Right outside of my very first apartment in New York City in NoHo is the one and only, Bobby Flay’s, Mediterranean venture- Gato.
After a year of residing on Bleecker and Houston, I still had not made my way there but finally for Mina’s most recent birthday, we celebrated with a 5 star dinner by a 5 star chef!
We ordered a few things for the table to share, since the portions were large and we had a heavy Ferraro dessert waiting for us. The Pizza Sicilia (for the table menu) and Charred Carrots (Vegetables menu) were the perfect amount for Mina and I. Alan ordered the Tarragon Chicken since his taste buds are becoming more and more refined with his aging into teen-hood:
The Pizza Sicilia is a perfect vegetarian option- green olives, capers, basil, and egg. Baked to a thin crisp (think of a flatbread), one pizza for one person is certainly not too much but easy to share as well. I know Flay is known for his burgers and grilling but I would venture to say he should add pizza to his all-star dishes. The veggies are fresh and the cheese melted with that smoky flavor a wood grill only can give. Very tasty and a bit more upscale than your corner slice, to say the least.
We added a vegetables dish of the charred carrots, which came highly recommended, and certainly did not disappoint. Consisting of parsnip, harissa and yogurt- the perfect, healthy addition and probably my favorite take on carrots. The yogurt served with the carrots should be packaged and sold individually as a dip, it is that good! Personally I adore dishes like this that use healthy ingredients in an interesting way that you couldn’t easily duplicate at home.
The Tarragon Chicken (pictured at top of post) was served with potatoes and not a bite or drip of sauce was left. Extremely tender, moist and full of flavor- I’m not sure it is possible to make chicken any better. I fully understand why Flay is known as the king of the meats world. The potatoes are as crispy as can be and, mixed with the juices of the chicken, completed this hearty dish. I do know the menu changes so if this is not offered, I would recommend trying the entrée dish most similar or a fish as this is a Mediterranean restaurant after all.
Bobby Flay has been a culinary icon of mine ever since watching the Food Network as a little girl with Mina. The only thing missing from our dining at Gato was seeing the star himself! Highly recommend.
