So the New York food scene is today's hot topic. It's not all mammoth burgers, street food trucks and giant pretzels, the Big Apple boasts some seriously amazing restaurants. As with any city it's always a job finding the real treasures especially when there are so many options to choose from ... 23,499 in NYC to be exact! Well with a bit of pre-trip research and the help of some top notch recommendations, I had the pleasure of dining out at three AMAZING restaurants which i'm going to share with you all...
Top of the pops for me was ABC Kitchen on lower broadway. The restaurant is organic in everything it does from its recycled paper menus to its locally sourced delicious produce. The vibe is laid back too with low-hanging soft lighting, beautiful wild flower arrangements and the waiting staff all sporting Converse-style trainers. The detail in this place is what really struck me...the white washed sanded floor boards, the hand crafted wire light fixtures and the clay rustic-style plates and dishes. Stunning. Oh and how could I forget to mention, the restaurant in based in the ABC Carpet & Home department store which means you can combine great food and shopping! What could be more perfect?!
Family style seems to be very common in NYC, where you share as a group which we did for our starters and desserts at ABC. I'm a big fan of this as I am partial to suffering with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when it comes to food, this way you get a taster of everything, omitting the dreaded food envy feeling!
So lets move onto critiquing the all important food. To start with we demolished portions of Heirloom tomato toast, roasted carrot and avocado salad with crunchy seed and sour cream and last but not least pretzel dusted calamari, mariana and mustard aioli - wow what a way to start...
Next up - main course! We were given the sumptuous choice of...
* Homemade ricotta ravioli, herbs and tomato sauce
* Slow baked hake, summer squash and nasturtium vinaigrette
* Grilled chicken, corn and tomato salad, watercress and chilies
I opted for the ravioli and it was quite possibly the best of my life...
The dessert was then wheeled out and boy oh boy what a pud! Sundae with salted caramel ice cream, candied peanuts and popcorn, whipped cream and chocolate sauce...
If that wasn't enough we were also treated to a cookie plate with a lemon ricotta bar with blueberries, choco chip cookie, marshmallow bar and a ham filled cornmeal shortbread...
ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street
New York
NY 10003
(212) 475-5829
Up next the Wythe Hotel, boutique sensation in trendy Williamsburg. Housed within a restored industrial building, the hotel is packed with tons of character and design spirit. We ate at the Reynards restaurant which was superb. Its interior was rustic in appearance with exposed brick walls, intricate muted mosaic flooring and cast-iron columns and piping.
We had heard that the hotel's rooftop city view was to die for so tried with all our might to persuade the hotel manager to let us up there but apparently you need an appointment. To be honest, I wasn't very impressed with the way in which this was handled, the manager was rude and stand-offish leaving a rather sour taste in our mouths. The food however didn't disappoint so I shall focus on that!
We didn't stop for a full blown meal but instead ordered some picky bits to satisfy our rumbling tummies.
The devilled eggs were to die for...
As were the apples, ricotta and sage honey pudding. At face value the dessert seemed like an odd combination but not at all, the flavours complimented each other beautifully - yumsters infact!
80 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn
NY 11249
(718) 460-8000
And last but by no means least... Acme.
Refurbished and re-opened in January of this year, Acme is only for the seriously cool. This restaurant holds a lot of history, 20 years to be precise, previously a Southern Cajun restaurant now of Nordic cuisine. The sign above the restaurant still remains the same though which adds to its overall charm - a lasting memory of the former joint if you like. Expect to wait weeks for a table though as this is the hot cake in NoHo right now!
The food - winter cooking through and through. You know the type to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, coupled with a giant glass of red and all's good in the world!
Whilst we waited for our food to arrive, we passed the time sipping on a seriously strong but oh so good, 'Fair Lady' cocktail made up of aperol, gin, lemon, st germain, honey, orange bitters and champagne.
Image via photo-hungry.com
So onto my favourite subject - FOOD! We opted to eat family style again so we could try a bit of everything. Here's what we went for. Apologies in advance for not getting any snaps, the restaurant was so dark...
To start:
* Country toast with nectarine, caramelised onion, brie and honey
* Market salad with walnuts and blackened lemon
* Salmon tartare in a jar with pickled vegetables
* Heirloom Tomatoes with pickled watermelon and flowering herbs
* Lobster with wild mushrooms and sweet corn
* Pan-roasted bass with pickled green tomatoes, cardamom and vanilla
For our main course:
* Chicken and eggs with new potatoes
* Rib-eye Steak, glazed carrots and dill
Puds:
* Beer and bread porridge with salted caramel ice cream
* Goat and sheep's milk sorbet with pepper rose and mint
My conclusion... to start there was a clear winner, the Salmon tartare for sure, next up the chicken and eggs combo and to finish, there wasn't really any competition, the the porridge won hands down! There are no words that can truly sum up how mind blowing this dessert was!!!
Acme
9 Great Jones Street
New York
NY 10012
(212) 203-2121
Post a Comment