Alba's Sacchetti - A Religious Experience
We're big fans of Alba, a surprising upscale steakhouse in Quincy Center. Every time we go there, I remark to Phil how different the crowd is there than anywhere else in Quincy - this is not a dig at the patrons in most Quincy establishments, but the crowd at Alba is always just so...Boston.Last night, we went to the roof deck to enjoy an evening out of the house to relax after a phenomenal Memorial Day weekend. We decided to share several appetizers instead of opting for the admittedly very tempting entrees. That's when our waitress, Athena, said this to us:
You will never have anything in your life as good as the Sacchetti. If you don't get it, you will regret it for the rest of your life. I am your guardian angel. Don't blow this one chance at happiness.
Sacchetti at Alba
OK, so she didn't really say that. But she did highly recommend the sacchetti, which she referred to as "the most overlooked appetizer on the menu," and she did say that once we tried it, we would "order it every single time we went there." So we gave it a go, and my God, was she right.This was perhaps the most perfect blend of sweet and salty I have ever had in my life (and I've had Flipz). Let me break it down for you: perfectly cooked tortellini, filled with mascarpone cheese and chunks of pear, topped with a romano-parmesan sauce and drizzled with balsamic vinagrette. Oh. My. God.First thing I want to do for all you readers is break down all of the words in the menu's description of the appetizer, because it's all in the crazy dialect I call Restaurant-Italian. If you're anything like me when ordering something penned in this strange language, you find the one pronounceable word, say that, and point to the item on the menu. So here you go (complete with my commentary):From Alba's menu: SACCHETTI PEAR AND MASCARPONE TORTELLINI WITH SHAVED ROMANO, MOSTARDA DI FRUTTA
Sacchetti: officially called 'beggar's purses,' sacchetti are sacks of pasta that are filled like ravioli (Caitlin: Officially called beggar's purses? I would think that they're unofficially called beggar's purses. But OK).
Mascarpone: an Italian cheese made from cream, coagulated with citric or acetic acid, which is easy to spread and milky white in color. (Caitlin: This has nothing to do with cheese, but I wish they wouldn't use the word coagulated in any context other than blood - it's kinda gross).
Tortellini: ring-shaped pasta, sometimes also descriped as "navel shapped," hence their alternative name of "belly button" (umbellico). They are typically stuffed with a mix of meat or chese. (Caitlin: Does anyone else think that Romance languages that are closest to Latin make WAY more sense than English? Of courseumbellico would be Italian for belly button, so logical)!
Romano: a hard Italian cheese...one of the oldest Italian cheeses. It is made by a special method, known as rummaging curd"; or draining the curd quickly after molding, then piercing the surfaces slightly before salt is applied. (Caitlin: SO many thoughts here. The oldest of the cheeses? Rummaging curd? I'm learning so much)!
Mostarda di frutta: an Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard flavoured syrup. (Caitlin: I spelled this as mustardo probably 5 times, which goes to show you how American I am).
Steak Quesadilla Tower - Applebee's
The more you know!Anyway, now that you've learned all about some key terms to describe Italian cuisine, you may be thinking to yourself, "Wow. What a long and rambling post. She hasn't talked about the food itself at all." And you'd be right. That's because there are literally no words to describe how amazing the sacchetti at Alba really is. You simply need to try it for yourself. Athena was right - not only will we order this every time we're at Alba, but we actually ordered it twice last night! And at only $9.00 for a hearty helping, it didn't hurt Phil's wallet.Here's my attempt at describing it:The pears in the sacchetti and tortellini add just the right amount of texture and sweetness. The pasta itself was cooked to perfection, showing me just how much I overcook pasta when I make it at home. The mascarpone was unbelievable and I'm currently on the hunt to put it in everything I cook. Perhaps the best touch was the balsamic, which was drizzled on top and in a little pool beneath each bite, just the right amount to mix with the mostarda.Take my word for it, take Phil's word for it, and take Athena's word for it. And order two right off the bat, because I know you'll want them.And as a final note...