Oysters Florentine with Moscato, Thyme Butter & Black Truffles were the perfect starter but alas, there were only three of these tender beauties served on the half shell with a delicate and delicious Moscato beurre blanc sauce and finished with grated Tartufi Neri. I could have easily have eaten nine more of these and called it a night. The Sardus Pater, Albus 2003 that accompanied the oysters had a lemony nose, with a citrusy, crisp and dry finish on the palate.

The Foie Gras & Black Truffles with Egg Crème was the ultimate “Martini”. This course was layered poached egg, squares of foie gras, and then finished with an extravagant amount of shaved truffles and served in a martini glass. I went straight for the ultimate decadence, and ate all the truffles off the top, and skipped the foie gras and the egg, although Edward F. Nesta, and our other dinner companions, Amelia and Richard, an attorney who lives in New York, and Amelia’s brother, Paul and sister-in-law Sonia, who came from California to the dinner, loved the complete dish.

Next on the truffle journey was Umbrian Rabbit Ragout with Roasted Parsnips & Carrots that was extremely flavorful as well as spicy eliciting a “mouth hot”. This dish was accompanied by a Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Leone Rosso, 2002, a full bodied chewy Tuscan wine with a deep rich plum color, a fragrant nose, and dense with spice and black cherries en bouche that held its own against this dish.

The dinner ended with “La Dolce Vita” Crèpes with Truffle Honey and fresh Berries and finished with shaved truffles accompanied by Espresso and Grappa D’Uva Bertagnolli, which was a very smooth grappa that warmed the guests who prepared to go out into the very cold New York night.

Some truffle facts that you might find interesting: there are many types of truffles in the world, but only 20 are commonly known. According to Italian law, only 9 are considered important truffles from Italy; of these, only 4 are used in cooking. These highly valuable truffles include: White Truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico, which season is from October 1 until December 31), Black Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum Vitt, November 15 – March 15), Summer Black Truffle also called Scorzone (Tuber Aestivum Vitt, May 1 – November 30) and Bianchetti or Small White Truffle (Tuber Albidium Pico, January 15 – April 30). According to Peter Urbani, the best truffles come from Umbria, and both chefs believe that truffle oil is overused and should be only used as an accent.