Puttanesca

Aside from liking the catchy name, which connotes sexual freedom for women, and fun for all, I enjoyed going to the upper west side hotspot Puttanesca after my Alvin Ailey samba class. The high-ceilinged, brick-walled airy restaurant with huge windows was a comfortable spot, formal but not too formal, to enjoy a moment alone with my New York Times and some work. It's a great place for a romantic dinner, taking the family out on the town or having a casual business meeting.

The service was great. The food choices were explained. A free cappuccino was brought to me later when I complained about the coffee. It tasted watery and cheap. The cappuccino made up for it. I would have preferred that there was a dress code, but on a summer's day, with little children there, I could understand why shorts and sneakers were allowed.

I enjoyed a simple primo dish of spinach cheese ravioli with asparagus and vodka sauce. The asparagus was so fresh and tasty, I thought something was wrong. The meal was just filling enough, and just light enough. I asked for marinara sauce on the side because I was in the mood for it and out of curiosity in case I returned. It was not the best marinara sauce I tasted (that was in Venice), but it was rich and thick, and not too much of either one. I enjoyed some of it with bread at the end of the main dish.

The Pinot Grigio was dry, heavy yet light (I can be complicated), just as I wanted.

The profiterol was all right. No profiterol I had so far, even in Europe, beats the one at Dante Cafe downtown. It was just plain vanilla ice cream, profiterol and warm chocolate sauce: nothing too bad and nothing too good.

I will return to Puttanesca again.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.Authorhouse.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com and http://www.Amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.