Arturo's Osteria & Pizzeria Blog

We need help. Seriously. We need a name for our next restaurant. Any ideas? Fred likes modern/minimalist names. I like names with substance and meaning. Please help! Now's the time!! Free pizza for a year!!

2010 Millburn Green Challenge @ Hartshorn Arboretum 10 am - 5 pm. Check it out. They are promoting all things green and the importance of local and sustainable agriculture.

Check out our latest review! Pick up a copy of the NY Times this Sunday, 1/31/10

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/nyregion/31dinenj.html

Tasting Menu this Saturday...and Tuesday!!

This past Tuesday was our first Tuesday tasting menu.  Our Tuesday Tastings will consist of four courses based upon market availability, NJ sustainable agriculture, and regional Northern Italian cookery. We are filling up fast!  Make your reservations at 973-378-5800. 



 

3 Years in business!

Thanks for supporting us for three great years at Arturo's - Osteria & Pizzeria! Last Saturday (12/26) was our anniversary 5 course tasting/after hours party. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

New Greenbox Video

Help us support this great company. Ask for the Greenbox at your local pizzeria.

GreenBox Documentary from Ben Schreiner on Vimeo.

Brasato al Barolo

It's already the end of the year and I can't believe how fast it went. It feels like last holiday season was just a short while ago, yet so much has happened since then. The next few weeks are going to be exciting in our kitchen. This is the season for roasting, braising and long, slow cooking (which are my favorite cooking techniques). There is nothing like a moist, meaty cut of beef falling off the bone served in a rich red wine sauce served over polenta. In Piemonte, this is called "Brasato al Barolo". We usually use short ribs or beef cheeks for this classic dish since their preferred method of cooking is braising. Here is the technique for this dish. Begin with the best beef cheeks or short ribs possible. Season them with salt and dredge in flour. Sear the meat over medium-high heat in extra virgin olive oil until well browned on all sides. This one of the most important steps in the braising process. This process of browning creates the foundation of flavor for the entire dish. If not enough time is spent browning the meat, the final product will be seriously lacking in flavor. After this process, we take the meat out of the pan and add roughly chopped onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables until softened. Add the meat back to the pan and deglaze with a big red wine such as Barolo or, it's less expensive friend, Barbera D'Alba. In Piemonte, where there is more Barolo than they can drink, they would use it for this dish -I, however, highly recommend drinking your Barolo and cooking with Barbera! Then add a star anise, 1/2 of a cinnamon stick, a clove or two, and a sprig of rosemary. Then add water to the pot, just short of covering the meat. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in a 275 degree oven and cook until the meat is super tender. It should take a few hours, depending on how much meat you are cooking. During the last forty-five minutes of cooking, take the lid off of the pot to reduce the braising liquid. Serve the meat over polenta or just by itself. It may take a long time to cook, but it is SO rewarding. I always make some extra and save it for the next day. We make a ragu from the leftover meat and serve it with pasta. It's also a great filling for ravioli or Agnolotti. We will be serving pasta with braised beef cheek ragu this Wednesday (12/9/09).

Table Hopping with Rosie

Check out the latest at NJ monthly... http://njmonthly.com/blogs/tablehopwithRosie/2009/10/21/restaurant-news.html

This Saturday, December 5, we will be hosting our Saturday night tasting at 7:45 pm. The menu is always determined by market availability and this is my favorite time of year! We have been cooking lots of mushrooms, truffles, game, and squash to mention a few. Since I just arrived home from my three week tour of northern Italy and Barcelona, the dishes will most certainly reflect the regional specialties and fare from these amazing places. Don't forget to check out all of our pictures on Facebook We are currently accepting reservations at Arturo's - Osteria & Pizzeria - 973-378-5800

France? Or more Italy?

I'm having trouble in planning my trip. Should I spend the 12 hours on a train from Torino to Gascony? Or should I just stay in Northern Italy for another week? Or maybe more time in Northern Spain? If anyone has ideas, please let me know. I need help!! Email me at Dan@arturosnj.com Thanks!