Torrisi’s Star-Chef Tributes

At Torrisi Italian Specialties, it’s serendipitous enough to eat dinner off the daily-changing chalkboard menu—Little Neck clam toasts, and maybe the BBQ lamb shoulder. So imagine what it’s like to be a chef for whom owners Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone create special dishes. Recently, NBC Feast celebrated the duo's tribute to their ex-boss, Locanda Verde’s  Andrew Carmellini: Haricot de Carmellini. But Torrisi and Carbone don't stop there. Here are Rich T’s descriptions of the genius dishes the team did for a few other notable Torrisi guests.

Mario Batali 2-Hour Cuttlefish Coney Island Lifeguard Style. “It's based on Mario’s Babbo dish, 2-Minute Calamari Sicilian Lifeguard Style. We just used a different cephalopod. And made the lifeguard local.”

Dave Chang Steamed pork buns. “Grilled mortadella in a steamed bun with our house spicy sauce and horseradish cream. I was really in the weeds that day, but I still went down the street and bought a steamer to serve them in.”

Mark Ladner Peaches and cherries lavarse. “When Mark opened Lupa, he served stone fruits submerged in ice water. The fruit depended on what was hyper-seasonal at the time. If it was cherries, it would be Cherries Lavarse.’ We gave him some cherries and peaches.”