It's Alfresco Season

I ate the best meal I've ever had in Montclair at Joe Bartoni's last weekend. EVERYONE GO! Their cheese plate is great and we love the Gorgonzola salad. We ordered a heavenly heirloom tomato and Burrata appetizer, beet salad and a creative savory cannoli (with a soft cheese inside - I think ricotta - and a sundried tomato sauce). I forget what the cannoli was made out of, it was the best thing I've tried there yet. (all three of those were specials). The fusilli was delicious as always. Barb is a really nice and welcoming person. The place was pretty packed and she stayed around the dining room the whole evening taking care of all the tables. She made sure everything we ordered came out right (and vegetarian). I wish her and Ciro all the luck, can't wait to go back.

You know I left some things out of that first comment - first of all, there was also a balsamic reduction on that savory cannoli - HOLY MOLY! Amazing.

Another thing - the whole meal I couldn't stop talking about the food I ate while in Florence last November. I realize now that it was the best meal I've had since I've been back, just as delicious as everything I ate over there and it brought back many good (food) memories. You will not be disappointed!

Ummm....as stated in the article "savory "cannoli" made of a polenta shell and filled with creamy ricotta."

I was so excited to leave a comment I sped through the article.

I dont know of any other creamy cheese that would go into a cannoli. Any italian baker that has respect for themselves would use Riccotta! Even a Stripper knows that!

I don't know, Swanson's Macaroni and Chesse usually does it for me.

Pop one of those bad boys in the oven @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

They get that nice, brown, crusty burned stuff around the edges and at the bottom. I always go for that part first.

Ummmmm good.

MellonBrush --
Try Trader Joe's mac and cheese -- it's incredible.

Liz,

Thanks for the tip!

:-)

OK, I have a confession to make: I love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. You know, the one in the blue box. Admittedly, this is a once-in-a-while treat but still...

{{{{hangs head in shame...}}}

MM,

Me too!!

I bought a couple of dozen boxes of it for Y2K. It took me a couple of years to finish it off.

Hey, but you're an active runner so you should be able to burn off those calories in a couple of miles!

:)

Yeah, but it's not the calories as much as the fact that it's not an organic food product. Oh well, we all have our vices. :-)

I'll have to try Trader Joe's - if not my homemade I like Stouffer's mac & cheese.

Does anyone use bread crumbs and spinach in their mac & cheese?

When I make my homemade mac & cheese I do put buttered italian flavored breadcrumbs on it but not spinich.

Spritz some white truffle oil on it!