When you hear Italian-American, you can be forgiven for thinking of Robert De Niro or Al Pacino.
But it works for food, too (and we’re not just talking Chicago Town pizzas).
That’s where 42 Midtown comes in, fronted by Sicilian head chef Fabrizio Vermiglio, bringing flavours from New York’s 42nd Street to The Greens in Dubai.
Where to sit, what to expect
On arrival at Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens, the neighbourhood’s undisputed social hub, the restaurant can be found on the first floor.
Drawing inspiration from the city that never sleeps, it’s an art-deco space featuring dining booths, a lively bar area and a terrace that’s open all year.
Long Scandinavian-style dining tables line the parquet flooring inside, while the outdoor area has a more minimalist feel that makes it a solid candidate for a date venue.
The marble bar and open-plan kitchen immediately catch the eye, with prime views of the culinary team at work. It exudes an immediately cool vibe, with vintage styling and an abundance of greenery giving the venue a sense of chic modernity.
At the heart of the restaurant is a wood-fire oven that gives an unmistakably homely feel harking back to chef Vermiglio’s roots in what’s an otherwise ultra-contemporary setting.
But the undisputed centrepiece of this vibrant new spot is the DJ booth that gives 42 Midtown a flagrant sense of Dubai alongside its Italian-American outlook, with gentle beats adding to the ambiance and live jazz musicians a regular feature.
The menu
Carefully designed to appeal to an eclectic range of palates and occasions, the menu offers classic dishes with complex, smoky notes.
The selection of bar bites, perfect for after-work meet-ups, features everything from mini veal hot dogs to baked Camembert, corn fritters and charcoal eggplant arancini.
Among the appetisers, you can find both a cheese and a charcuterie board alongside a range of salads, truffle mac and cheese and State Island crab croquettes.
Opting to sit outside in the relaxed outdoor terrace, my dining companion and I followed the waiter’s advice and went for the sea basket – a selection of semolina-coated soft-shell crab, rock and pink prawns, baby squid and silver fish.
As sociable as it sounds, the basket is served in the centre of the table for diners to share, alongside an avocado and lime dip. The coating means this isn’t a messy opening course, lending itself to a more elegant dining experience than the dish’s name might suggest.
Next up, it’s time for the main event of the evening.
The selection of dishes stays true to the barbecue theme, with an assortment of burgers and sandwiches available, as well as a variety of meat dishes cooked on the charcoal fire grill, while wood-fired artisanal pizzas and pasta dishes pay homage to the venue’s Italian influence.
We’re instinctively drawn to the charcoal fire grill options. I go for the surf and turf, which brings a succulent Wagyu beef medallion together with an expertly cooked lobster tail, sitting on mashed potato, mushrooms and hollandaise sauce. The smokehouse feel is inescapable, with every mouthful bringing that delicious, almost-burnt outer texture.
My dining companion, meanwhile, goes for the Wagyu rib-eye steak, served with corn on the cob and smoked mashed potato. Staying true to the restaurant's smoky barbecue theme, every ingredient of this dish is prepared on the fire grill – leaving the corn with that beautiful, crunchy outer texture, while the smoked mash arguably steals the show. The steak, as you'd expect, is cooked to perfection with the distinct, charcoal flavour combining brilliantly with the intricate texture of the 250g cut of prime beef.
We round off the meal the way we began. With the help of our trusty waiter, we decide to share our dessert options – with one serving of the New York cheesecake combined with the chocolatey delight that is the 42 Midtown lava cake.
Both are served with a bit of extra personality coming from chef Vermiglio, with the cheesecake coming atop a bed of berry compote and the lava cake complemented by almond ice cream. They’re both as delicious (and indulgent) as you’d expect.
One thing’s for sure, you won’t be leaving 42 Midtown hungry.
A chat with the chef
From the Italian island of Sicily in the heart of the Mediterranean, Fabrizio Vermiglio, 40, has been travelling for more than 20 years.
The chef says he was drawn to Dubai a year ago because he’d travelled to almost every continent on the planet, but was “missing the Middle East”. Indeed, after he’s scratched that itch, he intends to try Africa next.
He describes himself as an international chef, but one who enjoys his creature comforts and thrives when cooking with ingredients that remind him of home.
“Being Sicilian, Mediterranean ingredients are key to my cooking,” he says. “I grew up with tomato, eggplant, basil, orange, lemon – all these kinds of ingredients. For me, they mean ‘home’.
“But once you start travelling the world, you need to be more flexible and more open-minded. Being a chef, you need to taste. You need to try different cuisines. I think I'm eclectic enough to cover a little bit of everything."
For vegetarians, his dish of choice is the barbecued eggplant served with a glaze and secret sauce, while he says meat lovers can’t go wrong with the 12-hour cherry oak wood-smoked brisket.
As for seafood, chef Vermiglio’s go-to is the seafood linguine – crab meat and prawns served in a sauce of garlic, chili, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest.
Price point and contact information
Bar bites are priced in the Dh40 to Dh75 ($11 to $20) range, appetisers are Dh60 to Dh195, mains are Dh75 to Dh285, while desserts are Dh45 to Dh85.
42 Midtown is open daily from noon to 3.30pm and then from 5pm to midnight on weekdays and 5pm to 2am on Friday and Saturday.
Reservations can be made by contacting 04 529 1111 or visiting www.jumeirah.com/42-midtown.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%20%E2%80%93%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%20%E2%80%93%20396%20x%20484%3B%20always-on%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%202000%20nits%20max%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%20(aluminium%20cases)%2C%20sapphire%20crystal%20(stainless%20steel%20cases)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S9%2064-bit%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%202nd-gen%20Ultra%20Wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Blood%20oxygen%20sensor%2C%20electrical%20heart%20sensor%20and%20ECG%2C%203rd-gen%20optical%20heart%20sensor%2C%20high%20and%20low%20heart%20rate%20notifications%2C%20irregular%20rhythm%20notifications%2C%20sleep%20stages%2C%20temperature%20sensing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmergency%20services%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%2C%20crash%20detection%2C%20fall%20detection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%20regular%2F36h%20low%20power%3B%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20pink%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%209%2C%20woven%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C719%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
