Tutoni's Soft Opening: May 14, 2014

The boyfriend and I were invited to the soft opening for a new local restaurant, Tutoni's, which serves Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. If you are familiar with local restaurants, I'd say it falls between the White Rose and The Left Bank. Some were comparing it to Victor's, which could be fair.

The restaurant is located downtown in a spot on George Street that has been vacant for a few years now. So it's nice to see something finally make good use of the space. The setting was cozy but not cramped, something I imagine would be perfect for "date night" or even a small group dinner with some close friends.

The owners are still in the process of acquiring the liquor license for the restaurant, but it's BYOB for now. From what I've heard, they hope to have that process complete by the end of the summer. Until then, you can always take a look at the menu in advance and decide what bottle you'd like to bring. I'll be interested to see what they do once they acquire the liquor license. I think they have the potential to go far with this, and I hope they do.

But back to the dinner. Our meal was $30 per person with three courses - a choice of a starter, a main, and dessert.

Our menu for the evening - dessert not shown

I brought this bottle of Rails to Trails Red from Bee Kind Winery - a birthday gift from my friend Melissa. My boyfriend brought his new bottle of Jefferson's Ocean: Aged at Sea bourbon to share with some friends.

I chose to start with the stuffed calamari ($12) and the boyfriend chose the meatballs ($8), both of which were good. The boyfriend said the thought the meatballs were his favorite part of the entire meal.

Stuffed Calamari - $12

For our main, I chose the Atlantic Cod ($18) and the boyfriend chose the Signature Steak ($28). I liked the cod quite a bit, and it was my favorite part of the meal (and dish). I don't say this to criticize, but the cod itself was better than the orzo it was on. Don't get me wrong, the orzo wasn't bad.

I went out on a small limb here because I was hesitant to not order the Chicken Pappardelle, which sounded very good (and I was told was very good). One of our table mates offered me a taste of hers, which I politely declined, but she assured me she was very pleased with it.

Atlantic Cod - $18

Dessert was a choice of one of three or four dessert shooters - mousse in a shot glass. I chose the cherry chocolate, which was rich but good. I believe there was also a caramel and chocolate, lemon curd, and a fourth I can't recall. I didn't see a dessert menu on the website, so I'm assuming these will be options in some form but I can't say for sure.

Chocolate cherry mousse - I ate the whipped cream before I remembered I forgot to take a photo

All in all this isn't meant to be a review or critique of the restaurant in any form. I know there are many people who have been hearing about it for a few months now and are curious what it's like, what the menu is like, when it will open, etc. A friend was nice enough to invite us to participate in this meal, and I figured I could at least share it with you.

Sure there were some hiccups, but I get the feeling the owners are proud of what they do and will continue to strive to improve as time passes. I think they have the start of something good, and I'll be curious to see what they're doing in about six months when I'm back in York for the holidays.

If you're interested in making reservations, and I suggest you do, you can do so here. I believe they'll be opening mid week next week.

Go and try it out. Don't take my word for it. Don't take anyone else's either. Go and see how you like it. I'll be waiting (in SF) to hear!


Restaurants Mentioned:
Tutoni's Restaurant: www.tutonis.com 
The White Rose Bar & Grill: www.whiterosebarandgrill.com
The Left Bank: leftbankyork.com
Victor's Italian Restaurant: www.victorsofyork.com

Why I Could Care Less About Being Good

I love food. It's not a secret. I love everything about it. I love buying food, reading about food, looking at food, eating food, talking about food, writing about food...and why not? It's delicious and fun, and it's full of deliciously fun calories.

I like pasta. Even better, pasta with cheese. I cook with butter because I just don't believe in margarine (sorry, Mom). I drink whole milk. I use heavy cream. I drink wine, eat chocolate cake, love a good burger and eat pizza for breakfast (cold, of course). Do I feel guilty? Absolutely not. Why should I?

You know what I DO feel guilty about? Wasting food. That doesn't mean I have to sit and eat a 3 serving bowl of pasta so it doesn't go to waste. It means I hate to throw food away. It's a waste of money and a waste of resources.

But I digress...why could I care less about being good, you ask? I'm not saying I'm planning to rob my neighbor or trip the old lady trying to cross the street. What I AM saying is that I hate that so many females feel the need to be like "Oh I'm being good today. No carbs" or "I can't eat cake. I'm being good" or "I'm only going to get the small salad even though I really want the Big Gruesome and the quarter pound cheeseburger with cheddar and handcut fries. I'm being good." That, folks, is what grinds my gears.

Associating food with being "good" or "bad" is just uncalled for. Associating eating or enjoying a meal with a black and white tag like that isn't healthy. It's a poor train of thought where you only end up feeling guilty for having cheese fries or ordering the bleu cheese dressing. Get it? I like cheese. In some groups of girls, it's like some sort of strange competition between who can "eat the most healthy" ie. who can eat the least (on Wednesdays, we wear pink...). I promise you, you're not winning anything by only eating a slice of cucumber for dinner. Screw you all, I'm having the steak.

But in the end, it isn't about eating everything you want all the time OR constantly denying yourself about what you really want to eat. It's about finding the balance between both. Moderation. It's also about living a healthy lifestyle, working out, drinking water, and having a balanced diet. I like to be right between the brownie sundae and double chocolate stout AND the vegetables (spell it with your peas!) and Cuties. I think, if you can find that balance, it puts you right in your dietary happy place. I know I am.

Dining Alone: It's Really Not So Scary

The question was raised this week whether I'd ever eaten anywhere alone (not at home). And the answer is "yes". I have eaten alone and not just as a single girl.

To be honest, I think I've eaten alone more times while in my last relationship than I do now. Now I have my family and girlfriends to dine out with, and I don't have plans, I eat at home. Occasionally for lunch do I eat alone. But then, I do out of necessity. Sometimes you just need alone time, especially when you work in a five person office the size of your bedroom. That's just what happens when your staff grows faster than the physical office. It's not a bad thing; we are busy. Good thing we all get along so well.

But as I get older, I think I value my "me time" more and more. I don't feel like my world stops when I'm by myself. And I certainly don't feel awkward about eating alone in public.

I do sort of have one guideline, which is if I am at a restaurant with a bar, I always opt to sit there over taking up a table. I patronize the bartender; I don't waste the servers' time with my party of one. These people rely on tips to live.

I sit here at Central Market thinking about the different occasions I've dined alone and how it really isn't embarrassing like I once thought. When I was much younger, I thought being alone meant that people would think I didn't have any friends or that something was wrong with me, even  if I did and even if there wasn't. But today I'm sitting alone as I write this. I am sitting at a table by the Roburrito's truck because I just ate a Burritodilla. Yum. Before that, I was sitting alone at the Jr.'s Fries counter eating fried pickles (which I recommend). But I don't feel like people are staring or judging. And I suppose if they are, then screw them. I don't have time to worry about that.  Everyone needs their alone time and I guess I'm just happy to have mine with some good food.