Sammy Lin's Famous Cappuccinos

Shortly after I wrote the review on Bottega del Vino in February I received a follow up email from their communications team thanking me for the post... fast forward a few months and they reached out again inviting me to meet their barista Sammy Lin and sip his famous cappuccinos.
So Monday morning I had the pleasure of chatting with Sammy to learn more about him and how he has mastered latte art, not to mention won the hearts of New York's most sophisticated coffee drinkers (even Martha Stewart is a big fan).

Eight years ago Sammy taught himself how to make cappuccinos by intensely watching his boss for one solid week, sipping 15-20 shots of espresso a day to learn the exact flavors, measurements to make coffee that even his true Italian clientele loved. Not only did his Upper East Side patrons love his coffee they were actually the ones who suggested that he start adding art to his concoctions just like the baristas were doing in Italy.

Sammy's first creation was a snowman six years ago, a time when other baristas were creating hearts and leaves he decided to challenge himself by pulling from his Chinese background and creating silhouettes of Chinese women. Shortly after his customers discovered his talent they started requesting him to copy the lion on the cover of their Lion King programs or to replicate the faces of their girlfriends for special occations.
(snowman image: NYCRestaurant.com)

For our meeting he wanted to showcase his favorite creation... facial profiles of elegant women.
The images took me by surprise, I didn't even recognize they were faces at first glance.

There is one latte, well umm hot chocolate, art that his Bottega del Vino customers will never see and that's the Hello Kitty design he makes exclusively for his five year old daughter!

You can try Sammy's creations for yourself at Bottega del Vino Mondays through Fridays from 8am to 6pm or on Sundays from 10am to 6pm at Via Quadronno located on 73rd St and Madison Ave.
Looking forward to hearing what you think of it!

Bottega Del Vino

A true Italian cafe in the heart of the Upper East Side, there are only two Bottega Del Vino restaurants in the world, one in Manhattan and one in Verona, Italy. Having studied abroad in Italy in college I have to say that walking into Bottega Del Vino did take me back to my Italian days. According to the restaurant's history, all the furnishings were imported from Italy, including the aged wood pillars, marble tops, etched copper and antique chandeliers. The restaurant offers a casual dining area for breakfast and lunch, a formal dining room, a private room on the lower level and an exceptional wine cellar.
I was impressed with the vegetarian items I ordered for lunch including the Caprese di Buffala, with real buffalo mozzarella, and the Carpaccio di Zucca (steamed butternut squash carpaccio with feta cheese, pine nuts and tomatoes). I liked the idea of the Carpaccio di Zucca but wish the feta cheese didn't totally cover the slices of butternut squash, it would have also been good with thin slices of Parmesan cheese.
It's a great cafe to stop into for lunch or dinner but just don't expected an inexpensive or speedy lunch.
Bottega Del Vino is located on the North side of 59th St. and 5th Ave, across the street of the iconic Apple store.

Friend of a Farmer

My sister and cousin came to NYC to visit me for a three day weekend during which time we ate at amazing restaurants including Butter, Spice Market, and Bottega Del Vino but after their visit the restaurant that they liked the most was Friend of a Farmer. A fabulous comfort food restaurant located at 77 Irving Place (btw 18th & 19th St.). that serves dishes that should be coming from your grandmother's kitchen.
The three of us ordered all very different entrees but all amazingly satisfying. My cousin had his most favorite meal, Fresh Roasted Turkey served with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, fresh cranberry sauce and giblet gravy. Meanwhile my sister and I took the vegetarian route by ordering the Lasagna of the Day which happened to be potobello mushroom and artichoke lasagna, and The Gramercy Park Salad (organic mixed greens, bosc pears, fresh beets, toasted walnuts and goat cheese with an orange vinaigrette dressing).

Homemade desserts like pumpkin and apple pie were tempting but we had to pass it up since we had planned to go to Dylan's Candy Bar to satisfy our sweet cravings.

Apparently Friend of a Farmer is also a wonderful spot for weekend brunch. The restaurant is open Monday-Thursdays from 8am-10pm, Fridays until 11pm; Saturdays from 9:30am-11pm and Sundays from 9:30am-10pm.