The Craft of Cocktails

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At M’tucci’s we serve traditional Italian cuisine, sometimes with a contemporary twist. Our cocktail program is no different. You can order all of the classic cocktails, some with a M’tucci’s twist, or a cocktail that has been created by our talented bartenders.

Italy has a somewhat different cocktail tradition than the U.S., tending to rely upon herbal liquors and Amari, such as Campari, Aperol and Vermouths. Well-known Italian cocktails include the Negroni, (Gin, Campari & Sweet Vermouth), the Bellini (Prosecco & Peach) and the Americano (Sweet Vermouth, Campari & Club Soda). There are also variations on these, such as the Negroni Sbagliato, which is based on the Americano, replacing the Club Soda with Prosecco, or the Boulevardier, a variation on the Negroni which replaces the Gin with Bourbon.

“In the beginning of M'tucci’s bar program, the influence of Italian sprits were only represented with modern cocktails with a twist. As we have progressed, the use of Amaro has become more prominent while also including the Italian staples such as the Aperol Spritz, Negroni, and Bellini. We continue to find new ways to incorporate the use of Italian sprits, vermouth, and liqueurs into our handcrafted cocktails,” said Partner Austin Leard.

Choosing the right spirit for a cocktail is important, but so is the technique. If you don’t care for straight spirits you have probably wondered why people like a Martini or a Manhattan? One of the secrets to great cocktails that are primarily spirit-based (in addition to using quality ingredients) is the stirring technique, which creates dilution. Underdiluted is deadly to a good cocktail. Proper dilution means stirring with ice until the ingredients are fully integrated, the drink is very cold, and enough dilution has occurred to soften the intensity of the whiskey or gin.

Watch these videos as Arcy, Bar Manager at M’tucci’s Italian, demonstrates both techniques at the 1st Annual M’tucci’s Cocktail Contest at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five this week.

Every bartender who cares about the craft has their own style of shaking a cocktail. Despite what James Bond orders, cocktails with spirits and aromatics are usually stirred and cocktails that contain juices are shaken.

Creativity comes from experience, experimentation and, not least, developing your palate for different ingredients and how they blend together. You can ask any of the bartenders at the three M’tucci’s location to create something for you. Joe Romero and Arcy Law (shown in the videos) at M’tucci’s Italian are particularly good at this. They will ask you which spirit you like, what flavors you like and then wow you with the results. Get creative on your next visit.

Joe Romero, pre-Covid

Joe Romero, pre-Covid

Technique and creativity were on full display at the 1st Annual M’tucci’s Cocktail Contest, held earlier this week. Nine local bartenders, including two from M’tucci’s, competed in three rounds, facing different challenges. Arcy Law, made it to the final round and narrowly lost out to Zee Echo Eskeets from Hollow Spirits and Vintage 423. Proceeds from the evening and a percentage of the sales for that day (more than $2,000) were donated to Cuidando Los Niños. A big thanks to the event’s sponsor Suntory Jim Beam, who provided the great spirits: Effen Vodka, Maker’s Mark, Hornitos & El Tesoro Tequila to name a few.

Enjoy the short video and a few photos from the evening.

Shrub of the Month

In addition to our regular flavors, we are going to introduce a new seasonal flavor that will be available for that month. You will be able to buy a bottle or get a special cocktail at all three locations. This month we are featuring the Roasted Apple Spice Shrub. If you would like to buy a bottle and make a cocktail at home, here is the recipe:

1/2 oz Lemon 

1/2 oz Simple Syrup 

1/2 oz Apple Liqueur 

1 oz Roasted Apple Spice Shrub 

1.5 oz Aged Apple Brandy

Roasted Apple Spice Shrub Cocktail

Roasted Apple Spice Shrub Cocktail

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Hand Cut 24oz Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $37

Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Braise - Osso Buco (Sackett Farms Pork Shank) Creamy Risotto with Haricot Vert, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash $29

Gelato: Dark Chocolate

Sorbetto: Strawberry, Pineapple

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $32

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce, Capers, Prosciutto Powder $25

Shrimp Diavolo - Wild Caught Shrimp, Spicy Marinara, Capers, Green Chile, Caramelized Onions and Spaghettini Pasta $21

Gelato: Pumpkin Pie

Sorbetto: Raspberry Lemon

Dessert Special: Butterscotch Tart with Meringue, Orange Chocolate Sauce & Cookie Crumble

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Yellowfin Tuna - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $26

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone - Grilled Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $32

Gelatos: Coffee, Stracciatella

Sorbetto: Strawberry & Blood Orange, Mango

Dessert Special: Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Chantilly & Pumpkin Seed Brittle

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Coming Soon!!! Details in the next La Gazzeta

Coming Soon!!! Details in the next La Gazzeta

No Absentee Ballots, No drop boxes, No standing in line.  Vote M’tucci’s this year!

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Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday, Ciao!

Fall in Italy: Truffles & Wine

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During one of my earliest trips to Italy, the fall truffle season and the wine harvest were well underway in the Piedmont region in October. We stayed in the small town of Avolasca between Genoa and Milan where my Italian friend lived. While there we visited a farm cooperative where several young farmers had joined forces to produce wine, pasta, cheese, pork and beef. The wine harvest was very busy, with pickers from several Eastern European and Middle East countries picking grapes all day, then sitting down for a group lunch. Lots of bread, pasta, pork, salad, cheese and wine were consumed before returning to the vineyards.

Wine harvest near Avolasca, south of Tortona.

Wine harvest near Avolasca, south of Tortona.

One day we ventured a little further west to the hill town of Alba, known for the great Barolo wines and white truffles. In many of the restaurants of the Piedmont, you needed deep pockets to have white truffles shaved over your pasta or risotto. Lacking deep pockets, I enjoyed the aroma of them being shaved at the table next to mine. I would have to agree with the writer who said that the aroma is a combination of garlic, potatoes and dirty socks.

The Truffle Fair is held at the end of October and beginning of November in Alba, when truffles are the most plentiful. Held since the 1920s, you can meet the hunters and their dogs and sample a myriad of truffle dishes in addition to the regions outstanding cheeses (Gorgonzola and Taleggio), wines (Barolo, Dolcetto, Langhe, Barbaresco) and hazelnuts (Nutella anyone?).

Prized by gourmands for their sublime flavor, they are often hunted at night (to protect a hunter's secret spots) by truffle hunters (trifolau) with the aid of their dogs trained to sniff out the tubers hiding just underground. Truffles are commonly found around the roots of oak, poplar, willow or hazelnut trees in the Piedmont, but can found all the way south to Calabria. White truffles may be one of the most expensive foods you can buy, currently selling from $1,500 - $4,000 per pound depending on quality. A young proven truffle dog could cost more than $100,000, but if they find their weight in truffles, they can pay for themselves in one season.

M’tucci’s chefs believe that white truffles are best when eaten close to home (Italy), because they degrade quickly when shipped. If you consider that the desired pungency wains within a few days of excavation, it’s a fool’s errand to pay $200 an ounce (plus overnight shipping from Italy) for a product way past its prime.

If you feel like taking a chance!

If you feel like taking a chance!

When the M’tucci’s chefs and I were in Tuscany in the summer of 2019, we did a truffle walk and lunch organized by a company that produces truffle infused products (try the lardo with truffles!!). We were told at the beginning of the truffle walk that hunting truffles is like fishing - sometimes you have a lot of luck and sometimes you have none. The only skill involved is having an understanding of where truffles grow and, most importantly, having a well-trained dog with a refined sense of smell.

Andrea brought Giotto, a 3-year-old mixed breed (easier to train) who found five black summer truffles within about 90 minutes. Since he is young, once he started digging, Andrea had to hold him back so he wouldn’t damage the precious tuber. Once the truffle was uncovered, Giotto was more interested in getting his treat than eating the truffle. Later, our treats consisted of a truffle-themed lunch.

When we can all travel again, I highly recommend a late October trip to Northern Italy. It may be a little cooler at that time of year, but the wine harvest, truffles on the restaurant menus and the rich variety of produce in the markets will make it worthwhile.

$4,000 Euros for Fennel?? Nope, this was shot when Italy was still using Lire.

$4,000 Euros for Fennel?? Nope, this was shot when Italy was still using Lire.

M’tucci’s & Sackett Farms Pork

All of our locations are serving dishes made with pork from our new partner, Sackett Farms, which raises Berkshire/Duroc heritage pigs. You’ll taste the difference!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli - Truffled Mushroom Goat Cheese, M’tucci’s Italian Sausage, Wild Mushrooms, Red Onion, Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce $23

Hand Cut 24oz T-Bone - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $35

Pan-Seared Coconaco Snapper - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Braise - Osso Buco (Sackett Farms Pork Shank) Creamy Risotto with Haricot Vert, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash $27

Gelato: Salted Caramel

Sorbetto: Lemon

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

6 oz Filet Mignon - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $26

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce, Capers, Prosciutto Powder $19

10 oz Cold Smoked Sackett Farms Pork Chop - Roasted Italian Succotash, Apple Bacon Bourbon Mostarda $19

Gelato: Stracciatella

Sorbetto: Mango

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Ono - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

14 oz Hand Cut Harris Ranch NY Strip - Grilled Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Smoked Blackberry & Bone Marrow Butter $27

Gelatos: Coffee, Stracciatella

Sorbetto: Pineapple, Strawberry, Mango

Kirk Matthews Live @ M’tucci’s Twenty-Five, Friday (10/23) 7:30-9:30

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The Ten Local Bartenders in our Competition

Some of the rare whiskey at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

Some of the rare whiskey at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

M’tucci’s Catering

Looking for special food and service for your holiday, lunch or office event? Let us handle it for you. As always, safe and tasty! Call Taña at 505-350-0019

Don’t forget to cast your vote this year! It is our civic responsibility after all! Our polls are open Monday -Saturday 11am-10pm and 11am-9pm Sunday.

Don’t forget to cast your vote this year! It is our civic responsibility after all! Our polls are open Monday -Saturday 11am-10pm and 11am-9pm Sunday.

Thanks for reading, see you next Friday. Ciao!

M'tucci's Pork - Exciting News!

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From President/Company Chef John Haas:

2020 changed a lot of things for us in the world, and the restaurant industry certainly wasn’t an exception.  That rang particularly true when it came to exposing the weaknesses of the supply chain for sourcing food.  One of my favorite things about our company is that we do have the ability to pivot and quickly change things.  As the news started to pour in about Midwest pork farmers, the lightbulb came on that we can do our part to help.  Being an Iowan growing up in the heart of Pork country, I reached out to friends back home and started the process of finding a farmer who could partner with M’tucci’s.

An important part of the partnership was finding an independent farmer.  We wanted to be sure that we knew who we were supporting.  We know 100% of the money from the pork goes straight to his land and his pocket.  We also wanted to find someone who was interested in ensuring that we have heritage breed pork and who would be open to evolving it genetically.  It required learning about the feed, the farm, the whole process from start to finishing, including visiting the farm and creating a personal relationship with the farmer. 

That farmer came to us in the way of Tom Sackett, whose father, Keith, purchased the land and built the family farm back in the 70’s. Located in the Southwest corner of Iowa, they raise cattle, hogs, corn and hay. Keith and his wife, Nancy, their son Tom, his wife Kristi and three children live and work on the farm.

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Tom had a conversation with La Gazzeta while he was operating a combine last Sunday evening harvesting corn.

“My grandpa was a farmer /bus driver.  Dad had 5 siblings.  Then when grandpa died, Dad bought 80 acres from his siblings.  Just happens we are in that field harvesting now.  Grandpa bought it in 1938. 

“When people asked me why I wanted to be a farmer, I always replied to them that I like to see how well I can make things grow”, Tom said.

They not only raise the breed of heritage pork that we like, Berkshire with Duroc crossed, but they are also strong advocates for land conservation, with thousands of feet of tiling and terracing which helps with drainage to prevent erosion.

Sackett family photos by Paul Setliff, ©1st&10Photography

Dining with the Fantasma family in Kansas City at Lidia’s

Dining with the Fantasma family in Kansas City at Lidia’s

John Haas:

The next step was figuring out how the pork would make its way from the farm, to a processor, to a box, and to our restaurants back door.  This wasn’t your typical operation because we are basically buying the whole pig and all of the cuts that are generated from the processing.  Luck would have it, through an extended network, I found a custom USDA processor 2 hours from the farm.  This was basically a needle in the haystack, but the final piece to make it really work.  Even more wonderful, it’s an Italian family-run processor who works with arguably the best pork in the country.  Lou Fantasma and the family were up to challenge.

Throughout the summer months, we’d built the relationship between us, the Fantasmas, and our primary distributor, Shamrock Foods, to transport the pork to us.  This required all of us to be open-minded and to be up for a new challenge.  It wasn’t the easiest thing to ask in the middle of a global pandemic, but fortunately they were all open to something new.  Without Lou, this all would have fallen apart.  As time went on, cut sheets (determining the cuts M’tucci’s would receive) were created and the program moved forward.

The final piece of the equation was going to Kansas City, meeting and touring Fantasmas and Sacketts operations, and developing the relationships.  The Partner/Chefs (John Haas, Cory Gray, and Shawn Cronin) spent three days in September doing just that.  In the end, we met some amazing people who we know we are supporting.  We have developed our own supply lines straight from the farm.  There is also the ability to completely customize every step of the process as it evolves.

We are excited that we will soon provide retail packages of House Bacon & Italian Sausage, using Tom Sackett’s pork, to the Albuquerque grocery market.  We hope these products will be available by the end of 2020.  The various cuts of pork will be offered on the menus at all M’tucci’s locations, as well as several new dishes being released shortly in our upcoming fall/winter menu’s.

It’s been an amazing journey, and we are fortunate to partner with open-minded and ambitious family-run businesses.  To see this finally become a reality and to know just how incredibly great all the people involved are, it’s made every step of this crazy idea we had back in March worth it.  I couldn’t be more excited to see this amazing pork finally served in our restaurants to all of you.  The story and the people are as fantastic as the pork itself, and in the end, that’s really what this is all about. 

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Pesto Ricotta Ravioli - Roasted Eggplant, Cucuzza Squash, Spinach, Sun Dried Tomato, White Wine Butter Sauce $21

Hand Cut 24oz Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $37

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Braise - Sackett Farms Apple Braised Pork Cheeks, Creamy Risotto, Roasted Butternut Squash, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onion, Arugula $27

Gelato: Berry Vanilla Shrub

Sorbetto: Mango

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand-Cut Porterhouse - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $37

Pan-Seared Ono - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce, Capers, Prosciutto Powder $21

Shrimp Goat Cheese Pasta - Pink Shrimp, Sweet Peppers, Spaghetti and Goat Cheese Sauce $19

Gelato: Dark Chocolate

Sorbetto: Mango

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Fluke - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

Braised Duroc Pork Ravioli - Caposaldo Chianti, Tomato Ragu, Cherry Tomatoes, Butter Leeks, Garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano, Lemon Amalfi Oil & Local Basil $16

Special Wine Offer: A glass of the same Chianti used in the Ragu is available with the Ravioli for only $6 and a bottle is $30.

Gelatos: Dark Chocolate & Strawberry

Sorbetto: Pineapple & Raspberry Lemon

Tuesday, October 27 - 4:00

Halloween Costumes & ABQ Bartender Competition/Fundraiser

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10% total restaurant sales for the day + proceeds from competition donated to CLN Kids

Call 505-554-2660 to reserve a 4 top VIP Table for $200 - includes prime seating for the Bartender Competition, 2 rounds Charcuterie/Cicchetti & specialty cocktail

10 local bartenders competing for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place - knock out style 3 rounds

We are auctioning drinks from competition to VIP tables

Door prices for best costume.

Family Charcuterie Boards & Weekend Brunch Returns

at M’tucci’s Moderno

Plus, a few new menu items. Check them out on our webpage

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Kirk Matthews Live @ M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Friday, October 23, 7:30 - 9:30

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New Desserts at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Images of Tuscany, Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

Puglia & Southern Italy

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This post was supposed to have started with the dateline: Locorotondo, Puglia, Italy, because that is where I planned to be this week. Instead, I’m sitting at home in the Near North Valley. I’ll do my best to write about what we planned on eating and seeing while taking a slow road trip through Southern Italy.

Much of what we consider to be “Italian” food are dishes that came from Southern Italy. Pizza was invented in Naples, Campania is the country’s breadbasket and pasta likely is from here, in addition to all of the other Southern charms: eggplant parmesan and insalata caprese.

The poorest region in the country, it was ruled by several cultures who left their mark on the cuisine of Puglia,Basilicata and Campania (the three regions we planned to visit). The Greeks and the Arabs probably had the most impact, as did the system of latifundium (basically a feudal system of large farms owned by absentee landlords and worked by slaves or indentured servants).

In Puglia the Greeks left distinctive architecture (trulli) and the pillars of Italian food: oil, wine and grains. The Arabs brought eggplants, bitter oranges and refined cane sugar.

From “Tasting Italy: A Culinary Journey” by National Geographic & America’s Test Kitchen

From “Tasting Italy: A Culinary Journey” by National Geographic & America’s Test Kitchen

After flying into Bari from Rome, we were going to be based in a trulli house in Locorontondo, making side trips to some of the seaside and mountain towns in Puglia and Basilicata, such as Lecce and Taranto. We would expect meals starting with soppressata or carpaccio, pastas with bitter greens and pork, fresh seafood from the Adriatic and the Gulf of Taranto or pork for small mountain farms. We would wash it down with full-bodied reds such as Primitivo or Aglianico or crisp, chilled Greco di Tufo and, of course, finishing our meals with local Amari. I was looking forward to trying out some of the region’s rosé, since they are hard to find in ABQ.

I asked Amy Haas, who created the wine list at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five about her favorite Southern Italian wines:

The Sicilian Nero d’Avola at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

The Sicilian Nero d’Avola at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

“When I think about southern Italy, my heart always goes to Sicily. Although the region doesn't host the popular grapes everyone loves, it does host in my opinion, some of the best. Sicilian wines are not on center stage and don't garner a huge demand in the U.S. This is just fine with me as I've never been one for trends and I cringe at the thought of popularity as any real indicator of quality. Anyway, back to Sicily and it's fairly unknown grapes. I will highlight two here, both red and both incredibly unique:

Nerello Mascalese - beautiful red berries and bright acidity fall into a surprisingly tannic backbone. The balance of fruit and acid with a tannic punch mid palate makes this wine incredibly versatile when pairing with food as well as incredibly complex on it's own. To me, it's like Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo had a really awesome baby. 

Nero d'Avola- dark fruits co-exist seamlessly with noticeable acidity and sweet, approachable tannins. Although most would describe it as a delicious full bodied red on its own, once it’s blended with Frappato (a light, floral grape also from Sicily) the result is something unparalleled on the palate. I don't have a baby making reference here.

There's just something about Sicily that makes the heart (and palate) sing. The song isn't a popular one, it's more like a B side masterpiece nobody knows about yet. Shhhhh, don't tell.”

An Aglianico from Campania, a Primitivo from Puglia and a white from Campania; all available at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

An Aglianico from Campania, a Primitivo from Puglia and a white from Campania; all available at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

The ring-shaped cracker that is usually flavored with olive oil and rosemary, taralli, are found everywhere (and on the Charcuterie Boards at M’tucci’s Moderno and M’tucci’s Italian). I was planning on seeking out some of the more unusual flavors I have read about. Orrechiette is the favorite pasta in the area, sauced in different ways, but quite often with bitter greens called rapini here, but known as rapa in Puglia. Luckily, I have some in my garden nearly ready to pick. I’ll cook it with Italian sausage, a bit of white wine, garlic and a good dose of red pepper flakes. I suppose it will help me with my wanderlust for Italy.

Cima di Rapa or Rapini. Also known as turnip tops. A bitter green that goes well with Italian sausage.

Cima di Rapa or Rapini. Also known as turnip tops. A bitter green that goes well with Italian sausage.

The sea on either side of the Salento Peninsula (the heel of the boot) is rich with shellfish, notably mussels. In many places they are packed with seasoned bread crumbs and deep fried. We planned to go to Otranto to find the version stuffed with a mixture of tuna, eggs, bread crumbs and pecorino and simmered in a tomato broth. Perhaps we would have made it to the west side of the peninsula for cozze all tarantina at the port/harbor town of Taranto, known for their mussels. So tasty, they are usually simmered in a simple broth of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, chile flakes and white wine.

Chef Shawn at M’tucci’s has created his own take on mussels by simmering them in a bourbon/jalapeño broth. Good enough to make me forget about Puglia’s version. However, the drive around the coast along the boot heel will have to wait.

Fresh Mussels for M’tucci’s Twenty-Five’s Bourbon Braised Mussels - only available Happy Hour M-F 3:00-6:00.

Fresh Mussels for M’tucci’s Twenty-Five’s Bourbon Braised Mussels - only available Happy Hour M-F 3:00-6:00.

Continuing into Basilicata, we were going to visit Matera, which has become a tourist mecca for food and the ancient cave dwellings and frescoes. I wanted to visit to try the huge sourdough loaves called Pane di Matera. Famous, yes, but better than M’tucci’s??

After returning our car at the airport in Bari, we were going to zip across Italy to Naples (yes, to visit Pompeii), primarily to eat pizza - for three days!! It’s quite possible we would not have it for breakfast, since I’ve heard the cappuccino is stellar in Naples. We had three pizza places picked out, known for simple, high quality ingredients. Someday. If you get there before me, try out Sorbillo, Pizza La Notizia or Starita.

For now, I can eat the best pizza available outside of Italy at M’tucci’s. Quality ingredients and the best sourdough crust possible.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Goat Cheese Ravioli - Truffle, Wild Mushroom, Crispy House Pancetta, Roasted Butternut Squash, Carmelized Onion, Rappini, Light Porcini Cream Sauce $23

Hand Cut 24oz Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $37

Pan-Seared Ono - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $26

Braise - Slow Braised Harris Ranch Angus Beef, Three Cheese Spinach Artichoke Cream Sauce, House Pappardelle Pasta $25

Gelato: Berry Vanilla Shrub

Sorbetto: Mango

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand-Cut NY Strip - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $31

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce, Capers, Prosciutto Powder $26

House Pesto Ravioli - Grape Tomatoes, Shallots, Roasted Artichoke, Pesto Cream Sauce $19

Gelato: Tiramisu

Sorbetto: Raspberry Lemon

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Fresh Ono - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

Gelatos: Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake

Sorbetto: Raspberry Lemon

Tuesday, October 27 - 4:00

Halloween Costumes & ABQ Bartender Competition/Fundraiser

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10% total restaurant sales for the day + proceeds from competition donated to CLN Kids

Call 505-554-2660 to reserve a 4 top VIP Table for $200 - includes prime seating for the Bartender Competition, 2 rounds Charcuterie/Cicchetti & specialty cocktail

10 local bartenders competing for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place - knock out style 3 rounds

We are auctioning drinks from competition to VIP tables

Door prices for best costume.

New Desserts at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

2019 Trip to Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

Caffe d' Italia

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On the first morning of my first trip to Italy in 1994, I sat in a cafe and enjoyed a cappuccino. I had discovered this magical morning beverage in a small Italian cafe in the North Beach section of San Francisco nearly 20 years earlier. This was many years before the Starbucks-on-every-corner phenomenon and it was not easy to find a real cappuccino elsewhere in the U.S. for several years.

On my second night in Italy in the Cinque Terre village of Vernazza, I decided to end my meal with an espresso. I had read that espresso has less caffeine than drip coffee, primarily because of the roasting process and the amount of coffee used to produce a small cup. It was the perfect Italian way to end the meal. However, lying in bed wide awake, listening to the church bell toll twice for 2:00am, I decided that I should restrict my consumption of coffee to a morning cappuccino.

While coffee culture has boomed in America, Italy is still synonymous with espresso and cappuccino. Although there are no coffee beans grown in Italy, nor is Italy the largest worldwide consumer of coffee, there are few places where coffee plays a more important role in daily life.

Two baristas at a cafe in Rome. (notice the prices from 2008)

Two baristas at a cafe in Rome. (notice the prices from 2008)

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Coffee is an ancient drink, made from beans/seeds from a bush first discovered in Ethiopia. The first recorded coffee consumption was in Yemen in the 15th century. It spread throughout the Middle East, and eventually made its way to Europe through Venice. The earlier forms of preparation involved boiling the seeds, which evolved to roasting and then boiling the seeds of the Coffea bush. In 1600 it was called “Arabian Wine” and was not acceptable in Europe until Pope Clement VII declared it a “Christian beverage”.

After the Arab world conspired to control the production and distribution, Dutch forces stormed the shores of Al Mukha (anglicized as Mocha) in Yemen in 1690 and made away with a number of coffee trees. The Dutch East India company took the trees to Indonesia, which then provided Europe with a steady supply of coffee. The trees then were taken to the Caribbean and the Americas where they flourish, with Brazil now being the worlds leading producer of coffee (approximately 35%).

A small coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico

There are two main strains of coffee beans, Robusta and Arabica. Robusta is native to Subsaharan Africa, while Arabica is native to Ethiopia and Kenya. Arabica is considered the higher quality of the two, but has lower yields, is more susceptible to rusts and is more expensive. The flavors are generally more mellow and rich. Robusta tends to be more bitter, but has more body than Arabica. High quality Robusta beans are used on most Italian blends for a bigger flavor and a richer crema (the caramel foam that results from a proper espresso).

Arguably, the greatest improvement to coffee was the invention of the espresso machine. The first version was created by a Neapolitan named Bezzera using a boiler that forced steam through the grounds. This concept was improved upon by Achille Gaggia in 1938. He invented a machine that used hydraulic pumps that created 9 bars of pressure. His machines are still sold today and are very popular (I’ve owned two). While espresso drinks are found around the world (one of the best lattes I have ever had was in a cafe in Guatemala run by a couple of Koreans), espresso drinks are uniquely Italian. Of course, there is espresso, latte and cappuccino, but also macchiato (espresso with a dollop of foamed milk) and a caffe correto (espresso with a shot of liqueur, grappa or cognac).

At M’tucci’s, we use Lavazza, which has been roasted and blended by the Lavazza family since Luigi opened a store in Turin in 1895. True to Italian style, Lavazza’s espresso blend, Super Crema, is a blend of 60% Arabica and 40% Robusta. We use it for our espresso and cappuccino, our house cocktails (Espresso Martini and Italian Iced Caffe) and our desserts (Tiramisu and Gelato). Here are a few videos showing the process of espresso and cappuccino, our Espresso Martini available at all M’tucci’s, and a Spanish Coffee, only at M’tucci’s Moderno.

Italian Iced Caffe only at M’tucci’s Italian

Italian Iced Caffe only at M’tucci’s Italian

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Pesto Ricotta Ravioli - Sautéed Pink Shrimp, Sun-Dried Tomato, Artichokes, Caramelized Onions in a Lemon Cream Sauce $23

Hand Cut 24oz T-Bone, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction $32

Pan-Seared Mahi-Mahi - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Braise - Slow Braised Harris Ranch Angus Beef, Wild Mushrooms, Red Pepper, San Marzano Ragu & House Pappardelle Pasta $25

Gelato: Stracciatella

Sorbetto: Cherry Limoncello

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand-Cut T-Bone - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $32

Pan-Seared Ruby Red Trout - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Lobster/Shrimp Pasta - Lobster, Pink Shrimp, Grape Tomatoes, Garlic, Chile Flakes, and a Lobster Cream Sauce over Spaghetti $24

Gelato: Stracciatella

Sorbetto: Raspberry Lemon

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Fresh Monkfish - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $28

Gelato: Chocolate Hazelnut, Strawberry Shrub

Sorbetto: Raspberry Lemon

Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

M'tucci's Gelato

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You are going to love our new gelato! While we have always had gelato on our menus, the bar is being raised with the delivery of a new gelato machine and the partnership with a local dairy, Rasband, to supply all of the milk.

Gelato existed before ice cream, but it has less sugar and less cream than what we know as ice cream. Eggs are primarily used in gelato made in Northern Italy, but rarely used in Southern Italy or Sicily. Gelato relies on precise technique and the best ingredients such as: fresh fruit in season, and quality nuts and chocolate for the intense flavor and richness. Another factor in the richness of gelato is the lack of air, or emulsification, that is used in whipping the ingredients together.

Fresh Lemons and Strawberries for our Lemon Mascarpone and Strawberry Gelato.

Fresh Lemons and Strawberries for our Lemon Mascarpone and Strawberry Gelato.

Gelato was refined in Italy, but its roots are most likely in the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East, where flavored ices were created from snow and fresh fruit. The early concoctions were probably closer to a slushie than sorbetto or gelato. It eventually made its way to Sicily during some of the conflicts with the Moors. Even before the fall of the Roman Empire, Romans and Sicilians starting harvesting snow from Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius to make what the Italians called sorbetto.

After learning to create a mixture in a container surrounded by ice, the result was something more refined than a “slushy”. The Arabs called their product “sherbet” which means “sweet snow” in Arabic.

In the early sixteenth century the De Medici court held a dessert competition, which was won by a man named Ruggheri. His sorbetto was praised by all and he accompanied Catherine de Medici to France (when she traveled there to marry the future King of France) where his sorbetto wowed the French cooks and became very popular in France. In the late 17th century a Sicilian fishermen who grew tired of the hard life at sea, discovered a machine that his grandfather acquired and started experimenting with recipes, eventually substituting sugar for honey and added milk. He also learned to mix salt with the ice to make the mixing vessel colder.

Armed with his recipes and new techniques, Francesco Procopio di Coltelli moved to Paris and opened Cafe Procope, which became the first successful Gelateria.

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Eventually, gelato came to the U.S. with an Italian immigrant in 1770 when Genoan Giovanni Bosio open the first gelateria in New York. Cone molds were soon invented, followed by the hand cranked machine. The electric machine made it feasible to make gelato at home and for small producers to sell it on the street, at this time the recipes and techniques evolved. Gelato became ice cream - not always an improvement, since lesser ingredients and powdered flavorings were often used (they still are today - look at the ingredients of a container of inexpensive ice cream and you might be shocked to find many ingredients that are chemicals and sound more like components for paint thinner than food!). Let’s just say that gelato is a healthier, more natural form of ice cream.

In addition to our local milk from Rasband Dairy, we will only use the freshest fruit in season, the best chocolate, and we’ll make our own caramel for our Salted Caramel Gelato. Pastry Chef Brianna at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five is in charge of the recipes and will keep the selections interesting. Our goal is to offer four different flavors at each of our locations. In the not-too-distant future, we will sell 8 oz containers of M’tucci’s Gelato at each restaurant.

Keep watching this space for news about flavors and the availability of take home gelato. For now, we have Strawberry, Lemon Mascarpone, Salted Caramel and Stracciatella Gelato.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Three Cheese and Red Chile Ravioli, Roasted Red Peppers, Caramelized Onion, Butternut Squash, Arugula, Brown Butter Sauce

Hand Cut 16oz T-Bone, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction, Grilled Lemon

Pan-Seared Bronzino - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

Beef Tenderloin - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $27

Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Crispy Chicken Risotto - Mushrooms, Celery, Carrots, Crispy Chicken, Alfredo Sauce $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Smoked Herb Roasted Pork Loin - Garlic Mash Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Spicy Buerre Blanc

Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

Dessert Special: Chocolate Brownie, House Marshmallow, Chocolate Ganache, Topped with Chocolate Hazelnut Candy and Dolce De Leche Whip.

Kirk Matthews Live at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five Friday 7:30 - 9:30

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A Few from Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

Pasta, Maccheroni, Noodles

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“Nothing else, not opera or Renaissance art or Roman ruins or even pizza, so exemplifies Italy as pasta.” Burton Anderson, Treasures of the Italian Table (1994)

Call it pasta, macaroni, maccheroni, or noodles, most of us eat it at least once a week. It’s relatively inexpensive, easy to store and easy to cook, and can be served and sauced in a wide variety of ways. An Italian book on pasta names more the 350 shapes of pasta. Straightforward and simple as strands of spaghetti or tubes of rigatoni, it’s also available in whimsical shapes: little ears (orecchiette), priest stranglers (strozzapreti), and handbells (campanelle).

Speculation continues about the origin of pasta, but the common belief that Marco Polo brought it from China has been disproven. The first written account of pasta in Italy was found in a merchant’s records which mentioned a shipment of maccheroni arriving in Genoa from Sicily in the late 1200s. The Genoese were responsible for distributing it throughout Italy.

Italy’s first pasta industry was located in Campania near Naples in the fields surrounding Mt. Vesuvius. The area around Gragnano had large wheat fields with rich soil and pure mountain water. While locals claim to have invented pasta, early records show it was imported to Naples from Sicily and Sardinia until the early nineteenth century.

Dried pasta (pasta secca) is made with high protein durum wheat flour and water - nothing else. The dough is mixed by a machine and then pushed through a die to create the different shapes and sizes. Cheaper pastas use a teflon die which produces a smooth noodle, while more artisan pastas use a bronze die which creates rough edges for holding sauces. The Southern part of the country, known as the Mezzogiorno (midday), is known for pasta secca, such as penne, ziti, fusilli, spaghetti and conchiglie.

Fresh pastas are popular in the north, especially Emilia Romagna, where egg is used instead of water for their pastas. They are usually rolled flat instead of being forced through a machine, which gives them a smoother surface, perfect for stuffing (ravioli, tortellini). We make our pappardelle to go with M’tucci’s rich Five-Pork Bolognese sauce.

Italians always cook their pasta al dente (to the tooth). It’s a fine line between under-cooked and crunchy to over-cooked and mushy. Remember that the pasta continues to cook when you drain it, so when cooking at home, your timing is important. Italians prefer al dente because the minimal amount of cooking preserves the flavors of the pasta. Over-cooked pasta contains more water, which dilutes the flavor of the pasta and the sauce.

We make ravioli, pappardelle, campanelle and rigatoni in house. After making the fresh pasta, we slowly air dry the noodles for flavor and texture, just as it has been done for centuries by artisanal pastaficios in Italy.

Fun Facts: Italians consume so much pasta, that much of the flour is imported from the U.S. and Canada. In 2017 63% of Italians said they eat pasta daily. The U.S. is the largest market for pasta, consuming 2.7 million tons a year, but we are not the #1 country for annual per capita consumption. Italians consume 51 pounds annually, followed by Tunisia (37 lb.), Venezuela (26 lb.), Greece (24 lb.), Chile (20.6 lb.). The U.S. is #6 with each person eating nearly 20 pounds a year. We look forward to your visit and together we can become #5!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

8 oz Hand Cut Filet Mignon - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Cherry Balsamic Reduction  $29

Pan-Seared California Halibut - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $27

Ravioli - Red Chile Three Cheese Ravioli, Roasted Butternut Squash, Sun Dried Tomato, Haricot Vert, Caramelized Onion, Brown Butter Sauce $21

Rotisserie - Herb Rubbed Roasted Half Chicken, Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Creamy Mushroom Risotto $25

House Made Sorbetto - Prickly Pear Sorbetto with a Lemon Ricotta Cookie $7

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

New Mexico Prickly Pears

A team collaboration created a new beverage and dessert, only at M’tucci’s Italian this weekend. Asst. Manager Arcy and Pastry Chef Michelle picked a lot of local prickly pears near one of the restaurants, added sweet basil from Partner Austin’s garden added a few secret ingredients and let them stew for a couple of weeks. Tonight try a Prickly Pear Shrub Cocktail with Tequila and a Prickly Pear Sorbet with a Lemon Ricotta Cookie.

Prickly Pear Sorbetto & Lemon Ricotta Cookie - only at M’tucci’s Italian this weekend.

Prickly Pear Sorbetto & Lemon Ricotta Cookie - only at M’tucci’s Italian this weekend.

Pair the Prickly Pair Sorbetto with our new Prickly Pear Sweet Basil Shrub made with Tequila and locally sourced fruit and herbs. Only at M’tucci’s Italian

Pair the Prickly Pair Sorbetto with our new Prickly Pear Sweet Basil Shrub made with Tequila and locally sourced fruit and herbs. Only at M’tucci’s Italian

M’tucci’s Moderno

6 oz Hand Cut Filet Mignon, Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $27

Pan-Seared Scallops - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Herb Roasted Pork Loin - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Lemon Butter Sauce $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Rockfish, Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $22

Kirk Matthews Live at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five, September 25 7:30 - 9:30

Kirk Matthews Live at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five, September 25 7:30 - 9:30

Try a Shrub today! Available at all M’tucci’s locations in a creative cocktail, or by the bottle or in a cocktail kit.

Try a Shrub today! Available at all M’tucci’s locations in a creative cocktail, or by the bottle or in a cocktail kit.

More Italy - Sorrento, Amalfi Coast & Capri

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

M'tucci's Bread

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It’s pretty difficult to pick my favorite M’tucci’s House Made product, there are so many from which to choose. Mozzarella, Burrata, Shrubs, Pancetta, Bacon, Sausage, Mostarda, Pickles, and Pasta to name a few. I love all of them, but I think the bread is among the best I have ever had, which includes Acme, Tartine and Boudin in Berkley/San Francisco, Poilâne in Paris or Sage in Santa Fe.

Baguette, Whole Wheat, Sourdough, Rye and Ciabatta

Baguette, Whole Wheat, Sourdough, Rye and Ciabatta

The reasons why the bread is so good? Technique, time and quality ingredients pretty much sums it up. Start with great flour, use an excellent starter, take the time to mix it, let it rise slowly and bake it carefully. One of the most important of these is the starter, which is used instead of a commercial yeast. Several years ago, as Chefs/Partners Shawn and Cory were given the task of creating the menu and products for the Italian Market, Shawn came across a very old starter (or mother) that the Chef where he was working (a local restaurant which shall remain nameless) was going to discard. He nabbed it and our bakers have been feeding it since then.

Sourdough starters acquire yeast and bacteria from the air, and in doing so, become a product of their environment. A starter brought from San Francisco to Albuquerque may have all the characteristics of a San Francisco bread in the beginning, but after time, as local yeasts and bacterias are absorbed, the mother will no longer be a San Francisco mother, but will become an Albuquerque mother. Baking with sourdough is not easy, since it’s a delicate dance to balance.

“My favorite thing about bread in general is that it is never perfect. We have been baking loaves for 6 years and every time I try it, all I can think is that it can be better. Still though, everytime I toast up a piece of the wheat bread (my personal favorite), I remember why I got into bread baking in the first place,” said Chef/Partner Shawn Cronin.

“It isn’t easy to make good bread with sourdough cultures,” writes Harold McGee in his encyclopedic tome of food science, On Food and Cooking, first published in 1984. This is for a couple reasons, he explains. One is the balance of bacteria and yeast. Because the bacteria grow faster than the yeast, there is far more bacteria in any given starter, which can inhibit yeast’s production of carbon dioxide, which helps bread to rise. In addition, because a sourdough starter is acidic, it can weaken the structure of bread dough, resulting in a dense loaf.

Sourdough breads are challenging to make, but they have superior flavor and texture compared to mass-produced bread. They are also healthier according to many websites and sources. Here are some quotes from the website breadmatters.com, “Sourdough lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can modify the bits of gliadin and glutenin protein in wheat flour that are toxic to people with coeliac disease (CD) and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. This doesn’t necessarily mean gluten-sensitive people can eat it, but the presence of LAB means it is more digestible and can contribute to good gut health, similar to probiotics.”

“LAB also produce anti-oxidants and peptide lunasin, an anti-allergenic substance. In addition, sourdough with unbleached flour is a significant source of dietary minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.” People who are reducing carbs or are adhering to the Keto diet should know, " “sourdough LAB produce organic acids that, under the heat of baking, cause interactions that reduce starch availability. The lowest glycaemic index (GI) breads are whole-grain sourdoughs.” Translation: fewer calories and sugar than conventional bread.

All of this is good stuff, but I’m in it for the flavor and the texture, and M’tucci’s breads and pizza dough with sourdough starters are loaded with flavor. We should note that all traditional Napoletana pizzas in Italy use a starter - never commercial yeast. So authentic Napoletana pizza has a sourdough crust - as does M’tucci’s!

Our bread is available as an appetizer or with some small plates and as whole loaves at all of our locations. You can also find M’tucci’s loaves at area Albertsons Markets, Silver Street Market, and Humble Coffee.

If you want to give sourdough bread a try at home, Chef Cory is going to do a series of videos with some tips and pointers. In the first video, now on M’tucci’s YouTube Channel, he shows you how to make your own sourdough starter. So throw away those packets of yeast and tune in now! We’ll have the second video on bread making ready in a week or two.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

8 oz Hand Cut Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Cherry Balsamic Reduction  $29

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Ravioli - Bolognese Ricotta Ravioli tossed with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Butternut Squash, Haricot Vert, Caramelized Onion, Spicy Herbed Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $33

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $27

Tortellini with Beef Tips, Cajun Seasoning, Diced Tomatoes, Green Onions, Rosa Sauce, Gorgonzola Cheese $21

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Ling Cod, Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Topped with Prosciutto Powder $24

Bone-In Seared Pork Chop with Crispy Camp Fire Potatoes, Sautéed Kale, Shrub Gastrique $18

President/Company Chef John Haas on Kitchen Conversations

John took part in a 30 minute conversation with Shamrock Foods on their Facebook page yesterday. He talked about several of the things M’tucci’s has done to thrive during difficult times. He also dropped a few hints about two exciting new programs on the horizon for M’tucci’s. If you missed it, you can watch it by clicking on this link here. The link takes you to their Facebook page, then scroll through the posts to Kitchen Conversations.

Weekend Brunch Returns to M’tucci’s Italian

New Dessert at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Dessert!!

Dessert!!

Mixology Guru Trey and Pastry Guru Brianna teamed up to bring you the Mocha Walnut Banana Bread Cocktail with a special Chocolate Bar on top. It’s pretty WOW!

Dreaming of Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday, Ciao!

Italian Flavor

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Techniques for creating rich flavor are incorporated into everything we do at M’tucci’s. In Italy, these techniques are know as: battuto, soffritto and insaporire. These techniques and their ingredients are the base for pasta sauces, risotti, soups and stews.

A battuto traditionally consisted of lard and finely chopped onion and parsley. Depending on the dish; garlic, celery and carrot might be added. Recent cooking styles have replaced lard with olive oil or butter. A battuto is the beginning for most pasta sauces, risotti and countless meat and vegetable dishes such as our Five Pork Bolognese.

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A battuto becomes a soffritto when it is sautéed until the onion becomes translucent, and the garlic (if you use it) turns a pale gold. This step is always completed before adding the main ingredients. If you add your battuto ingredients all at once, you won’t create the deeper flavors achieved by cooking in steps. Also, you must add the onion first and allow it to cook before adding fresh garlic. Cooking the two together means the onion will be undercooked or the garlic will brown (worse, it could turn black) and give the entire dish a bitter, burnt flavor. If you are using pancetta with or instead of olive oil, you would add the pancetta first. Below are photos showing the steps of a soffritto for sautéed greens.

Insaporire follows the soffritto step and means “bestowing taste” in Italian. It can apply to the vegetables or the meat for the recipe. Quite simply, the ingredient(s) are added to the soffritto at a high heat and cooked briskly until they have become completed infused with the flavor of the battuto.

According to the late Italian cookbook author, Marcella Hazan, “One can often trace the unsatisfying taste, the lameness of dishes purporting to be Italian in style, to the reluctance of some cooks to execute this step thoroughly, to their failure to give it enough time over sufficient heat, or to their skipping it altogether.”

You can bet your K-95 face mask that we don’t skip this step at M’tucci’s.

Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Bourbon Weekend

To celebrate Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby, all M’tucci’s locations will offer special Mint Juleps made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon from Friday through Sunday. A refreshing beverage for our unseasonal September weather. Read about some Derby traditions and some bourbon recipes by clicking here.

Dinner, Drinks and Dancing at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five Friday night from 8:00 - 10:00.

All safety protocols will be enforced: masks, distancing and no drinks in the dance tent.

All safety protocols will be enforced: masks, distancing and no drinks in the dance tent.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

8 oz Hand Cut Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Cherry Balsamic Reduction  $29

Pan-Seared Ono - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $26

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand Cut NY Strip, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $31

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Pork Picatta - Spaghettini, Arugula, Diced Tomatoes, Capers, Lemon Butter Sauce $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Amberjack, Grilled Escarole, Prosciutto Powder, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

M’tucci’s @ Home

You will find our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

The deli case at M’tucci’s Italian holds Italian Salame and Parma Prosciutto, Imported Italian cheese, House Made Duck Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Mustard, and Pickles.

The deli case at M’tucci’s Italian holds Italian Salame and Parma Prosciutto, Imported Italian cheese, House Made Duck Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Mustard, and Pickles.

Missing Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

The Art of Risotto

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There are so many Italian dishes that I love, but few of them match the rich flavor of a properly made risotto. There are probably as many recipes for risotto as there are for pasta, but a few classics stand out: Risotto alla Milanese (with saffron), Risotto with Porcini (my favorite) or Seafood Risotto at M’tucci’s Italian and M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

In most countries, rice is boiled or steamed, but to make risotto the rice is braised in fat, then hot broth is slowly added and stirred constantly, a process that can take an hour. The initial step is usually to glaze chopped onion in butter and/or oil, then the rice is added for the critical step of tostatura, which pan roasts the rice to seal in the starch. After that, risotto can be made with a variety of ingredients, such as seafood, vegetables, or porcini. Cooking rice in this manner allows the rice to absorb the flavors and gives it a texture not possible with boiled rice.

At M’tucci’s we use use Carnaroli exclusively, which is the most expensive of the risotto varieties, but also the variety that most chefs prefer for flavor.

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Italy is Europe’s top rice producer and processes more than 1.3 million tons of rice each year, however they only consume about 100,000 tons, so they export 53% of their annual harvest (lucky for us). The risotto varieties of Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and Vialone Nano (grown near Venice where it’s used in soup), are classified as superfino and are the most popular. This year the pandemic has increased demand for rice and some risotto varieties have seen 20% price increases. (not lucky for us).

You can enjoy a risotto dinner this weekend with the Prep Kitchen meal kit. Chef Cory has created Risotto with Guanciale, Butternut Squash, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms. It is paired with Prosciutto & Herbed-Ricotta Bruschetta for an appetizer, a Mista Salad and 4 Snickerdoodle Cookies. The rice is mostly cooked, so you won’t have to stand over the saucepan and stir for an hour. The finished dish is pictured below and, as always, there is a video where Cory gives you step - by - step instructions on putting your meal together. Call any location to order one. Only $42, it feeds four.

M’tucci’s Catering

As our dining rooms are now open, M’tucci’s Moderno’s and M’tucci’s Twenty-Five’s private dining rooms are available for groups for lunch and dinner (the size of the group will be determined by current NM Health Dept. orders). Our catering is also available for your office or party at home.

Meet our New Catering Manager Taña Martinez. Taña has been with M’tucci’s for more than six years, working in catering and as a bartender and server at M’tucci’s Italian. Quick with a smile and a “can do” attitude, she is the person to call for your catering needs. 505-350-0019 or email at: [email protected]

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Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $35

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $33

Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Frutti di Mare Pasta with shrimp, mussels, white clams, baby clams, spicy marinara and a fettuccine pasta $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Mexican Fluke, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Seared Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $24

Dry aged Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Risotto al Salto, braised greens served with a house pancetta and vodka cream sauce $ 29

M’tucci’s @ Home

You will find our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

Just a Few More - Missing Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

Chianina - King of Beef

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Chianina are large white cattle, an ancient breed that is traced to pre-Roman times , raised by Etruscans in the Chiana Valley south of Florence. When fully grown, bulls can stand six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. They were used as beasts of burden, plowing fields and pulling carts, until tractors were introduced in the 1960s. Now, their meat is prized by gourmets worldwide.

Typically the animals are processed before they are fully grown (14 - 18 months) and the Italians refer to the meat as “vitellone” which means big veal. The meat has a rosy, rather than red color, with low marbling (fat), which makes it lower in cholesterol and easier to digest than most beef. The flavor is mellow and distinctive.

The Chianina lost popularity in Italy in the 1980s, primarily due to cheaper foreign breeds that were imported. The Chianina have become popular in North America and Europe, but usually crossed with Charolais, Limousine or Angus. In recent years, Italian breeders have kept the bloodlines pure and Chianina is once again found in the butcher shops and restaurants in Italy.

Last year, M’tucci’s became the only restaurant to serve pure Chianina beef, which is raised on a ranch in Southern New Mexico. Due to the limited availability of the beef, we currently use it for our meatballs. However, this weekend, you can try it at home with our Prep Kitchen kit of Chianina Burgers with Smoked Cheddar and Hatch Green Chile. The kit also includes Salt Water Potato Salad with M’tucci’s House Bacon and four Red Chile Chocolate Chip cookies. The kit feeds 4 for $37.

This weekend, the best Green Chile Cheeseburger in Albuquerque & Rio Rancho could be at your house!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $32

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Duck Prosciutto, Local Oyster Mushrooms, San Marzano Tomato Ragu tossed with House Made Campanelle Pasta $17

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde $28

Roast Chicken (half), Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus & Cranberry Gastrique $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Yellowfin Tuna, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Seared Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $25

Seared Bone-In Pork Chop - Caramelized Onion, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteéd Greens, Capers, Lemon Cajon Butter Sauce $21

M’tucci’s @ Home

You will find our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we also have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

Just a Few More - Missing Italy

Thanks for reading, see you next Friday. Ciao!

Pollo Italiano

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When the discussion revolves around meat in Italy, it usually involves pork or beef. Considering the large variety of cured and cooked pork products from Italy, that’s not a big surprise. Meat means carpaccio, bistecca all fiorentina or porchetta. Italians love the combination of ground beef, veal and pork for meatballs or ragu. In a popularity contest, chicken, along with other poultry, is usually in third place. However, domesticated chickens have been around Italy since the 5th century BC, probably arriving from Greece or Egypt, but originating in Southeast Asia. All domestic chickens are descended from the Red Junglefowl, which still thrives today in SE Asia..

In the beginning, most chickens were used for fighting contests, but eventually their eggs and meat became more important. In Southern Italy, poverty dictated that meat, even chicken, was a special occasion meal. One of the more popular chicken dishes in Italy comes from the feast day for San Gerardo, the patron saint of Potenza in Basilicata. Now, Pollo alla Potentina is served throughout the country and at any time of year. You can find the recipe online for Potenza-style chicken which is braised with wine, and herbs.

Many of the popular breeds of chicken currently raised in the US by small growers originated in Italy, including Leghorn (Livorno), Ancona, Padovana (very showy plumage) and Siciliana (which probably came from North Africa and does well in warm climates, but not in cold climates).

Chef Cory adding BBQ sauce to this week’s Prep Kitchen Meal, Smoked BBQ Chicken

Chef Cory adding BBQ sauce to this week’s Prep Kitchen Meal, Smoked BBQ Chicken

A popular dish in Umbria is Chicken Cacciatora. Cacciatora translates to hunter’s style, which is a braise, usually with onions, celery, carrot, garlic, tomatoes and white wine. Pollo al Mattone (Chicken Under a Brick) is a spatchcocked (backbone removed, bird is opened and flattened) that is common in Tuscany. This is a great way to cook a whole chicken on the grill. In Rome, you’ll find Chicken all Diavola, which is marinated in lemon and peppercorns for 24 hours then grilled.

You can find two Chicken dishes at all three M’tucci’s locations: Chipotle Chicken Pasta (Mexico meets Italy) and the Pollo alla Milanese, which features our house made burrata. One of my favorites is the chef-created Italian Fried Chicken at M’tucci’s Moderno: a crispy lemon herb crusted dark meat confit with truffle french fries (shown below left).

M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen Meals

We apologize if some of you missed out on the Prep Kitchen Meal last week. We sold out of them at all locations by Saturday. Don’t let that happen to you this week. Below is a video with instructions for this weeks meal. We produce one for every M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen meal. Take a look to see how easy it is to finish your meal. This week, Chef Cory has taken advantage of the wood-fired oven at M’tucci’s Italian and has created a Smoked, Whole BBQ Chicken, House Made Campanelle Pasta Salad with Olives, Feta, Pepperoncini and Herbs and 4 Peanut Butter Cookies for only $34.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

M’tucci’s Cajun-Rubbed 8 oz. Filet Mignon - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $29

Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared California Halibut, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Seared Artrichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $24

M’tucci’s @ Home

Don’t forget to look for our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we also have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

Just a Few More - Missing Italy

Coastal Tuscany

Pan-Searing for Flavor

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If you are a fan of M’tucci’s, you know that we love to pan-sear meat and seafood. It’s a classic method for sealing whatever you are cooking to lock in the flavor, then using the pan drippings for a sauce. Our weekend seafood specials all use the pan-sear technique, primarily for those reasons. You may be reluctant to use this technique at home because it does tend to make a mess of your cooktop or because you are creating more heat in your kitchen on a hot summer’s day.

M’tucci’s Bacon-Wrapped Pan-Seared Filet Mignon (this week’s Prep Kitchen entree)

M’tucci’s Bacon-Wrapped Pan-Seared Filet Mignon (this week’s Prep Kitchen entree)

Partner/Chef Cory Gray loves pan-searing meat, because it’s all about the flavor, and the flexibility to add different kinds of fat (olive oil, butter, pancetta, bacon, etc) and different liquids to deglaze your pan for the finishing sauce (wine, broth, water, rice wine vinegar, etc.). If you have purchased any of our Prep Kitchen kits that feature beef or pork, you’ll notice that the instructions usually begin with pan-searing, then the meat is finished in the oven. Continuing to cook the meat in the sauté pan would excessively brown (burn) the outside to reach medium rare and medium would result in an even more crusty product.

Italians use both the grill and pan-searing (which can be called pan broiling, although Joy of Cooking refers to pan broiling as a dry pan technique) for cooking beef and steak dishes. The most famous Italian steak dish is bistecca alla fiorentina, which is usually a 2-3 lb porterhouse cut from Chianina cattle, the largest cattle breed in the world. In Italy, this massive steak is traditionally cooked over a very hot wood fire built from oak or olive wood, with cooking temperatures exceeding 500 degrees. The steak is salted when it comes off the grill and the two cuts (filet and strip) are sliced and served. The indoor grill at Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Tuscany made for a really warm June (2019) dining experience, but the steaks were sensational.

Partner and M’tucci’s Italian GM Chris O’Sickey likes to grill his steaks, but still uses a similar technique, starting them out at high heat, then reducing the heat and closing the grill to achieve the proper temperature (145 degrees for Medium Rare). Don’t forget that your meat will continue to cook another 5-10 degrees after you remove it from the oven or the grill.

If you still have a few questions, watch this video of Chef Cory showing you how to pan-sear the filets. There are several videos on the M’tucci’s YouTube Channel that demonstrate pan-searing. So, heat those pans and let’s make a mess!

Patio Happy Hour(s) - Monday - Friday 3:00-6:00

Each restaurant has different specials, so you’ll need to try all three places. Here are my picks:

M’tucci’s Italian: I would order the Bruschetta made with the House Baguettes (slightly sourdough), Marinated Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Shaved Aged Italian Parmesan, drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar and I would pair it with a glass of the New Zealand Matua Sauvignon Blanc

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five: So many great things to choose from, but I would go with the Bourbon Braised Mussels with Citrus Glazed Escarole, Bourbon Jalapeño Broth, Tucumcari Feta and Grilled Bread. Trey’s Sweet Tea is tempting, but I would go with the Ex Novo Mass Ascension IPA and a shot of Jim Beam, the classic American Boilermaker New Mexico-style.

M’tucci’s Moderno: I would pretend I’m in Venice and order the Calamari, Flash Fried in a Crispy Breading, with Spicy Marinara and Garlic Aoli. Order a glass of the Prosecco or an Aperol Spritz. So Italian!

Click on the name of the restaurant, then scroll down to see the full Happy Hour menu!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

M’tucci’s Bacon-Wrapped 8 oz. Filet Mignon - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $29

Pan-Seared Ruby Red Trout - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $23

Beef Tortellini with Beef Tips, Fresh Tomatoes, Green Onions in a Spicy Rosa Sauce with Gorgonzola $19

16 oz Hand Cut Ribeye with Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Fresh Grilled Asparagusand Salsa Verde $29

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Yellow Fin Tuna, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Seared Artrichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $27

M’tucci’s @ Home

Don’t forget to look for our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we also have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

Just one More - Missing Italy

Thanks for reading. See you next week, Ciao!

Farro - Italy's Magic Grain

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Farro, which we use in the Farro & Beet Salad, is a staple in Umbria. It is an ancient grain that probably predates wheat. Umbrians use the grain whole in soups and salads, and they also grind it into flour for pasta, gnocchi, and even crepes. The nutty flavor and the chewy consistency of farro is perfect for salads and soups.

It’s often called emmer, which is a type of farro. There are actually three different types of farro: farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). Emmer is what you'll find sold most often in the U.S. 

The most flavorful farro is whole grain, which must be soaked overnight before cooking. The variety labeled "semiperlato” in Italy has had some of the bran removed and will cook more quickly than the whole grain. Usually the cooking times will be on the package that you purchase.

Click this link if you would like to read about the considerable health benefits of farro, which is loaded with fiber, protein and anti-oxidents.

Chef Shawn pairs Toasted Farro with the Duck Duck at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five: Seared Duck Breast, a Duck Confit, served with a Strawberry Shrub Butter Sauce, Grilled Zucchini and Fried Parsley (and it’s only $18).

Duck Duck (Duck two ways) at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Duck Duck (Duck two ways) at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

The Farro and Roasted Golden Beet Salad has been a popular item at M’tucci’s Italian for several years. Company Chef John Haas wanted to create a salad with grains and greens, almost a super salad with big flavors. We add candied pecans, roasted red onions, toss the baby greens with a garlic mustard vinaigrette and top it with Italian gorgonzola cheese.

The Farro/Roasted Beet Salad is also part of this weekend’s M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen kit, which features Smoked Baby Back Ribs that you’ll finish at home on the grill or in the oven. Each Kit comes with 1 1/2 slabs of baby backs, with M’tucci’s dry rub and BBQ sauce. Roasted Potatoes and Onions, plus 4 Brown Butter Sugar Cookies complete this meal. You can order one by calling any of our locations and reserving your kit.

We aren’t trying to compete with the local BBQ shops, we just love making great pork dishes for you!

Click below to follow the easy steps to completing this meal:

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Bone-In Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $37

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $21

Pesto Ravioli with Shallots, Grape Tomatoes, Roasted Artichokes in a Lemon Pesto Cream Sauce

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Ono, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Seared Artrichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $24

M’tucci’s @ Home

Don’t forget to look for our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we also have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

We would appreciate your vote in all restaurant categories that apply. Thank you. Click on Vote Now below.

We would appreciate your vote in all restaurant categories that apply. Thank you. Click on Vote Now below.

Vote Now for M’tucci’s Italian and M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

Thinking About Italy

Hope you enjoy few photos from the Italy archives during this time of non-travel. Thanks for reading. See you next Friday, Ciao!

Marinara Sauce

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The classic Italian tomato sauce, Marinara, is one of most popular and one of the most abused sauces. Canned versions with sub-standard tomatoes and thick, cloying tomato paste have drenched over-cooked pasta on America’s tables for generations (my childhood kitchen table was no exception). However, in the right hands, Marinara is a thing of beauty, a rich simple sauce that showcases the quality of the tomato and a few other ingredients.

Stories claim that Neopolitan sailors (marinaio in Italian) were introduced to the tomato by Spanish sailors who brought the fruit back from the Americas (probably Mexico). Their wives may have created sauces from the tomatoes with the addition of garlic, onions, basil or oregano. Order a Marinara pizza in Naples and it will be topped with a tomato sauce, oregano, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. That’s right - no cheese. Sailors going to sea from Naples carried flatbread folded with this sauce inside.

M’tucci’s Roasted Marinara uses the best tomatoes and slow roasts the ingredients for a deeper, complex flavor.

Whether you dine on one of our patios, order take out or buy this week’s M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen Kit, you can have M’tucci’s Roasted Marinara with Spaghettini and Chianina Meatballs. The Prep Kit comes with the recipe for completing your dinner for four, and includes the Mista Salad, Garlic Bread and Mocha cookies. You can order it from any location for pick up or delivery. Feed a family of 4 for $43.

As always, Chef Cory takes you through the steps of making meatballs and finishing your meal on M’tucci’s YouTube Channel. There are nearly 30 videos on our channel from tips for cooking to making Shrub cocktails. You can access the channel by clicking here.

M’tucci’s is the only place in New Mexico to offer Chianina beef. Beef from this historic Italian breed has tons of flavor and is considered healthy due to the lower fat content. We make our meatballs from the Chianina raised on a ranch in Southern New Mexico. You can read more about Chianina in a past La Gazzeta post by clicking here.

Open Patios with Monday - Friday Happy Hours

The city has allowed for fast track permitting to expand patios. We have additional covered seating M’tucci’s Italian and we are awaiting city approval for the same at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five. We are not accepting reservations at the moment, so tables are available for walk in guests. Happy Hours are popular with reduced prices, special dishes only available at Happy Hour (formerly known as Patio Hour). Hope to see you soon!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Bone-In Porterhouse - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $37

Pan-Seared Sand Dabs Lightly Breaded - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

6oz  Hand Cut Beef Tenderloin - Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and our Traditional Italian Salsa Verde Sauce $29

Pan-Seared Halibut - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $24

Grilled Northern Italian Style Spare Ribs - Garlic-Herb Sauce, Cabbage-Apple Slaw, Roasted Corn & Jalapeño. $17

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Ruby Trout, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $24

M’tucci’s @ Home

Don’t forget to look for our Artisan Bread and Ravioli Meals at your local Albertsons Market. Also, we also have our Artisan Bread, Shrubs, cheese and cured meats in the deli counters at all M’tucci’s locations.

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Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!

Patio Dining and M'tucci's @ Home

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M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen kits have returned, so let’s talk about this weekend’s great meal put together for you by Chef Cory. Each kit comes with all the ingredients and a recipe card (with a QR code to the online video with cooking instructions). This week has already been a popular one:

Five Pork Bolognese/Ricotta-filled Ravioli (all House Made) with a Wild Mushroom Red Bell Pepper Ragu, House Garlic Bread, House Salad and four Chocolate Crackle Cookies. This is designed to feed four people for $45. Order from any M’tucci’s location for pick up or delivery. You can order now for pickup today, tomorrow or Sunday. Be specific about your pick up time, because the House Salads are made to order just before you pick up the kit. We have a limited number, so order soon.

“Just wanted to tell you that this dinner kit was amazing!!!!! I know how to make bread, but now I want to learn how to make fresh pasta!!!”: from Lyla, a regular M’tucci’s guest.

Click here to read a previous La Gazzeta about Ravioli and its origins. Also, a previous article featured a story about Bolognese Ragu, which you can read by clicking here.

You can watch a video of Chef Cory taking you through the steps of preparing the meal. This video and many more are on the M’tucci’s YouTube Channel.

All M’tucci’s Patios are open from 11:00am - 10:00pm Monday - Saturday and 11:00am-9:00pm Sunday with full lunch, dinner and drink menus.

Patio Hour(s) is 3:00-6:00, Monday - Friday

Each location is offering a slightly different Special Patio menu for Patio Hour, so you’ll have to try all three!

We were ready for the health orders from the state and local governments that went into effect last Monday. Our patios had been expanded, we added cooling misters, umbrellas and comfortable seating and will continue to work towards creating a safe and comfortable dining experience. The health of you and our staff is our highest priority. We will follow all CDC and state health guidelines, which means our servers and kitchen staff wear masks and gloves at all times, tables are sanitized between seatings and you, as our guest, are required to wear a mask when you enter/exit and whenever you are not at your table. It’s simple, it’s easy. Let’s get through this together.

M’tucci’s Italian @ Coors & Montaño

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five @ I-25 & Jefferson

For all of you who are in search of something different, the First Annual (or last) M’tucci’s Hot Dog Eating Contest begins today at 3:00 on the patio. Come watch Trey, Earnest and James try to win, or to at least make you laugh. There are no prizes for stuffing the most tube steaks down the hatch - nor should there be.

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M’tucci’s Moderno @ Rio Rancho, Unser & Wellspring

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Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut T-Bone - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $34

Pan-Seared California Halibut - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $25

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

6oz  Hand Cut Beef Tenderloin - Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and our Traditional Italian Salsa Verde Sauce $29

Pan-Seared Rockfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce and Prosciutto Powder $21

Grilled Northern Italian Style Spare Ribs - Garlic-Herb Sauce, Cabbage-Apple Slaw, Roasted Corn & Jalapeño. $17

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Sea Bass, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichoke Hearts and Prosciutto Powder $23

Veggie Recipes

Chef Cory and I created a video for gardeners and fans of Farmer’s Markets. Did you plant too many Zucchini or Yellow Squash or maybe you have an abundance of fresh greens such as Kale or Swiss Chard? In a 10-minute video, Chef Cory shows you five different ways to prepare Squash Blossoms, Greens, Shishito Peppers and how to do a hot or cold pickle marinade for fresh garden veggies. Watch it below or on the M’tucci’s YouTube Channel.

Thanks for reading. See you on the patio!! Ciao!

What's Next

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A Message from John Haas, President & Company Chef

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Monday -Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm and Sunday 11:00 - 9:00

Monday -Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm and Sunday 11:00 - 9:00

M’tucci’s Memories

For the past few weeks. we have shared some stories from our staff and partners about why we love restaurants. We asked that you share your favorite M’tucci’s memories with us. We received quite a few emails and photos. Here are a few of the best memories in no particular order:

“I’ve got a million great memories from The Tooch (as my gang calls it)!

One that really stands out is the anniversary dinner for the deli location back in Dec 2016.
I know Chef Shawn and Chef Cory pretty well, and leading up to the dinner they asked if I had any Halloween masks they could borrow- preferably of the equine variety. Just so happened that I’d scored a BUNCH of the full-face, rubber masks right when the Hastings next door was closing (RIP).  The guys wouldn’t tell me up front what they wanted it for, so I figured it’s best to come prepared, and bring ALL of the masks: horses, zombies, giraffes, gorillas, etc.

Cut to dinner service - great food, delicious beverages, good conversation, and Chefs Shawn & Cory as the masters of ceremony introducing each dish in their signature style that always made us feel like we were absolutely part of the family.  And then it was time for the main course!! We’d been waiting all night, the item was a mystery blank spot on the menus set at each table, the anticipation was KILLING US as we waited for the next dish.


We hear some commotion in the kitchen, boisterous laughter, the slapping of high-fives, and the sounds of footsteps coming down the hallway about to reveal the center of this nights’ offerings, a culinary masterpiece dreamt up in the minds of madmen, the pièce de résistance:
an entire roasted UNICORN!! Hooves, legs, horn and all! I believe his name was Lambert.
The room erupted in applause, whoops, hollers, and whistles- we were appropriately blown away.

Actually, it was a locally sourced lamb in disguise, but we savored each morsel as though it was full of glittering, rainbow magic.

Anyway, we (me, my family, my friends, my clients) are all huge fans of the work this company does, and we look forward to getting back to the bar, back to the bespoke dinners, back to you guys doing all of the things you do so well.

All my love,
Audrey H.”

“My mother came to live with us in New Mexico after spending the first 84 years of her life in a small town in Massachusetts.  She had been adopted into an Italian family in the early 1930's and so we all considered ourselves Italian.

Eating at an Italian restaurant was always a family joke in our house.  Why would we ever go out to eat pasta or meatballs or braciole when the best was served at our family table every Sunday?  It was almost a sin to go out to eat, except for the occasional diner or Chinese Restaurant.

As an adult, that obviously changed.  My sister married a chef and they go to all kinds of restaurants in Upstate New York where they live.  But whenever they come to visit, we always go to M'tucci's.  

The last time my sister came to visit was for a goodbye to my mother, who was gravely ill.  It was a sad time for all of us, but as is often the case, being together, eating comfort food and telling stories helped to ease some of the pain.  This is a picture of me, my sister and my daughter at M'Tucci's Italian Kitchen, sharing stories and memories of our childhood.

That is what a true neighborhood restaurant should offer.  Not just great food and great staff, but a place you want to be when you need to also feed your soul.

Jessica C.

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“Early in my husband’s and my courtship we discovered a restaurant that had just opened in a strip mall on Albuquerque’s west side.  Upon entering we were greeted by a petite, perky woman (Katie) at the hostess stand. The venue was transformed from its previous life as a burger joint to an eclectic assemblage of wall décor and lighting. You know that sensation you get when something feels exactly right? That’s what we both felt immediately.  Ah, but what about the food?

The menu included many palette tempting dishes, most of which we have gone on to order through our years of patronizing M’tucci’s Italian.  That first night my then-to-be husband ordered the meatballs and was delighted with the artful twist. They were moist and perfectly seasoned in a rich red sauce.  I had the eggplant parmesan.  The eggplant was firm, lightly breaded and fried to perfection. We relished the dinner, wine, crusty bread, and good conversation in addition to the great service. We were hooked!

From then on, Wednesday nights became our M’tucci’s date night.  The staff and owners came to know our favorite table and drink order.  As ours is a May/December romance, many people were unsure of our relationship to each other.  One evening Katie sat down at our table and said, “so what’s the deal with you two?”  We burst into laughter and told her we had recently become engaged.  Katie called Jeff over and we all cheered our engagement.   Throughout the night the servers stopped by to offer their congratulations.

Those Wednesday night dinners at M’tucci’s are one of our favorite memories of our early years together. 

Thanks for the memories, M’tucci’s.

Kellie and Bing”

Last, but not least, is a memory from Partner/Beverage Director, Austin Leard:

“As a young kid, mom and dad made dinner at home the large majority of the time. In a  small town the options to dine out were rather scarce.  To my sister and I, it was always a treat when we went out to eat. I seem to remember always wanting what someone else ordered,  rather than my choice at the time. I remember laying down in the booth on my mom's lap half way through many of those outings. 

When dad cooked at home,  he mostly grilled , as I do now. The difference is, his was always, let's call it "charred" . He also got really creative with leftovers.  My mom, then and now , makes some of the best New Mexican dishes I've had.  Her Green Chile Beef Burritos and Red Chile Beef Enchiladas are exceptional.  

For a long time, I was like many people , uneducated about next level food and beverage.  I was more than happy with mediocrity.  One of the first life changing instances was shortly after I turned 23. I was convinced I made the best margarita,  using a mid grade tequila and a 3:1 mix out of a bottle, blended with ice. My dear friend Michael Trujillo,  whom I had just met, just happen to make me a fresh lime, simple syrup and 100% agave tequila margarita. This BLEW MY MIND! Never again since that day have I made anything less, and I use this recipe in every one of our bars.

The second major memory that impacted my view of food and beverage was in 2013. I walked in to a little hole in the wall , brand new Italian restaurant a friend told me about.  Little did I know I'd play a major part in it, in the years to come. This restaurant was " M'tucci’s Kitchina" at the time. I met the amazing team and owners and immediately understood this was different than many places I'd ever been to. I was there for business, but I soon came to work with them. I shared my knowledge and experience with them and created our beverage programs.  That day I became friends with a person who change the way I see food forever.  This happened with one dish. The person was Chef John Haas and the dish was the Five Pork Bolognese.  I'll be forever grateful. It will be the dish I request for my last meal.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

2 - 9 oz Hand Cut Bone In Herb Rubbed Pork Chops - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $27

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $21

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

16oz  Hand Cut Black Angus Ribeye - Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and our Traditional Italian Salsa Verde Sauce $29

Pan Seared Yellowtail - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers $21

M'tucci's Pesto Ravioli -  Homemade Ricotta + Pesto Ravioli, Roasted Artichoke, Shallots, Grape Tomato, Lemon + Pesto Cream Sauce, Shaved Parmesan $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Cicchetti (Small plate): Mussels served in a Bourbon Jalapeño Broth, Apple Cider Glazed Grilled Escarole, House Bacon, Feta and Grilled Bread $7

Pan-Seared California Halibut, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichoke Hearts and Prosciutto Powder $24

Coming back next week - M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kitchen Meal Kits. Announced on Tuesday and Available for Ordering on Thursday.

Thanks for your support and for reading. See you next Friday, Ciao!

Italian Inspiration

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One year ago, four M’tucci’s Chefs were busy comparing notes on their Tuscan eating and cooking experiences and making plans to adapt some of the things they tasted and applying some of the things they learned to the way our kitchens approach food. The trip definitely formed the foundation for some of the menu items at the new M’tucci’s Twenty-Five, which opened this past February.

I accompanied Chefs John Haas, Shawn Cronin, Cory Gray and Damian Lucero to photograph and write about their experiences. I had never traveled with Chefs for the sole purpose of cooking, and more importantly, eating. For that week, I didn’t order a single meal, but listened as the four of them looked over the menu, discussed the options, then ordered a selection of appetizers, primi and secondi. There were usually nine plates for the five of us and the selections were always amazing.

Damian, John, Cory and Shawn before dinner.

Damian, John, Cory and Shawn before dinner.

We had several meals arranged by our Italian importer, where we walked in and the menu was set for us. John remarked that those were probably the best meals, because the restaurants showed us what they did best and what was special for their town.

I sat down with John, Shawn & Damian this week to talk about how Tuscany influenced the menu at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five.

Lardarium Lard Rock Cafe in Colonnata: After a tour of the Marble Mines/Caves in Carrara, we arrived at the Lard Rock Cafe for lunch, which was arranged for us by Sogno Toscana, who imports much of our Italian products. After the bottles of still and sparkling water and bottles of red & white wine arrived at the table, so did the platters of food: four large platters to be exact. First came the lightly pickled vegetables:

Damian: “That plate changed the way I pickle vegetables. It was so light, so good and so perfect.”

John: “The pickled vegetables and the charcuterie were the show stoppers, but the ragu with the stinging nettle pasta was so good, and so local. We were sitting outside surrounded by a small garden and our server pointed out the nettles. She also pointed out that the plant (dock) that is a salve for nettles is growing right next to them.”

Colonnata is known for lardo, which is made by seasoning, pressing and aging pork fatback (the pigs are raised on forest acorns and chestnuts). Lardo has been made since Roman times and was a popular lunch for the workers toiling in the marble caves. Don’t let the name put you off, because the flavor is rich and sublime. We have had it on our menu in the past and it will make a comeback soon.

After the huge lunch, our next stop was L’Antico Mulino Pandolfo, an artisan bakery run by Francesco Luigi Carusi in Carrara. He teaches baking skills all over the world and the afternoon spent with him was loaded with baking techniques. Although we have a pretty strong baking program at M’tucci’s, a few things stuck with the chefs and one in particular ended up on the menu at Twenty-Five.

Damian: “He used a softer version of mozzarella on his pizza, almost like a burrata. We now add a softer mozzarella to two of our pizzas and use it as a garnish, topping the pizza when it comes out of the oven, instead of when it goes in the oven. Totally different flavor.”

Margherita pizza at L’Antico Mulino Pandolfo in Carrara, Italy

Margherita pizza at L’Antico Mulino Pandolfo in Carrara, Italy

The next day was spent with Savini Tartufi in Montenelli. After a walk in the woods where their young dog has a successful truffle hunt, we had a truffle-themed lunch.

Shawn: “Going on the truffle hunt, smelling a truffle as it’s pulled from the ground and having the truffle lunch within an hour of digging the truffles reinforced why truffles are not a big part of our menu. They don’t travel well. Even going to the expense of overnighting truffles, the quality is not worth the cost. Eating them within 30 minutes of coming out of the ground really reinforced that” 

John: “The only way to do truffles affordably is to use a by-product and those products just don’t do justice to the real thing. M’tucci’s is built on value and the truffles that we get in the U.S. don’t offer a good value, so we don’t use them, especially not as the center point of a meal. For what it costs to import a pound of truffles you could fly to Italy and have an amazing truffle meal.”

We still bought a few products in the shop after our lunch and I regret not bringing home more jars of lardo laced with black summer truffles.

Ristorante Il Molo - Livorno: Sunday lunch in the port city of Livorno brought lots of fresh seafood to the table, but the surprising part of the meal was the finish. While Shawn was looking at the amari selection to see if there was one he hadn’t tried, the server said: “We Livornese don’t finish our meal with amaro, we drink ponche.” We had never had it, so we ordered five.

Served in a small glass, it’s equal parts rum and espresso with some sugar and a lemon peel - a perfect way to end the meal. We served it last year for our anniversary meal and sometimes offer it at brunch.

Antica Macelleria Cecchini - Panzano in Chianti: Our last day in Tuscany was arranged by John while we were in Italy and we were pretty excited to be able to tour the farm, the meat cutting facility, and kitchens run by world-famous butcher, Dario Cecchini. It’s a popular spot for Italians and tourists alike, due to his numerous appearances on cooking/travel shows with Anthony Bourdain and “Somebody Feed Phil”. When you walk into the butcher shop you are greeted with a glass of Chianti, loud rock music and the maestro behind the butcher counter ready to perform by cutting the huge bisteca fiorentina, (t-bones that are usually 4 lbs. each) which is sourced from Chianina cattle. There are several restaurants, two of which are reservation only, where you can have your fill of meat, prepared in the traditional Tuscan styles. Some is served raw and a cut is roasted, but the bisteca is cooked over an open fire. The long family-style tables are laden with olive oil, bowls of vegetables, bowls of white beans, crusty Tuscan bread and carafes of Chianti.

The Chefs spent several hours learning about the workings of the kitchen and made a few dishes, one that was just for us for lunch (as if 5 different meat dishes weren’t enough). They worked with lardo, raw beef for tartare, and ground beef, each time taking the mixing bowl into the front of the shop for the maestro to add the seasoning. As I have written before, the heat from the open fire in the room and the huge amount of meat gave us all meat sweats and nearly put us into a food coma.

The Harris Ranch Roasted Bone Marrow Green Chile burger was inspired by their time in the kitchens of Tuscany, and it is now on the lunch menu at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five. Shawn says it’s pretty awesome, and if he says something is awesome, you better get your masked face in the door and get one.

Those were some of the results of our experiences, but our four Chefs came back with something more general - a sense of Italian style.

Shawn: We really learned why you do coursing, because you get to try different things and taste different plates. When Italians dine out they order an Aperol Spritz, maybe an appetizer for the table, a pasta dish (which will be much smaller than entree size), then follow it with meat, fish or chicken. Ordering a coffee and an amaro to complete the dining experience is how to finish a meal.

John: In Italy, so much of the food is sourced locally, it’s just part of the culture. Being exposed to that we’ve increased our efforts to build more relationships with local producers. M’tucci’s has several things in the works, but we are not quite ready to announce some of them yet. Stay tuned!

EDITORS NOTE: These photos were all shot in Italy in 2019, before the pandemic of Covid-19 occurred.

Please share your favorite restaurant/M’tucci’s memories with us. The best will be published in this space next Friday and will receive a M’tucci’s Gift Certificate.

Submit your memory by July 6 to: [email protected]

All M’tucci’s are closed on July 4. Enjoy a safe Independence Day. We’ll be back at 11:00am on Sunday, July 5.

Weekend (Friday & Sunday) Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Bone In NY Strip - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $32

Pan-Seared Sand Dabs - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $19

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

16oz  Hand Cut Black Angus Ribeye - Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and our Traditional Italian Salsa Verde Sauce $29

Pan Seared Rockfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers $19

M'tucci's Pesto Ravioli -  Homemade Ricotta + Pesto Ravioli, Roasted Artichoke, Shallots, Grape Tomato, Lemon + Pesto Cream Sauce, Shaved Parmesan $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Amberjack - Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Seared Artichokes, Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

M’tucci’s YouTube Channel

We will have a special Cooking with Cory video on our YouTube Channel next week. Chef Cory shows you how to pickle vegetables, cook squash blossoms, sauté summer greens and how to blister Shishito Peppers. He has some really great tips on how to use your excess garden or farmer’s market vegetables.

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

See you next week. Ciao!

Why We Love Restaurants, Part 2

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Chefs Cory, Shawn, John and Damian dining at Il Bucaniere, San Vincenzo, Italy

Chefs Cory, Shawn, John and Damian dining at Il Bucaniere, San Vincenzo, Italy

Last week we shared several restaurant memories from our Partners, Chefs and Managers at M’tucci’s. We have a few more for you today. We hope they will bring back some of your restaurant memories and inspire you to create new restaurant memories. Our restaurants and all local restaurants need your support at this time as we are bouncing back from a two-month shut down. You can be sure that you’ll be greeted with a masked face and smiling eyes at all M’tucci’s locations. Hope to see you soon.

Paulie Gonzalez, Manager at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five:

I raised my kids in the restaurants that I’ve run since they were all babies. One earlier opportunity that I had to get into management, I was still just getting visitation hours with my kids. At the time I was being promoted from a server to a manager in a breakfast style pancake house. The restaurant had an enclosed room that was typically only open on weekends and holidays. My GM at the time would let me end my shift and close off the room for my visits with the kids for a couple hours. They were only 6 months old at the time, and they have traveled with me to every restaurant where I’ve worked since then. They are even familiar with how to roll silverware. I believe everyone should have some restaurant experience at some point in their lives to experience guest service and to know that our jobs are more than just delivering food. 

Amy Haas, Manager and Wine Professional at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Years ago I was invited by a wine distributor to visit California to attend their wine education trip. It's a fast and furious trip over only a few days visiting A LOT of wineries and usually snacking on small meals throughout the day. One of the wineries we visited was Limerick Lane where we were greeted by the winemakers with a pint of local beer (winemakers love beer too). We were then escorted through the vineyards and into the barn for a wine blending seminar. From the moment we stepped onto the property, the smell of roasting meat was at the forefront of my senses. It made it really hard to focus on tasting and blending and listening and learning. A worker at the winery was roasting a whole lamb on the rotisserie just outside the barn. They told us that he started cooking it at 5am that morning and we would enjoy it for dinner.

As the experience went on, my eyes and nose kept diverting my attention to the golden brown whole lamb spitting it's juices onto vegetables roasting under it on the fire. When it was finally time to eat, we all lined up to fill our plates. I had never experienced lamb this way. The best I had had was a high priced rack of lamb at restaurants in the past. I had no idea how delicious it would be and it didn't even matter because the labor of love to bring it to fruition was already worth it. To this day, it is one of the most incredible meals I have ever experienced.

Trey Godwin, Manager & Cocktail Guru M’tucci’s Twenty-Five:

All my family used to meet up in Panama City beach for the 4th of July. We always made it a a point to eat at this restaurant on the water, Pineapple Willy's. They had a pier that stretched out onto the ocean with picnic style seating for large groups. Some of my fondest memories are eating their "famous" ribs that they serve in a bucket, listening to all the banter from the family members surrounding me, and the live music for the night while sitting on the ocean. Getting older and working for a living I haven't been on that vacation with everyone in probably 8 years, but I definitely want to start taking my little guy down there to experience it too. 

Arcy Law, Manager M’tucci’s Italian:

One of my favorite moments in a restaurant was sitting in a little bar inside the French Quarter of New Orleans. This little dive bar we walked into had an amazing bartender with great stories, it made you feel like you were talking to an old friend you’ve known for years. The highlight was looking at the menu and seeing a peanut butter bacon burger. After a couple of brews later, that burger sounded amazing. We weren’t that hungry so we split one of these bad boys and fell in love. After more laughs and a few more drinks, (it’s New Orleans, so of course you don’t just have one) we ordered a second peanut butter bacon burger! We let the day just slip away with great company, and cold beer.

Michael Lewis, Marketing Coordinator & Editor of La Gazzeta:

I was thrilled to visit Paris for the first time in 1979. My knowledge of Paris came from reading Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" and numerous guide books. I spent some time with a French phrasebook so I could at least be somewhat accepted by the notoriously rude and dismissive Parisians (so the guidebooks said). After my first attempts at speaking French with a stern and scolding concierge at our budget hotel, my fears were confirmed and I was reluctant to speak French for the rest of the trip. 

Since we were college students, we ate cheaply. We bought food from street stands, cheap plat du jour restaurants and from the markets. All of it wonderful. Brie, baguettes, pate, croissants, prosciutto. For our last night in this glorious city, we saved our money for dinner at a bistrot that was recommended by our guidebook.  My girlfriend and I were seated in the middle of the room and received courteous nods from the locals, who filled the closely arranged tables. 

I thought my menu French was passable and I was able to put together an order for both of us, coq au vin for her (I had made it before, so I knew it was chicken) and veu , which is veal, (followed by a word I didn't recognize, cervelles, probably a sauce I thought) for me. I had competently ordered deux verre du vin blanc (two glasses of white wine) for both of us and an appetizer of moules farcie (stuffed and baked mussels). When the entrees arrived, the coq au vin was preceded by the aroma and looked great. When the waiter put my plate in front of me, instead of the sautéed or breaded veal that I expected, there was something in a small casserole dish that looked like a small head of cauliflower in a shallow pool of melted butter. I stared at it and looked at my girlfriend and we exchanged glances and whispers, "What the heck is this? I don't know. It has a weird smell!" From one of the tables close to ours, a French woman leaned over and said in English, "Don't you like calf brains?" Ah, so cervelles means "brains."  I was young and unadventurous and said, "No."

She gracefully called the waiter over and explained my error and they both laughed. He removed my plate and returned with steak frites, with a nice side of bone marrow (and they didn't charge me for the veal). I didn't know what the bone marrow was at the time, but it tasted great! Maybe I should have tried the brains? However, I changed my opinion of Parisians and have returned many times to the city. I could never find that restaurant again.

We hope you have enjoyed some of our memories.

Please share your favorite restaurant/M’tucci’s memories with us. The best will be published in this space on July 10 and will receive a M’tucci’s Gift Certificate.

Submit your memory by July 6 to: [email protected]

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

24 oz Hand Cut Porterhouse - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction  $37

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Cream Sauce $29

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

16oz  Hand Cut Black Angus Ribeye - Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and our Traditional Italian Salsa Verde Sauce $29

Pan Seared Swordfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers $25

M'tucci's Pesto Ravioli -  Homemade Ricotta + Pesto Ravioli, Roasted Artichoke, Shallots, Grape Tomato, Lemon + Pesto Cream Sauce, Shaved Parmesan $19

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Roasted Bone Marrow Harris Ranch Smash Burger - Brioche Bun, Caramelized Onions, Green Chile, Worcestershire Braised Mushrooms, House Dijon, Side of French Fries and a Cookie $12 (only available this weekend from 11:00 - 4:00)

Pan-Seared California Halibut - Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Prosciutto Powder, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $24

M’tucci’s YouTube Channel

We’ve been adding videos about cocktails and cooking techniques for the past year on our own YouTube Channel. We added a new one each week during the shut down to help our guests cook their M’tucci’s @ Home Prep Kits. KRQE made mention of our channel this week. You can watch their segment here.

We are going to continue adding videos with cooking tips and techniques, wine education and cocktail tips. In the newest video, Partner Austin Leard introduces shows you some of work that goes into the two-week plus process of making Shrubs. You can watch it below:

There are now 28 videos on our channel. The next video will show you how to pickle and preserve some of your excess garden produce. Stay tuned! M’tucci’s YouTube Channel

Just one more . . . .

Breakfast by the Ewaso Ngiro River in Samburu National Park in Kenya

Breakfast by the Ewaso Ngiro River in Samburu National Park in Kenya

Thanks for reading. See you next week. Ciao!

Why We Love Restaurants

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Dining near Campo di Fiore in Rome.

Dining near Campo di Fiore in Rome.

A link to a New York Times story was passed on to Jeff Spiegel, M’tucci’s Founder, by a longtime guest, Mike Noonan. The story featured special restaurant memories from several well-know writers. In that spirit, some of us at M’tucci’s wanted to share some of our favorite restaurant memories. We would also like to hear from you about your favorite memories from dining out - especially at M’tucci’s. Details about submitting your memory will follow.

Jeff Spiegel, M’tucci’s Founder:

In November of 1988, we celebrated my Dad’s 80th birthday at Extra! Extra!, our restaurant in The Daily News Building at 42nd and 2nd in NYC.

I was 42 and Katie and I had three small  children.

We had a spectacular dinner prepared by Our Executive Chef (later James Beard winner Best Chef in the Northwest) Christine Keff. The dinner was electric.

He (Dad) kept saying, “I’ve never eaten a better meal, in Paris or anywhere else.” He loved to laud our restaurants. I’m sure he felt they were the best. His three kids could do no wrong.

The feeling of the whole evening was unforgettable. My brother, Art, is now 80. I’m 73. We toasted endlessly, sang songs of familiar tunes with words written for my Dad, a longtime tradition in our family.

Until we began opening restaurants, we always celebrated these occasions at home.

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Shawn Cronin: Executive Chef/Partner M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

My favorite restaurant memory happened the first time I went to Chicago. I was there on a food trip, since I had always heard about all the progressive culinary movements, the Michelin stars, the James Beard awards. At the time I was 28 years-old and had never been on a plane in my life, (never being able to afford to travel on a line cook wage). I had saved up for so long and I wanted to make sure this was a trip were I didn't have to hold back. I remember incredible experiences at award-winning restaurants like Girl and the Goat, eating Oysters in Eataly with Prosecco and incredible charcuterie at Publican meats. 

There was one place, Au Cheval, that so many regulars kept saying was a must have, 'Try the burger". Every server or Lyft driver I encountered I would ask,' Where do you like to eat?" The amount of times of hearing you have to try the burger at Au Cheval being repeated was too many times to ignore.

Finally one night, about 9:00, I stumbled into this tiny dimly lit diner. The place was packed and I was told that there would be a small wait. As I waited I knew this was the place to be. They blasted 90's hip hop to a level where I could hardly hear the hostess call my name. I was seated at the counter right next to the expo where the cooks were directly in front of me. All of them heavily tatted, wearing bandanas and singing along to Wu Tang blasting through the air. They had about 10 beers on tap, all of which were popular craft beers. I started talking to the guy on expo (turned out to be the sous chef) and we started talking food. I looked at the menu and saw Foie Gras Terrine and realized I could care less about a burger. I asked the sous chef about it and he said it was something he came up with as a labor of love. He continued that although it wasn't the biggest seller, it was one of his favorites. 

I ordered my beer and the foie gras. When it came to the table there was 2 slices of a beautifully made terrine, 2 slices of basic Texas toast, and a shot glass of strawberry jelly where I watched the line cook overfill until it ran down the side of the glass. The initial thought was no frills, no crazy garnish, just here's what you ordered; bread, jam and terrine. I combined everything and took a bite and at that moment realized the amount of work, technique, long hours, missed friendships, late nights, early morning, books and chapters read, and in general, the sacrifices that the person who created this dish had to experience. It was truly a work of art. The sous chef looked at me as I was staring at my plate trying to dissect and figure out exactly how this dish was done. He asked, well what do you think? Is it ok? I said to him, "homie, this is f***** incredible". Truly a perfect dish. 

I finished off with a whiskey and a pickleback. My first time trying the combo. I have had many more since that moment. 

On another trip I had the burger and it was really incredible but it couldn't come close to the emotion from the terrine. They have since change the dish altogether but the memory will live on.

Jade Santiago & Jared Winter, Managers at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five & M’tucci’s Moderno:

We traveled to Seattle, our first trip to a state where we were completely alone. We basically saved up money to eat out and watch baseball. One morning we were walking around trying to find something to cure our post-game hangovers and stumbled across this huge line that went into a small, maybe 20-person restaurant. We put our names on the list and walked around a little more before we finely got a table.

Immediately, Jared ordered an Irish coffee and I got a mimosa. I remember the tables were so close together and it was complete organized chaos. The service was genuine and very pleasant. I ordered the lobster benedict and Jared order their breakfast burrito. The food was amazing and honestly, this was the best breakfast date we had ever had. I made sure we stopped there a few more times on our trip. 

Chris O’Sickey, General Manager/Partner M’tucci’s Italian:

Several years ago, my family and I were visiting my 70 year-old grandmother in Deltona, Florida. We were walking around the streets and we walked by a small cafe that had a sign specializing in Polish food, which is part of my heritage. My other grandmother, who had passed away was from Poland. My grandmother (who was with us) said she had dined there and gave it rave reviews. As my Mom, my brother and grandmother and I sat down, we starting perusing the menu and saw that they had a lot great dishes that we remembered from growing up.

My Mom said, “I remember when your grandmother used to make this dish.”

So, we ordered a bunch of things to share and had such a great time sitting there on their patio. Even a light rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of our meal, so we just sat there and enjoyed the weather, the food, and the memories with family. That’s what restaurants are all about: great food, good times with family, and sharing and creating memories.

Cory Gray, Executive Chef/Partner M’tucci’s Italian

One of my most memorable restaurant experiences is from growing up on the East Coast. Northern Virginia had great access to bountiful varieties of fresh Atlantic seafood. My family and friends would go to the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to feast. Seafood boil was always everyone’s favorite.

We would sit at a large table covered with butcher paper, everyone would get a wooden mallet and there would be lots of melted butter, lemons, and tons of paper towels and wet naps. Then came the bushels of seafood: crab, shrimp, clams and mussels and don’t forget the corn-on-the-cob and new potatoes. The waitress would dump everything on the table for everyone to have at - almost like a trough.  It was so delicious and fun to share with everyone. It’s an exciting and messy experience that everyone always loved. We would eat, talk, and drink for hours. Great memories and good for the soul.

Amanda Romero, General Manager M’tucci’s Moderno

I was first introduced to Tepan restaurants as a young teenager. I had never been seated at a table with a large warm grill in front of me and strangers sitting all around the table. I remember reading through the menu, quickly skipping over all the things I didn’t understand and deciding on a plain-Jane teenager dinner option. It was my birthday and my mom wanted to take me here for my special day. The waitress took our order and quickly brought out salads and soups for everyone. As a pickier eater back then, I skipped over the salad, offering it to my mother, and slurped down the delicious soup. Then the chef came out with his large smile and exciting personality. The meal was a blast!

From making a heart out of the rice to a volcano with the veggies, I was sold! The chef was interacting with everyone at the table including singling me out as the birthday girl. It was an experience I would never forget. Over the next six years I spent every birthday there with my mom. She would let me invite a few close friends and family members. Usually we would fill the table. I always looked forward to my fried ice cream dessert including hitting the large restaurant gong to commemorate another year of my life. As time went by, I started to really enjoy the salad and veggies that came with the dish and I ordered more exciting dishes that I found on the menu. It was the first place I legally ordered a drink on my 21st birthday and it was where I first tried sushi. It is one of my favorite places in Albuquerque because of the wonderful memories it brings back and the wonderful time spent with my friends and family. 

We hope you enjoyed some of our memories. We will have some more for you next Friday.

Please share your favorite restaurant/M’tucci’s memories with us. The best will be published in this space on July 10 and will receive a M’tucci’s Gift Certificate.

Submit your memory by July 6 to: [email protected]

We appreciate you arriving with your masks on, keeping everyone safe.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Pan-Seared California Halibut- Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Cream Sauce and Capers. $26

Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27

M’tucci’s Moderno

Pan-Seared California Halibut- Prized for its fine texture and delicate flavor with large flakes. Served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Marinated Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers. $26

24 oz Hand-Cut Black Angus NY Strip Steak with Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Italian Salsa Verde

Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. Single portion for $16 (it’s large) and a double portion with a salad for $30.

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Roasted Bone Marrow Harris Ranch Smash Burger - Brioche Bun, Caramelized Onions, Green Chile, Worcestershire Braised Mushrooms, House Dijon, Side of French Fries and a Cookie $12 (only available this weekend from 11:00 - 4:00)

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Thanks for reading and thanks for coming to M’tucci’s. We appreciate your support. Don’t forget to send in your restaurant/M’tucci’s memory. See you next Friday, Ciao!