DEL BORGO
PROSPECT HEIGHTS
Aliseo is probably the least known restaurant in this book. The owner, an eccentric former photographer named Albano Ballerini, seems to want it that way. He has no Web site. He feels guilty for “ruining” the neighborhood after a New York Times article about his restaurant’s opening in 2003 led to a spike in interest in the area. And he admits that he barely even thinks of Aliseo, which serves ambitious Italian cuisine from Ballerini’s native Marche region, as a business. His pizza place across the street, Amorina—that’s a business. But Aliseo? “This is my living room,” he says.
That’s almost literally true: He lives upstairs with his wife and daughter. (The family owns the building, which takes the pressure off in terms of revenue.) The narrow room certainly feels homey. A pair of lamps on the bar look like they were just unplugged from a wall socket upstairs and carried down here. Everything has that ubiquitous distressed look—the brick wall, the tin ceiling, and on some nights, the staff—and votive sconces bathe it all in just the right light.
An evening at Aliseo is an unpredictable experience, gastronomically and otherwise. One night, two naked people rapped on the door. They were waiters from Amorina, doing the traditional “naked run,” which happens every time they break a sales record. “I have a couple people over there that are looking for any excuse to get naked,” says Ballerini, who wears chunky eyeglasses and a kufi-style hat. The naked waiters weren’t unappetizing, though, which was good because we hadn’t eaten dessert yet. By then we’d worked our way through a starter of beet flan with agrodolce (sweet-and-sour) and Parmesan sauce, striped bass tartare that was shaped into a slender cylinder and topped with a little pile of microgreens, chanterelle lasagna with squash and a béchamel drizzle, and crispy striped-bass fillets atop a fried leaf of black Tuscan cabbage (a type of kale) and a medley of mushrooms. This was an informal tasting menu, and it was tasty, but you kind of need to roll with it at Aliseo. For example, did you notice that the menu doubled up on both striped bass and mushrooms?
That’s Aliseo. Ballerini doesn’t apologize. He just shrugs and jokes. Hey, it’s what’s for dinner in his living room. You don’t like it? There’s pizza across the street.
SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
For the agrodolce
4 cups balsamic vinegar 2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg For the octopus
One 2½- to 3-pound octopus, thawed
⅓ cup coarse salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 cups dry white wine
5 large garlic cloves, peeled 7 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 sprig fresh rosemary
20 juniper berries (optional)
6 parsley stems (optional)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the potatoes
6 fingerling or baby red bliss potatoes, skin on, fingerling cut in half lengthwise, red bliss quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
“I’m a freak for octopus,” says owner Albano Ballerini, who loves the word freak. (He’s a freak for rosemary, too.) We know this dish may sound (and look) intimidating, but it’s really not that difficult. The most important step is after the octopus is boiled, when it’s covered off the heat, but still cooking. That’s when the tentacles become tender. And they’ll stay that way when you sauté them, giving the outside a crispy texture while preserving the supple (but not at all chewy) meat within.
1. To make the agrodolce, combine the balsamic vinegar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg in a small nonreactive saucepan. Cook over low heat until the mixture is syrupy and reduced by one third, about 1½ hours.
2. Meanwhile, cook the octopus. In an 8-quart pot, combine 6 quarts water with the salt, vinegar, wine, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, juniper berries, and parsley stems, if using. Add the octopus. Insert a stainless-steel colander into the pot to weigh down the octopus. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes.
3. Take the pot off the heat and remove the colander. Cover the pot with a lid and let the octopus sit in the cooking liquid for 45 minutes. The octopus should yield to the point of a small, sharp knife with little resistance.
4. While the octopus is sitting, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes cut side down in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until tender and golden, about 35 minutes.
5. When the octopus is cool enough to handle, cut the tentacles from the head. (Discard the head or save it for another recipe.) Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook the tentacles, turning, until crisp on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes total.
6. To serve, divide the potatoes among 4 plates. Place 2 tentacles on each plate. Drizzle with the agrodolce and serve.
SERVES 4
¼ cup pine nuts
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
16 ounces pappardelle, preferably fresh
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, seeded and cut into small sticks ¼ x ¼ x 2 inches (about 2 cups)
Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, coarsely chopped
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
“Rosemary and Zucchinis go very well,” says owner Albano Ballerini. “A touch of garlic, it’s like a match made in heaven. And then you throw in some pine nuts to create some contrast and add some sweetness.” The sauce is essentially the cooking liquid, plus a little olive oil, which moistens the wide noodles just enough to pick up the perfect amount of veggies, herbs, and nuts in every bite.
1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and the skins begin to shrivel.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and reserve.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the drained pasta and tomatoes and toss to coat. Add the toasted pine nuts and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
