Just Chilling at my Aunt Jake's!

Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋 😘

Reunion Time!! Back in July, my most lovely friend Rebecca came to visit, and our NYC food tour inspired me to start this blog in the first place. Four months later, she was back again for a Round 2, and I could not have been more excited. I burst out of work on Friday night, hightailed it to Penn Station, and careened into her for a welcome back hug on the corner of 34th and 7th.

Then, because the heat of July is long gone and the icy breath of winter has settled over New York City with not even the slightest consideration of mercy, Rebecca and I scrambled to the subway and rode an over-packed train down to Greenwich Village so we could make our 6:45 reservations in time.

When Rebecca and I were planning our dinner plans, she told me she was looking for warm, comforting food. After looking into several spots, we nabbed a table at Aunt Jake's, a trendy Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village that advertises freshly handmade pasta. It checked all of our boxes going into the evening, and we were excited to put it to the test.

Aunt Jake's features rustic decor with plants and dim-lighting, making for a very cute and cozy atmosphere. Being in the city, where space is the greatest privilege you could ever hope to earn, tables are assembled closely together to maximize the amount of people they can serve at a time. Since Aunt Jake's is a pretty popular spot, this means the dining room crowd created quite a din. This was not a huge problem for us because, while it would have been nice to not be nearly touching elbows with our neighbors, we did not have to worry about overhearing their conversation, or them taking much note of ours. The dull roar in the room made all the voices blend together if not in your immediate vicinity, so Rebecca and I could emphasize our points as passionately as we wanted to. Conversations ranged from the crazy people we encounter on a daily basis (quoted: "I know we throw the word 'insane' around a lot, but I don't even know how she gets from Point A to Point A and a Half in her thought process"), the surprising lack of dateable men in NYC despite its overpopulation, funny stories about Rebecca's students, and our big plans for our futures.

Our server, Joe, knew exactly how to work within the restaurant's volume level, cheerfully leaning down to talk us through the wine list and chat with us just the right amount. He was personable and fun.

The restaurant only serves the garlic sticks upon request "to eliminate waste," and he was happy to oblige when we asked if we could try them. We could not finish them with all the other food, but I am happy we asked. They were well-seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes, and a bit of cheese, and they avoided the thin, brittle consistency you find at some Italian restaurants. In those unfortunate scenarios, you know you'e getting boxed dough totally devoid of a chef's love and care. At Aunt Jake's, the garlic sticks were thick and just the right amount of crusty and chewy. Much pleased.

Joe also helped us pick out our bottle of wine, a Fiano, and did a great job of displaying it for the table, allowing a taste test first (which I got to lead, since there was no man around to do the honors 🙄), and pouring each of us our starter glass. The wine struck a fine balance between crisp and sweet, which was exactly what were looking for. We ordered two very different dishes, and it paired well with both. As we raised our glasses for our very first sip, we struggled to decide what, exactly, we would be toasting. We knew the general theme was getting back in touch with the things that truly interest us and creating some more career success for ourselves, but how to artfully phrase that into a concise, empowering salut?

Rebecca, our resident English major and Queen of Wit, had the perfect answer:

"Cheers to making 2020 our b!^$*!"

Amen to that.

For her entree, Rebecca ordered an autumnal dish that was well-suited to her vision of a hearty, comforting meal. It makes sense, as fall is most definitely her season. Everything about cozy sweaters, hot beverages, pumpkin spice, and reading a good book by a crackling fire screams Becca to me. Naturally, she found the dish that encapsulated that mood, and even Joe remarked on her "excellent choice!" I featured two different angles of the dish in the photos because, quite honestly, I was jealous. It was on my list of potential options, I did not opt for it, and now I really have to go back to Aunt Jake's as soon as possible so that I can dig into my own bowl. What was this winning dish? Risotto with butternut squash, mushrooms, sage, and parmesan. Oh yeah, baby. I had one bite of it and I reached a state of total bliss. We could not quite figure out what the unadvertised nuts in the dish were, but their sweet, earthy flavor went perfectly with the sugary cubes of squash, and then the mushroom deepened the flavor. The parmesan cheese was the great unifier of it all, soaking into the risotto and creating a thick, yummy coating over everything. Eyes rolling into the back of the head heaven, oh my God.

This is not to say that my dinner should feel in any way insecure. When I ordered the tagliatelle Puttanesca, Joe exclaimed, "Ooh, adventurous!" and while I am not sure what exactly about the dish screams wild child, I was proud to take on the role. Also, if we are considering our orders in light of our favorite seasons, mine also fits the bill exactly, My heaping bowl of pasta might not be well-suited for bikini season, but the flavor was summertime all the way. Puttanesca is comprised of a chunky tomato base that is filled with capers, olives, and anchovies. It is a delicate fusion of the sweet tomato flavor and the briny, salty flavors of the other ingredients, and while I would not consider it spicy, it does have a little kick to it. I cut the basil garnish up and mixed it into the dish to fully round out the fresh flavors, made all the better by the freshly cut tagliatelle that I relished wrapping around my fork and snapping between my teeth. I inhaled the whole bowl.

Rebecca and I were also pleased with the rustic Italian slices they served alongside my dish, which we split. The bread had a crispy, floury crust that broke apart to make way for the squishy sweet inside. It held its own when mopping up the remaining sauce, and that's the kind of bread I like to see on the playing field.

Overall, it was a scrumptious feast, and we talked about it through the end of the weekend. Aunt Jake's serves food promptly, but only after being cooked with great care, and the restaurant does not cycle diners in and out like a factory. Instead, it offers great service alongside a great meal in a friendly environment, allowing diners to tuck into their meals leisurely and fully enjoy the entire dining experience.

I am ready to go back now!

XX,

MK