Sietsema Previews His Own ‘Choice Eats’As a leadup to tonight’s Village Voice Choice Eats tasting event, Robert Sietsema gives Gothamist a lengthy interview and a barely disguised photo. Sietsema recalls his worst restaurant experience (cockroach) and explains how Frank Bruni maligned Katz’s by only giving it one star. His picks are after the jump.
Openings
Williamsburg Newcomer Combines Italian and Latin AmericanStill flying under the radar after opening last month, Miranda is a Williamsburg restaurant that has some of the winey charm of nearby D.O.C. Owners Mauricio Miranda and his fiancée, chef, and partner, Sasha Rodriguez, first worked together at Verbena. He eventually became a captain at L’Impero, and she the dining-room manager at Alto. Now Rodriguez is nodding to her Latin American heritage and her Italian culinary training by serving orecchiette with Mexican chorizo and a grilled pork tenderloin that’s marinated in tomatillo salsa, cooked with a mole verde, and served with Arborio rice. Italian rice is also used in a paella with cockles, baby clams, shrimp, and calamari. For dessert, Mauricio serves a granita made with dried jamaica petals his mom forages for in Mexico. Now that is a relationship with the source!
