The next time Spinelli and his better half is in Brooklyn....

We will be going to Red Rose. It is old school Italian. The type of red checkered tablecloth joint that they show in "Big Night." Totally different than Marco Polo which is the "ritzy" joint in the neighborhood. The owner Tony is the same guy who had the candy store when I was a kid where I would get the potato and sauce heroes for 25 cents. He is about 80 but is still making the rice balls. My friend Santo his son is running it these days and he is another 50 year old dude running his business and trying to get by.

We will start off with the appetizers:

We have from the top clockwise: eggplant balls, rice balls with rice and peas and a Caesar salad. The eggplant ball is eggplant rolled up with fresh mozzarella in the middle battered and deep fried. The rice ball is the traditional rice, peas, meat and mozzarella deep fried. The Caesar is the traditional with cheese and a leech.

Then the main course:

We had three people but two of us got the same. One had the classic ravioli in marinara sauce. But the wife and I had penne with sweet Italian sausage, garlic, oil and broccoli rabe. Add some cheese and man you are in heaven.

Then we have desert:

So from left to right clockwise we have a hazelnut creme brulee, lemoncello gelato, and chocolate chip gelato which is the wife's favorite. I bet Spinelli will order that.

Of course we will get a great wine in a carafe. The house sangiovese is particularly fine.

The table is set.

Just to whet your appetite.

More to come.

Still throwing up.

See ya tomorrow.

Sixty Grit said..If that's in reference to the Spinelli meet-up, then ew!

No that as in reference to my honey.

This is in reference to the meet up. I hope I don't embarrass the wife with my table manners. You see I kind of eat like Fred Flintstone. Just sayn'

Only 24 hours or so until the Belly to Belly summit.

The only question is who gets to be the fat guy and who gets to be the old guy?

The belly to belly summit is on!

The great back to back and belly to belly summit is on. Mr. Nick Spinelli and his lovely bride will be joining my wife and I at Marco Polo for some of the dishes they only know through blurry photos.

A full report and photo's will be posted if Mr. Spinelli agrees to  be photographed.

(He is undercover in Wisconsin as a conservative so we don't want to screw it up for him)

Hey we don't a pussy cafe thread...we have a bar thread...belly up and state your business!

It's the first ever open bar thread at Trooper York!

Belly up to the bar and state yer business.

You might want to talk about the melt down of the Travelocity Gnome.

Or Johnnie McCain.

Or whatever.

Enjoy!