*See below for a special 89th and Broke deal

A few weeks ago Laura and I were lucky enough to be invited to a blogger/online media event at Vertuccio’s Pizza on the Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Sadly Laura had to miss out due to a holiday party, so McKenna, our “IT” person responsible for the new logo, layout, etc., took her place.

Admittedly, I’m a lazy person. So the idea of going to Brooklyn (which crazily seems further than it actually is) on a Tuesday night in the freezing cold did not sound appealing, but my God am I glad we went (especially since it only took us 20 minute door to door!).

Upon entering we were graciously seated in the backroom which was nicely decorated for the holidays. It was a great space, perfect for a company or personal party. And I must comment on the service – it was absolutely top-notch. Everyone was kind, attentive and informative, so that was much appreciated.

Now the food I’m about to describe is going to sound overwhelming…it was. And it was splendid. We didn’t even get through all of courses the first night and we ate the leftovers with coworkers for another two days.

The menu itself for our planned dinner was incredibly long with eight courses. But that wasn’t all they had in store. No, no, there was a cheese plate, meat plate, Bresaola pizza and a specially-made gnocchi dish added to the eight dishes. Oh, and then two desserts. But this full array of food made McKenna and me confident that we had a great sampling of the restaurant and we can unequivocally say that this was absolutely delicious Italian food.

We started with the cheese plate and everything was good. There were a few pieces of a parmigiano cheese, a goat cheese (my favorite!) and another kind. The complementary meat platter had capicola, prosciutto and some kind of dry aired beef. Everything was delicious and our only issue is that we ate a lot of the meat and cheese platter because we were so hungry, but really we should have waited for the many rounds of food coming our way.

Oh! And I forgot to mention the OUTSTANDING bread basket that arrives when you sit down at your table. There was traditional focaccia with tomato and cheese which was delicious (and olive oil for dipping), but they also had this special kind of bread that was flaky and tasted more like a biscuit than focaccia. It was simply outstanding… sweet, nutty and it had a taste and texture similar to cornbread.

On to the main courses.

Shrimp Calabrese: sautéed shrimp with beans, radicchio, gorgonzola sauce and cherry peppers. While we both love shrimp, this was a little too spicy for us. And we’re not sure if we liked the different textures from the shrimp, beans and sauce or not. Nonetheless it was good, but towards the bottom of our list of favorites.

Beef Carpaccio: arugula, parmigiano cheese, truffle oil and lemon dressing. This was the night that McKenna learned what truffles were and she is forevermore a devoted fan. This also was very good, especially with the extra flavor and scent that the truffles added

Sexy Bresaola Pizza: baby spinach, mozzarella, Bresaolo (meat) and shaved truffles. This was one of our favorites of the night (and of our coworkers the next day). I can still taste it now, weeks later, and my mouth is melting. This pizza is worth “trekking to Brooklyn” for. Delic!

Taglioni: scallops, arugula, cherry tomatoes and a pink sauce: Unfortunately this was a bit of a disappointment for us. Personally, I like my pastas on the side of being overcooked, not al dente. This pasta wasn’t even al dente, I think it was still half uncooked. The sauce was wonderful but there wasn’t anything terribly original about it (like that pizza we just had).

Fettuccini: with spinach, mushrooms, parmigiano cheese and truffle oil. One word was written down after I tried this: HEAVEN. Caps intended. I suppose when in doubt, add truffles or truffle oil and you’ll always get a crowd pleaser. I’ve been thinking about this dish, along with the pizza, for weeks and I can’t wait to go back and get more.

*Gnocchi: marinara sauce and mozzarella. This was not on the original menu, but I noticed it was on the main menu so I asked if I could try one or two pieces of it. Well, the chef was feeling quite generous that night because he brought out an entire dish of it, bubbling hot with melted mozzarella on top. The sauce tasted very fresh and homemade and the gnocchi itself was so soft. Just like it’s supposed to be – pillows o f heaven in your mouth.

At this point I stood up to take off the belt on my dress. Don’t judge me.

Ravioli: with butter, sage and almonds: I love ravioli or any pasta that’s stuffed with cheese and other delicious treats, so this was right up my alley. However, ravioli isn’t one of McKenna’s favorites. I thought it was great – very savory and satisfying. The almonds are the key here and give it a nutty flavor to complement the butter and sage sauce.

Sauteed Wild Striped Bass: with fennel, oranges and a pistachio sauce: This too was nutty (obviously) and the creamy sauce was a nice pair for the fish. I’ve never had a pistachio sauce with fish before, but I look forward to having something similar in the future.

Broiled Red Snapper: with almonds, shitake mushrooms, sundried tomato, asparagus (McKenna’s favorite!) and a white wine sauce: This fish was very fresh with great chunks of veggies on it. Both fish were delicious and come highly recommended. And trust us, they were not bland fish dishes!

Grilled Rack of Lamb: Barolo wine sauce with porcini mushroom risotto and truffle oil: Although we had been looking forward to this dish the most all evening, we simply could not have any more (sort of). Instead we were able to wrap it up and take it home. The next day it was outstanding and I think McKenna talked about that lamb for about 2-3 days straight. It was nicely cooked (the owner was so thoughtful and had the chef cook it a little on the rarer side so that when we heated it up in the microwave, it’d be perfect – and it was!) and the risotto was a great side for the lamb.

After all of this we simply wanted to give up and roll on home, but no, we actually pressed on. We didn’t just order dessert, we ordered two. We have problems. I ordered the apple tart and McKenna had the tartufo which we were promised was not like traditional tartufo because it was covered in cocoa dust versus a chocolate shell. Despite my stubbornness (the reason why we had to order two desserts), I must succumb and admit that McKenna made the better decision. Her’s was excellent, mine was okay. Their cheesecake is supposed to be outstanding as well, but that was “just too rich” for us at that point…I’m not sure who we thought we were kidding. Not ourselves.

If you actually read all of this then I have a little gift for you: Vertuccio’s is holding a few specials. Every day during lunch you can order anything on the menu for a mere $7.99 (the only exception being the Sexy Bresaolo Pizza). If you can’t make it there during the day, then head over on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the special 89th and Broke wine and cheese night – one free glass of wine per person and one cheese plate to split per table. Take it from me, it’s the perfect way to start off your meal. Just mention this post to redeem the deal!

If the past 10 minutes you spent reading this hasn’t convinced you to try Vertuccio’s, then I give up. But do yourself a favor and take a quick hop, skip and a jump over to Brooklyn for some great Italian food.