Scarpetta

Scott Conant is the only person I have ever been star-struck around. The funny thing is, most people probably don't even know who he is. As a religious Chopped watcher and restaurant fanatic, I've known for a while. So when I got the chance to meet him at last years Food & Wine Festival in NYC, I cried. Not to his face--just before I went up to meet him. I got his cookbook autographed and everything, and it was amazing.

So, you can imagine how excited I was to dine at Scarpetta. The restaurant looks tiny from the outside, but once you get inside, it is pretty huge.

The menu is on the smaller side, but I wasn't bothered by it. I would rather have a chef put out their 5 best entrees than 15 mediocre options. I started with a polenta covered in mushroom jus and delicious sautéed mushrooms.

The mushroom portion of the dish was incredible, but the polenta was a tad rich for me. The consistency was delicious but I think there was too much fat/cream/butter involved in the recipe.

I got branzino for my main course with lentils and a delicious peppery tomato sauce. It was a home run. The skin was perfectly crispy and the lentils provided the perfect Mediterranean flair.

My dining companion (my little sister) got the signature homemade pasta with an amazing tomato sauce and fresh basil leaves.

It only took her about three minutes to finish the pasta, so I'd say she liked it. The homemade spaghetti was definitely what made this dish special, and the tomato sauce was perfectly tangy but it didn't overpower the delicate pasta.

All in all, I was thrilled to finally dine at Scarpetta. I could have done without the overpowering richness of the polenta, but the fish and pasta were phenomenal. I'll definitely come back to try some more items on the menu and to try and catch a glimpse of Chef Conant.