors and delivering a vivid crunch amongst tender textures. The one problem with them was you want more.

This is Allegretti’s second venture into sandwich territory, the first was a “Pan Bagnat,” a traditional Niçoise sandwich. Management says the sandwiches have been well-received, they may remain on the menu after the summer ends. While the Spicy Coppa sandwich needs improvement, the gooey grilled cheese is a definite keeper.