The unthinkable happened at Via Matta. I added salt to my food. Not a pinch, not a sprinkle but a full heaping teaspoon over a modest half-portion of the Cavatelli, a dish almost too small to hold a standard crème brulee. But a pinch of salt can go a long way, and a teaspoon uncovered the once-bland bouquet of crab and seafood after a strong stir. The milled tomatoes became fresh instead of mealy, and the salt seemed to breathe new life into the once lifeless pasta. And although no amount of salt could locate the elusive sea urchin the menu claimed it contained, I did curb my craving for crab…kind of.
The ribbons of Papardelle were unthinkably al dente, so perfectly chewy and flexible I could have used them to tie a bow around the tender braised lamb. The sausage added a subtle spice, and the pecorino was just a dusting of glitter on a perfect package.
I used to think that anise tasted like a much ruder, somewhat similar-sounding word with a different vowel, but Estragon served up some anise-based drinks for my birthday, and I had to reassess my aversion. Besides, I also had to reconcile my love for pho. Then the vanilla-anise French toast at City Girl Café really made me reevaluate, and if all that wasn’t enough to prove that anise doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it sounds, I officially, unthinkably, stand corrected after a taste of Via Matta’s Anise Gnocchi. The anise is a hint as strong as a pick-up line, only not quite so desperate or overpowering. Its Tuscan kale accompaniment is equally bold and bitter in the creamy-ish sauce, but when you put it together, the smoothness is unbelievable.
The last mushroom walks into the Mushroom Mezzalune and says, “There’s always mush-room for more mushroom!” And this entire plate groans not only at my terrible attempt at humor but also under the sheer mass of these juicy, chewy little caps. I groaned too but it was more like a moan when the tincture of truffle sunk in and lingered. It’s impossible to think that something so simple could be so good. Even if you don’t like mushrooms, this is still the dish for you.
When the dessert menu came I did the unthinkable yet again. I have a congenital condition that makes it impossible to say no to panna cotta…until I saw Mascaporeos. Unlike anise, these are as they sound, crumbly chocolaty cookies waiting to be submerged in a pot of mascarpone. The cookies are a heavy chocolate, but the mascarpone is the feather-light, carefully concocted cookie-topper of my adult Dunkaroo dreams.
Clearly this was the night of things I don’t usually do. It’s a good thing it ended with this dessert… Gnocchi, cookies n’ cream, mushroom ravioli. At first glance, Via Matta’s menu looks so tried and true. , but take it from me, these dishes are anything but cookie cutter.
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