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Sunday, November 13, 2016

Da Nico Since 1993 Fall 2016 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins

The fabulous Apple and Beet Salad, a new addition to the Da Nico's menu!

Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga: 


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It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Nicky and his venue, Da Nico.
Da Nico was first reviewed in 2013:
It was most recently featured in 2014:
Da Nico is a tremendous old-school Italian restaurant in Little Italy, and absolutely one of the best in its neighborhood.  The menu is spectacular and boasts fantastic depth and the classic Italian American fare will always impress you.
We began with a suggestion from Nicky:
Meet the Apple and Beet Salad!
Fresh apples, roasted beets, goat cheese and walnuts in a red wine vinaigrette make this salad the new skyscraper in town!  Sporting the colors of Lilly Pulitzer, this party on a plate is an aesthetic achievement by the architect, Nicky.  It's fresh, innovative and delicious.
Under the antipasti, we were wowed by the Panino di Bosco.  Grilled vegetables stack up inbetween Portobello Mushrooms, and usually goat cheese is part of this dish.  We substituted mozzarella because Peachy prefers that.  If you are someone that can't get your kids to eat their vegetables, consider taking them here!  Green zucchini, carrots and portobello never tasted so fabulous!  Delicious and nutritious, it's a winner.
With her vegetables checked off her list, Peachy Deegan ventured to something a bit naughty: Mozzarella in Carrozza!  Fried mozzarella was simply sublime: perfectly breaded with the ultimate gooeyness of one of our most favorite cheeses!  The light tomato sauce on the side was an ideal accent and this confirmed that mozzarella should in fact have its own food group.
The decadent creamy goodness continued with the pasta course selected by Peachy: Ziti Quattro Formaggi.  This short, thick tube pasta rejoices in fontina, gorgonzola, ricotta and parmesean cheese in a light cream sauce.  You will absolutely be in love with the taste, flavor, texture and the pure essence of cheese!  Dive into this creamy wonder.  It's dangerously delicious and the sauce is positively intoxicating, in a good way of course!
Drumroll please! You know who dreams of chicken parm done well ever since she graduated from college (Peachy ate Chicken Parm at Boston College all the time; the food is spectacular at BC.)  Nicky's chicken parm speaks to you.  It says: "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. Eat me!" This chicken parm is one of the best in the city in flavor and execution.  On top of that look at the size!  That ensures you can enjoy it more than once.  The breaded chicken cutlet is topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce.  More is more when it comes to mozzarella cheese in chicken parm, and we can always go more miles on the elliptical...we can't wait to order this again we love it!
For the Pesce, we chose the Sogliola alle Mandorle.  Almond-encrusted filet of sole announced it was the ultimate in fish sophistication with its side kick of mussels and embellishment in a white wine sauce with red roasted pepper.
The attractive stripes of pepper added a lovely element of color to this filet of sole, and we understand fish deliveries happen three times a week at Da Nico.  The mussels pump some iron around the main fish and are terrific accents.  Finally, we are more picky about sound than anything and we'd say even the music at Da Nico from Sinatra to Dion's Runaround Sue was quite to our liking!
Da Nico continues to be recommended by Whom You Know.

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