Who doesn't love Italian restaurants with amazing "mozzarella bars"? Add that sexy mild, creamy cheese with character known at burrata and I am in foodie heaven. Two textures - firm an soft - this milky white uber fresh cheese is simple yet special. The outer "shell" is semi-firm, as is expected of typical traditional mozzarella. Once "opened", one reveals the creamy more silky product within. This is the little miracle that is burrata which means "buttered" in Italian! Traditional buffalo or cow's milk mozzarella filled with pieces of mozzarella topped off with cream before the pouch is sealed makes for a lovely final product.
Burrata, when it is fresh, is tame on the palate, buttery, soft and smooth.
I first fell for burrata at Chef Lydia Shire's Scampo in The Liberty Hotel, Boston, Mass. Scampo features a beautiful mozzarella and brick oven bar which is the centered focus in the rear of the main dining room. There, during a Boston Foodie Tour (See my review, here), we were treated to a tomato, burrata, and arugula salad.
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| Tomato, burrata, and arugula salad at Scampo, Boston |
Chef Jody Adams' Trade Restaurant also served up a great burrata one night for dinner (See my review, here)
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| Burrata over heirloom tomatoes and date puree with blanched almonds and microgreens at Trade Restaurant, Boston |
Finally, at Shelly Fireman's second Bond 45 location on The National Harbor (DC Metro/Ozon Hill/Fort Washington) with the first being in NYC, I enjoyed a lovely burrata with Beefsteak tomatoes, purple onion, EVOO, olives, and basil while overlooking the Potomic River. Review of lunch at Bond 45 coming soon.
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| Burrata with Beefsteak tomatoes, purple onion, EVOO, olives, and basil |
Bond 45 takes their mozzarella bar to another level serving the delicacy with tasty choices like fried artichoke, pomodora dip and proscuitto di parma, meatballs, or 'in/en Carozza' (basically fancy, sometimes layered grilled cheese finger sandwiches made with egg-battered and fried crusty bread and burrata - in Carozza translates to "in a carriage")
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| Mozzarella en Carozza. Credit: www.homefood.it |
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