Samantha Moretti
 One of the most important reasons to work in a restaurant is because you have a genuine interest in the industry, as I do. I currently work as a server, a bartender, and a sommelier because I love this industry and food and wine. Working at Scarpetta is particularly easy--since the food is wonderful and the wine is great, it's very easy to stand behind the product. Every single time I approach a table and speak on behalf of the menu or while presenting a dish, it comes from my heart, because I know that the diner is going to love their meal. I think it is important that the guests have an experience from start to finish, that we take them on a ride. Explaining the menu, reviewing the dishes when they reach the table, detailing the wine as they are drinking it, checking back 20 minutes later when it has opened up to make sure they are enjoying it--all the steps that help make the experience a great one from the first sip to the last bite.
What have you learned along the way? I have always loved working in restaurants. At Abboccato, I gained a passion for the art of food and learned everything I know about service and all that encompasses hospitality. Hospitality really is the most important element in a restaurant, so it's crucial to grasp the concept and execute it well. At Esca, I really bridged the gap between learning about service and food and being educated about food. I came to Scarpetta because I wanted to work with Italian food and be able to show my personality in the process. Being able to put your personality into everything you do is a trait that Scott Conant treasures in his staff. In my case, the biggest thing that I want to convey to the diner is passion! As your server, I am not only delivering your plate, but I am giving you my soul, I am giving you everything that is important to me. From the moment I wake up in the morning until the time that I come into the restaurant at night, I am constantly thinking about food, about how the night is going to go, about how I can present a new dish, or talk about a new cheese plate or another cool wine that I want guests to taste that night. I am not trying to be actor or a dancer--I just want to be the best server I can be.
What makes it all click at Scarpetta? It starts with the food and the wine, but then you add staff with smiles and passion for what they do, and suddenly the guests feel warm, they feel welcome, they feel satisfied with what is in front of them. When you take that combination to the next level, you have a full dining room that starts to have its own heartbeat and personality. You walk in and you can feel all of the cylinders of the restaurant working in sync: you hear the music, the sounds of silverware, of people clinking their glasses and uttering "salute"; you hear waiters explaining the dishes. You also take it all in visually: at the table next to you, the cloche comes off, the steam rises, and you see these amazing pastas, then you spy a great pork chop over in the corner. You get excited, the guests get excited, they ask where certain items are on the menu and want to be told the specifics about the dish.
 What can you recommend, what should we order, how should we do it, how should we course it out? It becomes rhythmic, and by the time they leave, they are planning their return. And then they tell their friends. There is a phrase in the restaurant industry: if guests love the food, they'll tell one of their friends; if they hate it, they'll tell 10 of their friends. We've had a lot of happy customers.
What is your favorite dish? The spaghetti gets all the press, but there are many other things that merit attention. My favorite dish on the menu is the Black Maccheroni. It is spectacular! My aunt, who was really into food, used to say when she liked something, "If God likes it, he eats it on Sunday." I think the Black Maccheroni is just that. The mussels, clams, rock shrimp, a little bit of sea urchin, which liquefies itself when it hits heat and really becomes part of the dish, and just a touch of minted bread crumbs, which adds earthiness to the finish--that is perfection.
Last Bite: My dad said that when you love your job you never have to work a day in your life. I get to host a party every night, so I would have to say it's a pretty good job!
"It's been a really awesome year! We opened last May and hit the ground running. The intention of the restaurant was to take a humble and modest approach, focusing on the food. From this perspective, a year ago, we were just a small trattoria located in the Meatpacking District. We didn't know what to expect, so everything that has happened in this short time is incredible."
Scott Conant believes that he is currently making the best food of his career--and by all indications, he is spot-on. There's the menu: signature Scott Conant dishes that he has cultivated over the years, balanced with new recipes developed at Scarpetta, to create a variety of dishes that appeal not only to bigtime food enthusiasts but also to customers who don't necessarily have the opportunity to dine out every night. The reviewers likewise agree: Scarpetta received three stars from both The New York Times and New York magazine and was named a "Best New Restaurant in America" by Esquire. The restaurant is recommended in the 2009 Michelin Guide and earned Wine Enthusiast magazine's 2008 Award of Distinction. And finally, to cap off its one-year anniversary, Scarpetta was nominated "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation.
Asked what he would change about this past year, Conant responds: "I wouldn't want to change anything. We've tweaked, but there is a difference between tweaking and changing. What I had initially seen in my mind's eye was both a building and a creative process, and that has really come to fruition. The experience of dining at Scarpetta is resonating with diners, which is the whole point. We have people walking out happier than when they walked in, and there is nothing better than that."
"An idea is only as good as the people you put in place to execute it," he continues. "Scarpetta is not just about me--it goes back to the great team that I have. I count myself extremely lucky to have this staff, many who have been with me for many years, who are executing on an incredibly high level, and, more important, who are providing for their own families. Nobody is taking this situation for granted."
SCARPETTA MIAMI beach
 Scott Conant flew south this past winter to create a new outpost of Scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami. The newly renovated Fontainebleau is a spectacular blend of Miami's glamorous golden era and stylish modern luxury, combining striking design, contemporary art, music, and fashion for a new kind of vibrant South Beach experience. "Miami and the Fontainebleau fit so well with what we started here in New York," says Conant. "And having two restaurants about two and a half hours by plane away from each other is a great thing for Scarpetta."
As in New York, the same energy of the restaurant reigns in Miami, but with a décor designed to suit the warm climate. The light and airy main dining room displays a refined nautical palette, complete with portholes and large wood columns bound with leather and rope. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a veranda wrap around the room with views of the hotel pool and the ocean.
Scarpetta Miami's general manager Chris Cuomo asserts, "When you combine one of the top chefs in the country, a restaurant with an incredible energy and atmosphere, and an unparalleled hotel in a fantastic location, you can only be destined for success. Scarpetta has quickly made a huge statement in Miami, taking the food, service, and beverage program to another level--one that Miami has not seen in a long time."
Scott Conant shares some of his favorite recipes--with cooking techniques and special touches that make his dishes magically come together.
Take something, like a tomato, and totally focus on what will make it great. And for it to evolve to another level, from a flavor perspective, it's not a cerebral effort but a soulful one. It's a progression from a completely raw state, to adding a little bit of salt and olive oil, and so on...
Mushroom Fricassee: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they just begin to color on the edges. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is released. Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
"My favorite mushrooms to use in the fricassee include blue foots, black trumpets, and hen-of-the-woods."
Polenta: In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Add the salt and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy. Add the polenta and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cornmeal is completely cooked and tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Be patient--even if the polenta has thickened and seems good after an hour, longer cooking will make it even better. As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of the pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which gives the polenta a slightly toasted flavor. Just before serving, stir in the butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and chives. The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools. If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk before serving. Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.
To Finish: Toss the mushrooms with the chives, and drizzle the truffle oil over the mushrooms. Be careful not to cook the truffle oil more than a few seconds, because the flavor and aroma will dissipate quickly. Spoon mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of the polenta.
Amari, the plural of amaro, an Italian term for "bitters," refers to distilled spirits containing an infusion of bittering compounds such as herbs, roots, or barks. Basic elements are the aromatic herbs gentian, rhubarb, quinine, saffron, calamus or sweet rush, and centaury, among others. Bitters were originally produced to soothe and relax the stomach after meals, and therefore are often referred to as "digestives." They are also used as ingredients in some cocktails.
Aperire, a simple Latin word that means "to open," is the origin of the word apêritif--a beverage that usually "opens" lunch or dinner as a stimulant to the appetite. Most apêritifs are initially sweet with a somewhat bitter aftertaste because of the use of quinine (or cinchona bark). This slight harshness whets the appetite and cleanses the palate.
Although Italy certainly produces the lion's share of amari, you'll also find delectable offerings from Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, and the United States. There is no one correct way to serve amari--they are great served neat, at room temperature, chilled, or on the rocks. Each can be served in a tall drink, with sparkling mineral water and a wedge of lemon, lime, or even orange as a garnish. A maraschino cherry on top provides a finishing touch.
Aperol (22 proof) was developed in Veneto, Italy, by Silvio Barbieri in 1919. Made from an infusion of more than 30 aromatic herbs, spices, and roots-- including bitter orange, gentian, and rhubarb-- Aperol has a luminous, distinctive deep orange color and is made from grain-neutral distilled spirits with natural orange flavors.
Campari (48 proof) was first developed shortly after 1862 by Gaspare Campari, a master drink maker by the age of 14 and a native of Castelnuovo southwest of Milan, Italy. This ruby-red, bitter beverage is a mixture of more than 68 aromatic extractions from herbs, roots, plants, and fruits. Campari has a bouquet and taste of bitter orange, cherry, ginger, lemon, licorice, orange zest, and strawberry, with a bittersweet aftertaste.
Ciociaro  (60 proof) is a dark brown, bittersweet mixture of carefully selected herbs and spices that was conceived in 1873 by Italy's Paolucci family.
Cynar  (34 proof) is a zesty, bittersweet apéritif made from artichoke leaves
and herbs, conceived in 1950 by Angelo Dalle Molle. The late A. Charles Castelli, said the organic acid cynarin in Cynar "makes what follows taste softer, taste better." The brown digestive has a bouquet and taste of almonds, herbs, honey, and walnuts and is bittersweet, with a hint of orange in the aftertaste.
Fernet-Branca  (80 proof) is a dark brown, extremely bitter tincture introduced in 1845 by Bernardino Branca in Milan, Italy. Fernet contains more than 40 herbs and spices (among them, cardamom, chamomile, cinchona bark, gentian, myrrh, rhubarb, saffron, and sage) in a base of grape alcohol, and it is aged for one year in oak barrels.
Ramazzotti Amaro  (60 proof) was created in 1815 in Ausano Ramazzotti's small shop in Milan. The naturally bitter apéritif is produced from 33 medical herbs and roots, including gentian, cinchona bark, rhubarb, cinnamon, oregano, sweet orange from Sicily, bitter orange from Curaçao, and other ingredients from
around the world.
Jägermeister (70 proof) is a dark red, bitter liquor made from 56 botanicals, fruits, and herbs--including aniseed, citrus peel, ginger, ginseng, juniper berries, licorice, poppy seeds, and saffron--that are steeped in alcohol and aged for one year. The name is German for "the hunter," and the bottle's label depicts a picture of a noble stag.
Montenegro (46 proof) has a delicate bouquet and flavor of bitter orange, coriander, cucumber, orange peel, pekoe tea, red cherries, and tangerine. Its initially sweet taste quickly turns mildly bitter.
Veloce  (70 proof) is a pale yellow, bitter liqueur made from such selected herbs as absinthe, licorice, and rhubarb for power and the fruits peach and apricots for elegance. A touch of barrelaged nebbiolo grape spirit rounds out the finished product.
Serves 4
This polenta dish has become a signature starter of mine. Waiters bring the mushrooms to the table in tiny copper saucepans, the lid to the pan is ceremoniously lifted, and the mushrooms and their heavenly cooking juices are spooned over a waiting bowl of polenta. You may not go to such lengths at home, but I do suggest serving the mushrooms piping hot just after the addition of the truffle oil, so that, like our patrons, you appreciate the aroma of this dish at its peak. My favorite mushrooms to use in the fricassee include blue foots, black trumpets, and hen-of-thewoods, but even if you use only cultivated mushrooms say, a mix of creminis and shiitakes--the result will be delicious.
 For the Mushroom Fricassee
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
8 ounces (2 cups) mixed mushrooms, sliced or cut into pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil
For the Polenta
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces cornmeal, coarse ground
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
 Scott Conant readily admits that he never imagined his life would turn out this way. It's not that he didn't have ambition, because he did--aspirations that far exceeded the boundaries of the small Connecticut town in which he was raised.
Goals to not only create his own path in this life but also get there in the name of goodness. Goodness that would eventually bring him success and fulfillment, just like a great dish brings a smile to a diner's face as that last piece of sauce-soaked bread makes its way around the plate and into the mouth, leaving one happy and satiated.
 Scott is not unsatisfied with the way things are turning out. He's thrilled with the success of Scarpetta, humbled even, but he knows there's more to come. "Life is this amazing commodity," he explains, "It's handed to you on a plate, and then it's up to you to make something of it." And like his recipes, success is a simple equation of taking a passion and making the most of it.
In Scott's case, he uses food as a means to his endgame: extracting the goodness out of every ingredient and presenting it for the diner's enjoyment. "There is no manipulation involved," he warns. "The idea is to take something, like a tomato or a piece of quail, and totally focus on what will make it great. And for it to evolve to another level, from a flavor perspective, it's not a cerebral effort but a soulful one." It fully circles back to his theory about how everyone has the opportunity to succeed if they use the right tools. "It's the same with food," he explains.
"How do I create 13 different flavors with one zucchini? It depends on when I take it off the fire in the cooking process. It's a progression from a completely raw state, to adding a little bit of salt and olive oil and so on, to the final step when it is completely burnt. That's how I think about everything: as an evolution to the next level."
Scott first recognized his need to evolve the definition of Italian cooking as an 18-year-old--a "young punk kid," he says--who had moved to New York City in 1990 and was working at San Domenico. There, he experienced true Italian cuisine for the first time--not the kind he grew up on, but authentic recipes. Although he couldn't yet express it, he envisioned an opportunity to take Italian cooking to a new level, infusing classic peasant cuisine and "Alta Cucina" principles with new American methods.
Continue reading Extracting Goodness - The Art of Scarpetta.
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