Now Open

Torrisi Italian Specialties is now open! This is the Italian Deli food of my youth but really, really, really tasty, with no ingredients from Italy. Instead, the food is local sourced Italian style, incorporating fresh local and domestic products, rather than high carbon footprint imported ingredients. This is a good trend for the local sustainable food movement.

On opening day, I enjoyed the delicious, garlicky fresh roasted turkey sandwich on seeded semolina bread . And for my last lunch of 2009, I had the Chicken Parm. Go get this sandwich now. If you’ve grown up on these – you’ve never had a chicken parm this intoxicating – so good – from the fresh cheese to the perfect spicy tomato sauce.

There are several tables for eating in or you can take out.

Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry Street (bet. Prince and Spring)

for links to local food info, sources and Restaurants, please see our MenuRaves Local Food Movement Page.

100 Acres is from the owners of Five Points and the Cookshop. The candle lit rectangular room of antiqued floor to ceiling paned widows, has a long white tiled bar area evoking old-style eateries, shimmery tile wrapped columns, and marble topped long communal tables at the far end with high stools. There are also individual tables along the windows and a good sense of space and proportion. 100 Acres is very comfortable and puts one at ease.

The portions are great for winter and the food looks way good:

Pork Shank at 100 Acres

At first I was yawning at the entree part of the menu, partially because I’ve dined out a bunch this week and already exhausted the staples, Steak, Mussels, local tune and Burger, but the specials were exciting. I opted out of the Wild Salmon over clam chowder special, in favor of the Pork Shank.  The appetizers were very appealing mix of seafood and salads. The Spit Roasted Amish Chicken arrived on a large plate; an-sized chicken… not cornish hen. The gigantor chicken, served with sweet potatoes and a tangy dried fruit compote and walnut butter, was really good and tender; addictive crispy skin and very flavorful. Tried the Hog Island Oysters – excellent (@hogislandoyster), Kombucha Squash Soup, Mushroom and Rocket Salad. For an entree, the Pork Shank with Mache, pomegranate & radishes over parsnips, was really good, well spiced and a balance of earthy, sweet overtones of the pomegranate and parsnips mixing well with the richness of the slow roast pork.

Totally unpretentious seasonal, comfort food atmosphere and a menu with many local food items. Good for a date or with friends. All in all it was much better than I expected and I’d def. go back – was def. a very good vibe and fun.

http://100milediet.org/

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ @slowfoodUSA @slowfoodNYC

http://rooftopfarms.org/ – A 6000 Square Foot Organic Vegie farm on top of a warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Local Restaurants that serve Rooftop Farms Produce:

http://vestavino.com/ – Italian Restaurant in Astoria, Queens
http://anellabrooklyn.com/ - 222 Franklin St. Brooklyn, NY 11222 … (718) 389-8100
http://marlowandsons.com/ - 81 Broadway Brooklyn NY 11211 – (718) 384-1441
http://eatgreenpoint.com/ – 124 Messerole Ave. Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222 (718) 389-8083

http://www.widowsholeoysters.com/ The Widow’s Hole Oyster Company is located at the eastern end of Long Island, one hundred miles from Manhattan – Restaurants that serve WHO Oysters - http://www.widowsholeoysters.com/pages/clients.html

http://nysunworks.org/ – The Science Barge is a prototype, sustainable urban farm and environmental education center. It is the only fully functioning demonstration of renewable energy supporting sustainable food production in New York City. To see it visit this site – http://www.groundworkyonkers.org

http://www.justfood.org/ – Just Food works to increase access to fresh, healthy food in NYC and to support the local farms and urban gardens that grow it.

http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket – Greenmarket Farmers Markets

http://www.gustorganics.com/ @GustOrganics – NYC’s first certified Green/Organic Restaurant serving all organic and some local grown options.

Opening Late October

Torrisi Italian Specialties, is a local food sourced Italian style Deli, serving fresh local and domestic products, rather than high carbon footprint imported ingredients. This is a good trend for the local sustainable food movement – can’t wait to have lunch there.

Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry Street (bet. Prince and Spring)
opening in late October.

for links to local food info, sources and Restaurants, please see our MenuRaves Local Food Movement Page.