Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts
Eye Candy: Italian Swim Team for Dolce & Gabbana
Eye Candy: Anthony Gallo (reprise)
Hat/tip to Hoodsworld for these shots of one of my favorite Eye Candy models ever: Anthony Gallo. The mixed-race (Black and Italian) model has been featured here before, but definitely deserves to join the short list of beautiful men who have been repeat features.Happy Memorial Day!
Eye Candy: James Guardino
Hot is hawt. Here at MadProfessah.com we do try and showcase models of color (of all races), with a penchant for multiracial specimens like Martin Elkholm and Daniel Norell, or chocolate brown brothas like JR Rolley, Chadwick Johnson, Adem Aluka, and many, many others.But you gotta admit, the "white boy" featured above, named James Guardino is hawt. He may look familiar to some of you, because he has been featured several times in Undergear® catalogs.
James is a 26-year-old model living in New York City.
FOOD REVIEW: Brownstone Pizza (Eagle Rock)
MadProfessah discovered Brownstone Pizza (2108 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock, CA 90041. (323) 257-4992) a few months ago and have visited a few times but thought I would finally get serious about writing up a review. Brownstone Pizza is a fantastic neighborhood pizza joint. It is probably not the best pizza in Los Angeles, but it is definitely better than the horrendously over-hyped Casa Bianca Pizza which inexplicably gets declared repeatedly as "the best pizza in Los Angeles"! and is not even the best pizza in EAGLE ROCK!Actually, Brownstone Pizza may not be the best pizza in Los Angeles either but it is pretty damned good. I have eaten at Brownstone on several occasions in the last several months, and ordered food to take-out. The pizza is excellent, especially if you like thin crusts with tangy sauce and fresh toppings. Their non-pizza items are worth mentioning as well, with meatballs the size of your fist in your choice of sauce [HINT: don't choose "butter"] added to your pasta of choice. The interior is small, but clean and more inviting than most New York City pizza joints, although it is curious there are not one but two flat screen TV's in a space smaller than a typical living room.
However, you don't need to make the schlep to Brownstone's for the ambiance, you're there for the pizza, and of some faux foodie friend of yours told you that Eagle Rock had the best pizza in town and you are daunted by the (inexplicable!) 45 minute wait to get into That Other Pizza Place saunter on down Colorado Boulevard to Brownstone's--you won't regret it.
Name: Brownstone Pizza. Location: 2108 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Contact: 323-257-4992.
AMBIANCE: B+.
SERVICE: B+.
VALUE: A-.
FOOD: A.
OVERALL: A-.
Eye Candy: Anthony Gallo
Thanks to friend of Madprofessah.com, Rod 2.0 I have been exposed to blistering hot Black/Italian model Anthony Gallo, who is today's Eye Candy! Enjoy.
Eye Candy: Italian Rugby Team In D&G Underwear
Hat/tip to TowleRoad for these images of members of the Italian Rugby Team (Sergio Parisse, Denis Dallan, Ezio Galon, Andrea Masi, Gonzalo Canale) in underwear designed by Dolce & Gabbana. Ahh, this brings back good memories of my trip to Milan, Florence, Turin and Bololgna earlier this year!
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Peck Italian Bar (Milano, Italia)
Mad Professah visited Peck Italian Bar in Milan, Italy last week and took the following pictures:
When MadProfessah and the other half ate at his restaurant a few weeks ago, the owner of Terroni restaurant in Los Angeles had suggested we eat at Peck's when we get to Milan. Unfortunately, the signature restaurant Cracco-Peck was closed for three weeks between Christmas and Epiphany so we went to the sister restaurant, Peck Italian Bar instead.
We started with the lightly smoked salmon appetizer, which although pricey (€20=$29) was absolutely delicious. The pumpkin risotto was amazingly rich and a stunning yellow color the picture does not do justice to the intense color of the dish and definitel does not allow you to experience the creamy cheesy goodness that was riso mantecato alla zucca. We then both had traditional Milanese meat dishes: I had the Milanese veal cutlet (which was the inspiration for the Austrian wienerschnitzel) while the other half had roasted veal with baked potatoes.
The true standout of the meal was dessert. I never order the tiramisu at Italian restaurants because it can be so completely different at different Italian restaurants. However, the tiramisu at Peck's Italian Bar was incredible. The top layer is a thick layer of pure cocoa dust. In fact, the dish was almost dangerous because as one ate the tiramisu it was very easy to inhale the cocoa dust and have one's airway feel full of cocoa instead of oxygen. The custard filling was also excellent; very very creamy and light. At the very bottom of the creamy custard were amaretto-soaked still-crunchy madeleines. A nearly perfect dessert. The gelato flavors we chose were strawberry, lemon and "cream." The lemon was extremely flavorful--like a stiff blow to the head, but in a good way, mostly. The strawberry and cream were also very smooth, with a more balanced flavor.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. It is a very well-lit, modern-looking space. The service was attentive and gave us an English menu almost immediately. It is officially a bar, which also serves food at lunch and dinner time (it closes at 8pm). Usually I imagine most people go over to the Cracco-Peck restaurant next door. Although it would have been nice to experience the superlative food that is rumored to be available at Cracco-Peck, Peck Italian Bar was a very enjoyable and satisfying dining experience as well.
OVERALL GRADE: A-.
FOOD: A.
VALUE: B+.
SERVICE: A-.
AMBIANCE: A-.
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| The place settings at Peck Italian Bar. Very sleek and modern looking. |
|
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| Salmone marinato, leggermente affumicato (marinated salmon, lightly smoked) | Riso mantecato alla zucca (pumpkin risotto with manteca cheese) |
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| Cotoletta di lonza alla Milanese con patate rosolate (Traditional Milanese breaded cutlet with roasted potatoes) | Arrosto di vitello con patate al forno (Roasted veal with baked potatoes) |
 |
|
| Tiramisu | Gelati |
When MadProfessah and the other half ate at his restaurant a few weeks ago, the owner of Terroni restaurant in Los Angeles had suggested we eat at Peck's when we get to Milan. Unfortunately, the signature restaurant Cracco-Peck was closed for three weeks between Christmas and Epiphany so we went to the sister restaurant, Peck Italian Bar instead.
We started with the lightly smoked salmon appetizer, which although pricey (€20=$29) was absolutely delicious. The pumpkin risotto was amazingly rich and a stunning yellow color the picture does not do justice to the intense color of the dish and definitel does not allow you to experience the creamy cheesy goodness that was riso mantecato alla zucca. We then both had traditional Milanese meat dishes: I had the Milanese veal cutlet (which was the inspiration for the Austrian wienerschnitzel) while the other half had roasted veal with baked potatoes.
The true standout of the meal was dessert. I never order the tiramisu at Italian restaurants because it can be so completely different at different Italian restaurants. However, the tiramisu at Peck's Italian Bar was incredible. The top layer is a thick layer of pure cocoa dust. In fact, the dish was almost dangerous because as one ate the tiramisu it was very easy to inhale the cocoa dust and have one's airway feel full of cocoa instead of oxygen. The custard filling was also excellent; very very creamy and light. At the very bottom of the creamy custard were amaretto-soaked still-crunchy madeleines. A nearly perfect dessert. The gelato flavors we chose were strawberry, lemon and "cream." The lemon was extremely flavorful--like a stiff blow to the head, but in a good way, mostly. The strawberry and cream were also very smooth, with a more balanced flavor.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. It is a very well-lit, modern-looking space. The service was attentive and gave us an English menu almost immediately. It is officially a bar, which also serves food at lunch and dinner time (it closes at 8pm). Usually I imagine most people go over to the Cracco-Peck restaurant next door. Although it would have been nice to experience the superlative food that is rumored to be available at Cracco-Peck, Peck Italian Bar was a very enjoyable and satisfying dining experience as well.
OVERALL GRADE: A-.
FOOD: A.
VALUE: B+.
SERVICE: A-.
AMBIANCE: A-.
Italy Day 5 & 6: Scenes from Torino
Mole Antonelliana,a 545 foot tower which is the central landmark of Turin.
The building houses the National Museum of Cinema.
Palazzo Reale,the Royal Palace
Palazzo di Citta,Town Hall
Il Duomo di San Giovanni,which contains the the Shroud of Turin.
Stazione Porto Nuova,one of the two main train stations in Turin. This one
is right across the street from our hotel.
Ponte Umberto Ia bridge over Fiume Po (Po River) which
Trip to Northern Italy Jan 1 to Jan 17
Mad Professah and the other half are going to be spending the first two weeks of 2008 in northern Italy. We'll be spending 3 nights in Milan, 8 nights in Turin and 4 nights in Florence.
REVIEW: Terroni Restaurant (Hollywood, CA)
Mad Professah visited Terroni Restaurant and took the following pictures:
Mad Professah and 3 others ate at Terroni one Wednesday evening. With the slightly too-eager encouragement of our server, we ordered two appetizers (the carpaccio di manzo and the funghi assoluti pictured above, in the top row). The carpaccio was delicately tender but a little too infused with lemon juice to be subtle. More successful was the mushroom appetizer, which was warm, hearty and well-matched with arugula. There were no second bites of that one, while Mad Professah finished off the carpaccio (not unhappily).
I ordered the pappardelle alla iosa on the recommendation of one of my dinner-mates who is a Terroni regular. It was absolutely perfect: al dente thick loops of pappardelle pasta infused with slightly spicy sausage accented (in color and in taste) by sweet, supple green peas and counterbalanced by the tang of shredded parmesan cheese. The portion size was not large but after cleaning my plate I was happy that I still had room for dessert. My fellow diners ordered the fettuccine di tuccino (pictured above, declared "very tasty"), a pizza and another pasta dish (no complaints). Although I ordered the torta calda al cioccolato, all four of us were able to get a taste of the rich dark chocolate cake which was coupled with a weakly sweet white chocolate sauce. Overall, the consensus was that the dessert was good, but nothing to write home about.
The ambiance of the restaurant was lively and well-lit, with attentive service. The owner of the restaurant came by our table and unhurriedly chatted with us for 5-10 minutes, generally decrying restaurant reviews (both positive and negative) and making our all-Black table feel comfortable amongst the relatively monochromatic clientele. Terroni does not take reservations and does not allow substitutions or alterations to its menu items.
GRADE: A.
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| Carpaccio di Manzo (Raw Beef Sirloin Marinated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Lemon Juice with Arugola & Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano, $11.95) | Funghi Assoluti (Baked Oyster Mushrooms with Parmigiano,Balsamic Vinegar, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic & Parsley Served on Arugola, $11.95) |
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| Pappardelle alla Iosa (Homemade Pappardelle with Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage, Button & Oyster Mushrooms, Peas, Garlic & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, $15.95) | Fettuccine di Tuccino (Homemade Fettuccine, Tiger Shrimp, Asparagus,Cherry Tomatoes, Mint, Garlic & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, $15.95) |
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Torta Calda al Cioccolato (Warm Flourless Venchi Dark Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Ganache, $7.50) | Exterior Window of Terroni, 7605 Beverly Boulevard (at Curson) |
Mad Professah and 3 others ate at Terroni one Wednesday evening. With the slightly too-eager encouragement of our server, we ordered two appetizers (the carpaccio di manzo and the funghi assoluti pictured above, in the top row). The carpaccio was delicately tender but a little too infused with lemon juice to be subtle. More successful was the mushroom appetizer, which was warm, hearty and well-matched with arugula. There were no second bites of that one, while Mad Professah finished off the carpaccio (not unhappily).
I ordered the pappardelle alla iosa on the recommendation of one of my dinner-mates who is a Terroni regular. It was absolutely perfect: al dente thick loops of pappardelle pasta infused with slightly spicy sausage accented (in color and in taste) by sweet, supple green peas and counterbalanced by the tang of shredded parmesan cheese. The portion size was not large but after cleaning my plate I was happy that I still had room for dessert. My fellow diners ordered the fettuccine di tuccino (pictured above, declared "very tasty"), a pizza and another pasta dish (no complaints). Although I ordered the torta calda al cioccolato, all four of us were able to get a taste of the rich dark chocolate cake which was coupled with a weakly sweet white chocolate sauce. Overall, the consensus was that the dessert was good, but nothing to write home about.
The ambiance of the restaurant was lively and well-lit, with attentive service. The owner of the restaurant came by our table and unhurriedly chatted with us for 5-10 minutes, generally decrying restaurant reviews (both positive and negative) and making our all-Black table feel comfortable amongst the relatively monochromatic clientele. Terroni does not take reservations and does not allow substitutions or alterations to its menu items.
GRADE: A.
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