My favorite time of day to go to Lupa is for a late and leisurely lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We did that today and had a quiet corner table in the back room as most of the lunch crowd had vacated the room. We enjoyed a small carafe (carafino) of an easy sipping 2004 Falaghina while nibbling on the foccacia and perusing the menu. We selected as starters to share, fresh tuna with white beans, and roasted beets topped with gremolata. Both were good, but I was looking for a more summery vegetable dish. We generally have a summer squash dish with chunks of Pecorino, but it wasn't offered today. My usual main course is the light and airy gnocchi in a sausage tomato sauce. It was delicious. Joel ordered their very tasty skewered skirt steak and croutons all topped with finely diced carrots and onions. We had a 2004 Aldo Conterno Dolcetto with our entrees. The wine was light, fruity, with good acidity and a nice tartness at the end and was just fine with our entrees, and we continued sipping it with our usual dessert of the best tartuffo on this planet. Hazelnut ice cream covered in soft milk chocolate and topped with chopped hazelnuts, and a far cry from the commercialized ones available at every Italian restaurant.
After lunch we strolled around the Village before getting in the car and driving downtown to Chambers Street Wines, where we put together a mixed case. Then it was back in the car for a short drive to the Chelsea Market Place and a stop at Buon Italia for cheese and spices, the fish store for some wild King Salmon and some crusty wheat bread at Amy's. Next it was time to head home. We relaxed with a glass of Amaro and our bread and cheese on the patio in the evening. It was a glorious day.
