There's a compelling Food Network show right now. "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Under umbrella themes of "barbecue" or "comfort food," famous chefs or foodies talk about, well, the best thing they ever ate. It's totally engaging and frequently drives me right to the refrigerator.
So, I was thinking...
Regular readers to this blog will already know this. How many friggin' times do the words "sausage and peppers" turn up here in the dinner column? A lot. Going back to when I was a kid and my father made it, I love this dish.
And the absolute best place to get sausage and peppers has always been Carlo's Restaurant on Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers. The place has wood paneling from your 70s basement. The tables all look like the Celtics floor at the Boston Garden. It ain't fancy. But, every single weekend night, the place is packed to the rafters. Good food speaks volumes. I've been going there for decades and I try to hit it every trip that I am back on the East Coast. Oh, they've got other great stuff on the menu. Lasagna, eggplant parm, ravioli. They sometimes have a 1/2 roasted chicken which is amazing. But, nowadays, it's almost always for me the sausage and peppers. I'm fussy about this entree. The right way to do is with very little gloppy sauce. Simply sausage, peppers (red, green, and yellow), onions, and whole tomatoes that don't reduce down to soup. Not a lot of people got it right. My father did. My writing partner does (after I counseled him). And Carlo's does it impeccably. Here's the latest version that I inhaled just last Saturday night. 
It's actually a pretty deep dish. I eat half and take the rest home for the following evening's meal. With a side salad, you cannot go wrong.
So, Food Network, this is, by far, the best thing I ever ate.
Dinner last night: Filet mignon at Palomino.
2 comments:
Photographing food is tricky and photographing meat is nearly impossible. It always looks like dead flesh. Supermarket ads don't get it right. Cookbooks need art directors and top shutterbugs to make the meat look yummy.
A photo of the inside of Carlo's might have been better than the beloved sausage and peppers. They look kinda...yucky. But I believe you. You wouldn't make a beeline to Carlo's if it wasn't good eats.
Is there a Carlo? Is he alive? Are you recognized as a regular? How's their bread? Desserts? Inquiring munchers want to know.
With a 3-D camera, this would look a lot better.
Carlo is the last name of the owner. First name is Pete. He used to be there all the time hobnobbing with the customers and yelling at the waitresses. He is slowing down and there a lot less.
Yes, they know me there. The bread is terrific and it is always refilled. Frankly, I never ever ate dessert there.
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