I am so close to completing this list that any little screw-up or mishap makes me really nervous. Before we went to Motorino, the hip, over-hyped pizza shop, I checked their menus online. Time Out said that the Octopus Conserva was only available at the East Village location. However, upon inspection, I learned that the dish has either been changed or is now called Warm Spicy Octopus & Potato. And the other, original Motorino location in Williamsburg, serves a dish called Octopus Salad (with potatoes, celery, onions, and olive oil). So what to do? Are these dishes the same and are either the Conserva mentioned on TONY’s list?
After two phone calls, I tentatively settled on the East Village spot since that’s where Time Out wrote about initially. Although they’ve made some misprints in the past, I put my trust in them by embarking on this journey and so I should follow where they lead. And the guy on the phone told me it was the same dish. I sure as hell hope so.
I had been here once before during my pizza search, but never tried the Brooklyn location. Hence part of my neuroses about which spot to hit this night.
I like Motorino’s hip and modern vibe, but slightly prefer Kesté’s doughy Neapolitan pies. But I wasn’t here for the pizza, even though that’s the recepient of most of Motorino’s accolades. Time Out’s recognition of the octopus conserva is unusual and a nice respite from pizza. Although, how could I come here and not order at least one pizza?
I was looking forward to the much publicized ramp pie, but I guess we just missed the season because they didn’t have it on the menu any longer. They did have their famous Brussels Sprout pie which I remembered from my last visit. I think it may have been even better the second time around. The dough was charred and chewy, but soft with some rich creamy cheesy flavors balanced with an earthy bite from the smoky pancetta.
But onto the main attraction (which was actually an appetizer). The octopus conserva was a great appetizer and I understand why TONY chose it. I’m not usually a fan of potato in salads, but these were just soft enough and blended in with the rest of the ingredients. I’m not sure the octopus had been pickled (like TONY mentioned), but they were perfectly charred and tender. The chili oil, capers, parsley, and lemon all brightened up the dish and made it a winner.
Whether this was what TONY wanted me to eat or not, I’ve discovered that besides pizza, Motorino knows how to make some awesome cephalopods. Now if only they’d put that on the pizza…
Would Motorino’s Octopus Conserva make my Top 100 of the year? Probably. The flavors and textures worked beautifully together creating a completely satisfying prelude to the more famous pizzas, earning a 9 out of 10.
