Parade of Dishes!
I don’t like parades for many reasons. You have to stand outside. It’s hot. They usually start late, run long, and I often fear the the continuing blast of emergency sirens will damage the sensitive workings of my inner ear canal. Of course, if you’re lucky, you won’t get hit in the face with flying candy.
Yet a parade of dishes, that’s another thing altogether. This particular parade at the Trevi 5 super-secret pre-opening tasting was something between the best dream ever and winning the lottery–it was like a dreamottery. (Note: Call legal team and trademark that word for Hershey.)
A parade of panini sandwiches!
Chef Laura, are you kidding me?! These panini sandwiches were like little Rennaisance sculptures of dough filled with untold deliciousness. I don’t remember what was inside, but I remember the way it made me feel: for once, at peace with the world. I won’t mention names, but I’ve encountered panini sandwiches from competing establishments with structural problems the likes of which I couldn’t fully address in 15 blog posts.
For starters, a panini sandwich can’t be greasy. It can’t come off the press looking like a freshly paved macadam driveway. Adding to that unsavory image, an overabundance of cheese will overtake the flavor profile and then sit like an unwanted houseguest in your stomach all afternoon. The philosophy of a panini is very simple, yet its proper execution remains outside the grasp of most local restaurants.
That’s a long way of saying these sandwiches towed the balance between bread, cheese, meats, and proper grilling. They earned five bravos and 30 seconds of polite golf-style clapping. Moving onto the…
They're baked in circles, just like in Italy!
…Pizzas! There were all kinds of pizzas because Trevi 5′s an Italian restaurant and the Italians are famously known for being the country most often misidentified as the creators of this iconic creation. I don’t eat pizza so I can only say that my dining companions enjoyed the pizza very much. Then it was time for…
Food on table will soon sustain heavy losses.
..The entrees! By now we’re two hours into the tasting and I’m telling people I’m not really crying because the food is so beautiful. Think of island sunsets and mountain dawns. Thanks to the skill of Chef Laura and her team, Trevi 5 has taken us on a gourmand’s journey through the many regions of Italy. And so it continued….
