Spaghetti (local ramps, American speck, parmesan)

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 20, 2006

A VOCE
41 Madison Ave
@ 26th St
New York, NY 10010
212-545-8555

A Voce received three stars and a smashing review from Frank Bruni in the Times last week. I happened to have made a reservation on Monday, two days before the publication, to secure a table for Thursday, the day after the gushing piece was released. Needless to say, the atmosphere was bustling with excitement and energy.

I don’t usually give my conclusion away at the beginning (or do I?) but I’m so excited I can’t contain myself: It was the best meal I’ve had this year.

Just to ensure that it wasn’t some fluke or that I had had too much to drink, I went back to double check. Yup! The food is stellar!

The menu is rather manageable and, with a party of six, you could probably try everything on it. But of course, the menu changes based on what’s in season and what chef Andrew Carmellini wants to play with. So don’t be upset if you don’t see the duck agnolotti Frank Bruni raved about since it was part of the del mercato (seasonal) portion of the menu. Meanwhile, while I tried a variety of other dishes — like the wild king salmon marinato, duck meatball antipasto, potato gnocchi, homemade pappardelle, grilled tuna bianco, steamed black sea bass, braised lamb shank, a side of fiddleheads with bacon and creamed onions and four desserts — there are three things that I absolutely loved and would like to share: the carne cruda, the roasted veal sweetbreads and the spaghetti.

The carne cruda is basically an Italian rendition of steak tartar, and this might be my favorite in town. The choice of beef, which is finely diced, is Wagyu, a genetic breed of beef that is predisposed to well marbling of fat. (The most famous type of Wagyu is Kobe beef, which must come from Kobe and meet strict standards set by the Japanese prefecture to qualify for the official designation.) French steak tartar generally relies more on mustard, so it has a bit of tartness. A Voce’s carne cruda, in contrast, blends in an emulsified truffle vinaigrette, which makes it taste smooth and creamy. Walnuts and celery add a layer of texture as well as a nutty and fresh flavor. And the truffle in the vinaigrette does its job of enhancing flavor though almost inconspicuously. I could barely stop eating this with the serving of perfectly toasted country bread but managed to restrain myself when I thought about all the other dishes I wanted to try.

On my second visit, I really just intended to have the spaghetti with local ramps, American speck and Parmesan and a glass of the 2004 Gérard Tremblay Chablis — two things I instantly craved as I finished my first meal at A Voce. But alas, who are we kidding?! It’s hard to pass up the rest of the menu when it’s just so fabulous. But really, if I could only choose one thing on the menu, there’s no doubt it would be this version of spaghetti carbonara. The speck, a nice smoked ham, has just the right amount of saltiness and is not overpowering. Compared to pancetta, the speck makes the dish seem lighter than other carbonaras and pairs better with the fresh peas and ramps. It is ramp season so all the chefs are using their creative juices to incorporate this yummy herb on menus. The use of ramps in the spaghetti gives it a flavor that no other carbonara has and can compete with. It’s just a stellar choice. I swear the next time I come back I am just getting this and nothing else… or at least I will try.

The roasted veal sweetbreads were part of the del mercato menu because they are cooked with fresh and pickled ramps and morel mushrooms, which also are in season right now. Growing up as a child in Taipei, I always ordered a filet mignon with morel sauce from my favorite restaurant, so I have a special attachment to these slightly bitter tasting mushrooms. As with the spaghetti, the ramps just really shine and add a special fresh flavor to a dish that otherwise could seem exceedingly rich. It’s still rich since we’re talking about sweetbreads, but the ramps contribute a certain levity.

Upon first entering the restaurant and surveying the décor, it seemed to match its surrounding neighborhood as a bit corporate and cold. I was rather surprised to see the swiveling Eames Aluminum Group Management Chairs, however. Having now twice sat in these chairs to dine, I must say that they are extremely comfortable and functional. It’s not so much that I want to swivel around to people-watch, but whenever I want to tilt one way or the other to speak to someone, the chair facilitates it. They may not be the most beautiful chairs for a restaurant, but it’s nice to see something different that actually works.

The service was impeccable on both visits. The staff is extremely well trained — everyone I came in contact with was congenial and knowledgeable about the menus (food, wine and dessert) in response to my questions.

A Voce highly deserves the three stars it received and though it will probably be very difficult to get a regular dinner reservation these days, I am more than happy to come back and eat at the bar or peek in on the weekends for lunch. The prices are a little high, but I am just so tickled by this new Italian jewel.

Also in Carbonara, Italian, Madison Square, Pasta