Vol. 3
Photo credit: CK Swett
We hope you remain safe and healthy. Everyone has been impacted or challenged over the last month, but we are finding strength in the knowledge that we will all get through this together. Brooklyn, keep spreading love, it is working and we are grateful. Sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to, but this can be one of life’s greatest gifts. The uncertainty we are facing naturally creates chaos and shakes confidence. However, in many ways, it has energized us. This time apart from the daily hum of our restaurants has allowed us to seek opportunities for our future that we may not have thought of before.
We’re excited about the new chapter we’ve begun at Grovehouse and get to share with you all soon. We look forward to welcoming you, feeding you, and proving together, once again, that NYC always comes back. Until then, we’ll continue to find ways to help make every day a good day.
The heart of hospitality is too big to fail,
Sean & Missy
Photo credit: Rachael Lombardy
While the Negroni and other cocktails are always in high demand, people are bonding over a cocktail now more than ever, virtually. It is a way for us to casually be together and feel connected to our favorite restaurants and bars, as if we might be headed out for the evening.
The very first night that Sean and I hung out, he invited me upstairs for a Negroni. In his repertoire of things he’s great at, making Negronis is high on the list, and it’s something we’ve enjoyed on many occasions together. If you missed our original story, he also makes an extremely addictive Bolognese.
The Negroni is simple to make and requires equal parts. It is a perfect balance of bitter, sweet, and aromatic flavors.
Gin (your choice is very personal)
Vermouth (my go-to is Carpano Antica)
Campari
Garnish with orange peel
For those who prefer something a little less boozy, I have recently become a fan of the Milano-Torino, which is 50/50 vermouth to Campari. The result is a light aperitivo, in addition to making you feel like you might be in either of those Italian cities, which I think many of us are yearning for right now.
— MR
Pecorino + Semolina crusted chicken, capers, garlic, lemon
Photo credit: Missy Robbins
In our business, and as a chef, cooking at home can be a true luxury. I often cook on Sundays, my day off, but making three meals a day every day is not something I have done in many years, since opening Lilia in 2016.
While it is challenging to have the restaurants closed on so many levels, I am trying to stay positive and keep productive. I have found pure happiness in cooking in a way that is very different from how I create at Misi and Lilia. I have headspace and time that I don’t usually have and I am finally working on projects that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, whether it’s baking (which for those of you who know me, know that I don’t do), finally using the sourdough starter that’s been in our home for months untouched except weekly feedings to keep it alive, or putting the finishing touches on the last of the recipes to be included in my next book. Next up is tackling the croissant, which if I nail, will make an appearance at Lilia Caffé.
You can take the chef out of a restaurant, but some habits will live on at home. I find myself neatly organizing my mise en place (ingredient prep) in little dishes before hitting the stove and writing menus for the week knowing what I have in the fridge, what we have ordered for delivery or pick-up, and shockingly, what is in my freezer (which usually sits empty except for ice, ice cream, and a super-chilled martini). I wonder how every dish I make at home will be integrated or not into the restaurants when we reopen. That exercise has been a great source of inspiration. Now, after months of practice, should orecchiette finally go on the menu at Misi? Do ‘nduja meatballs have a place anywhere, or is there an interpretation of those flavors that can go into a new spaghetti dish? Even something as simple as a little gem salad with pine nuts and pecorino has me thinking.
Here are some menu highlights from last week from my home, in no particular order. I hope they inspire cooking ideas for you and your family.
Pan-Roasted Strip Steak, serrano and cilantro chimichurri, smashed crispy potatoes
Ribolitta, Parmigiano, Paulo Bea olive oil
Pozole Rojo
Smoked Trout Board, pickled ramps and carrots, soft boiled eggs, dill sour cream
Spaghetti, spicy cauliflower, anchovy, garlic, parsley
Spinach and Farro salad, Fiore Sardo cheese
‘Nduja and Beef Meatballs, simple sauce
Raw Fennel Salad, red onion, apple, pecorino, pine nuts
Pecorino + Semolina crusted chicken, capers, garlic, lemon
Whole Roasted Rabbit, juniper, citrus, herbs
Tuscan Kale Panzanella
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Crème Fraiche Coffee Cake
Talia’s housemade Tartine Bread, butter, sea salt
— MR
In other news...
Read this New York Times op-ed co-authored by Missy and her peers: Will We Have an America Without Restaurants?
Listen to Sean on The JJ Redick Podcast: The State of the Restaurant Industry in the Wake of COVID-19
Looking for a great read at home? A few of our friends stopped by recently to talk about their new books, both of them packed with insights on the inner workings of restaurants and hospitality.
Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All with the Greatest Chef in the World by Jeff Gordinier
Say Grace: How the Restaurant Business Saved My Life by Steve Palmer
Play some Misi tunes over dinner at home. This month’s playlist is called “REGGAETONI.”
Playlist credit: Charlotte Cauwe
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