Spring is Springing in Midtown

Today at work we received our new "Spring Menu Descriptions." On my subway ride home, I read about the new items diligently... and am pretty excited about a few:

Two (of the twenty five) new cheeses:

• Drunken Goat from Spain--firm, mild and soaked in wine
• Fleur de Maquis from France (sheep's milk)--earthy and rubbed in herbs

A wheel of Fleur de Maquis

Pizzas (three new ones):

• White Clam--shucked littleneck clams, chopped garlic, mozzarella and fresh oregano, finished with shaved pecorino

clam clan

Sadly, one pizza I'd really wanted to try (fried artichoke) was taken off the menu before I'd gotten around to tasting it... perhaps chef will still make one for me.

By the way: I love my new job! I'm so excited to be at a restaurant where I'm passionate about the whole menu, not just some of it, and I'm guessing our executive chef/proprietor feels the same (there's no "throw-away" items on the menu--all items that we're proud to serve).

I met the executive chef the other night and felt a genuine warmth upon meeting him. He visits the restaurant regularly and actually spends time there (not just when on business)... I've yet to dine at my new restaurant as a guest; I'm hoping to take my parents there first--if I can get them to visit!

"I wonder how Patrick's doing."
"I wonder... what are we doing for dinner?"