Restaurant Review: Traif

For my birthday this year, Jeremy and I decided to check out some unexplored territory (for us) in Brooklyn. We had heard about Traif in Williamsburg from a few people and thought it would be fun to try. For those that don't know, "traif" is the Hebrew word to describe food that is not kosher. So, as you might imagine, Traif celebrates pork and shellfish... mixed with cheese...among other goodies.

3 subways later, we arrived at a cute, hidden gem looking place that was already poppin'. They squeezed a lot of tables in there, and we ended up with one directly across from the open kitchen. While an open kitchen is a cool touch, it creates some heat and we were getting the brunt of it at our table. If you decide to go, definitely ask to be seated in the enclosed garden area in the back. It's at least 15 degrees cooler back there!

Dishes are meant to be shared and vary in size. They recommended we go with 5 dishes for the 2 of us, and that was plenty. After we ordered, they came around with little shots of pea soup, complimentary amuse bouche.

Pea soup

For the actual meal, we started with the burrata cheese that was served with yogurt, roasted beets, raspberries, pomegranate vinegar and mint garnish. Every ingredient was so fresh and the beets and raspberries were very complementary to the salty cheese. The yogurt made the whole thing creamier and the a pomegranate/balsamic glaze drizzle sweetened it up a bit. We really liked this and were off to a great start.

Burrata

Next we got the spicy bigeye tuna tartare which was served on top of tempura Japaense eggplant rounds and drizzled with recap manis soy sauce. This was probably our favorite dish of the night. The tuna tartare was very fresh and portioned nicely on top of each crispy eggplant round. The crispy, crunchy tempura was not greasy at all and really complemented the soft tartare texture while adding some salty flavor.

Tuna tartare

For the third dish, one of our "entree" plates came - milk braised Berkshire pork cheeks served on top of polenta with fava beans, snap peas, and asparagus. I have never really had pork this way before in that it was similar to the texture of short rib, very tender, falling apart with a shredded feel. The polenta was super creamy and rich and the greens were bright and crisp and added the needed crunch. We really liked this tasty, flavorful dish.

Pork cheeks

The fourth dish was the second "entree" plate, crispy buttermilk-crusted quail. When it arrived it was not what we expected. It looked like a giant piece of fried chicken, except it was fried quail. The batter was delicious, seasoned to perfection, and crispy without being greasy. Even the gravy was good, with the meyer lemon flavor giving the dish a bit of a fresh taste. However, the quail meat just didn't hold up. It's a tiny bird that's not especially meaty and I think it just got lost in the batter and should really never be fried like that. We weren't thrilled with this one, but the smoked gouda mac n cheese it came with helped the situation. It was crusted over on top and creamy and rich inside. Considering this "small plate" was $27 and the main part was disappointing, I would not order this one again.

Buttermilk-crusted quail

The last plate was the BBQ braised short rib sliders. I wished this came third, before the bigger plates, because it is more of a starter with only 1 slider each. The short rib had a sweeter tangy flavor and was pulled apart. The meat was good, but I was too full to eat it with the bun. I couldn't even finish the super crispy, super delicious sweet potato fries with smoked paprika aioli because I was so full (and that is shocking because I love all fries).

Short rib sliders

As full as we were, we had to make room to try the largely hyped bacon doughnuts. Four munchkin sized airy, fluffy doughnuts arrived alongside a scoop of coffee dulce de leche ice cream. The doughnuts were topped with crispy bacon crumbles that added an awesome salty contrast to the sweetness of the dish. Don't get me wrong, these were super indulgent and really good, however I don't think they were AS AWESOME as everyone had said. Would I get them again? Sure.

with a Bacon doughnuts

Once we got the check, they came around with a little palate cleanser type bite of pineapple which was cute.

Pineapple bites

Great overall impression here. We really enjoyed most of our meal and it's a cool atmosphere. Aside from the heat and some minor service related issues, I think this is a great little spot that was worth the trip. I would definitely come back with a group to try more stuff, especially since their menu changes somewhat each day.

Restaurant Review: Contra

Contra on the LES was recommended by one of the talent I was working on a project with, and I figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. Their website is not very descriptive, so I had to take to the interwebs to find out what the deal was. According to Yelpers, this is one of NYC's hidden gems with a $55 5-course tasting menu that rotated every night. Sounded great to me! So I decided to make a reservation for Jeremy and me along with another couple. 

I had read that the outside was unmarked, so I knew to look closely for it. It only has a small menu in the window and a neon sign in the front when you walked in.

The ambiance is very cool and comforting - not overly pretentious and neither is the staff. It is also quiet as there are only a few tables, seating maybe 20-30 people at a time.

We ended up having to wait a bit for the other couple to arrive, so we sat at the bar and got a drink and some bread to nibble on. My cocktail was made with tequila, fresh pear juice, and black cardamom. It was very light and fresh, but I would have preferred it to be a bit stronger. The bread was a multi-grain beer bread that was warmed in the oven and served with a cocoa-oil butter and it was all delicious. I would go back just to grab a loaf of this chewy, soft bread with a crispy crust.

After being seated, we ordered more drinks and another loaf (for the other couple to try) and were given the run down for the evening and an option to add on a duck course to our meal. We decided against it, mainly because it was made with all kinds of celery and celery root and it's safe to say Jeremy despises all things celery. Here is what we had to look forward to:

First came the beef tartare that was served with potato crisps on top and a few other garnishes, and it says on the menu mussels and mushrooms as well, but honestly I didn't notice those. The beef tartare was prepared well and I actually thought the potato crisps were the best addition, adding a nice textural and salty contrast.

Beef Tartare

Next was the cod served with broccoli raab and spigarello with a wonderful cod emulsion foam over it. The cod was very light, cooked well (maybe could have used just another minute), and had the skin on that was actually not crispy, as I normally see it served, but rather the same texture of the fish. I think it would have been nice to crisp it up a bit and have some contrast. I love broccoli raab, and this was crunchy and fresh, and the spigarello was served as a gremolata. Again, the cod emulsion foam on top really brought everything together and I very much enjoyed this course.

Cod

The third course was the pork, served with sauteed sunchokes, daikon radish, and perhaps a fava bean puree (that was somehow black). The pork had a decent amount of fat on the edges, but it was easily trimmed away. The meat was a little pink looking, but all four of us had the same color pieces so I have to assume that was the intention (right?). It was incredibly tasty and juicy, and went very well with the savory sunchokes that took on the consistency of roasted potatoes. The daikon added a little crunch without overwhelming the flavor. 

Pork

The fourth course was kind of like a pre-dessert freshener, and one of the more "gastro-technical" dishes I have ever had. It was mandarin curd topped with pulverized popcorn, though the mandarin tasted almost flash-frozen (Dippin' Dots-esk) and became creamy once inside your mouth. The salty popcorn, which might have even been kettle corn, was the perfect pair to this sweet creation. I am so curious exactly how this was made. It was the highlight of the meal which is funny since it almost served almost as a palate cleanser.

Mandarin awesomeness

The fifth course was dessert, which was a frozen yogurt served with beet sorbet and hazelnut cream, topped with powdered beet. The yogurt was creamy and not tart, leaving that role for the beet. The hazelnut brought the sweetness and some crunch and everything about this dessert was just perfect - assuming you like beets!

Overall, I enjoyed the meal and thought everything was very well presented. I liked the staff and while some courses took a little while to come, it was a relaxed atmosphere and they definitely were not rushing us. The only thing to note is that while a $55 dollar 5-course menu sounds too good to be true, it sort of is. They charge extra for bread and cheese and of course a lot extra for drinks, so that all adds up quickly and pretty soon your $55 goes up closer to $100. Just something to keep in mind. I would say check it out if you are looking for a nice yet causal place in the LES, but I wouldn't say it's the best deal in NYC as I had previously read.