Restaurant Review: Vinegar Hill House

Jeremy had been wanting to try out this place in DUMBO, Vinegar Hill House, for awhile now. It is pretty hard to get a reservation, so we finally made the trek about a month after securing our table. I had read that there is a really lovely outdoor patio area, so we requested to sit out there and got lucky with the weather that evening. Aside from us, the only other party outside was a large group that was strangely quiet. We decided it must be a work outing, otherwise there would be must more chatter (and drinking). So while the garden was really pleasant, it was a slightly awkward setting. Also to note, they have cute tables and chairs that really bring out the garden feel, but unfortunately the chairs were extremely uncomfortable. Jeremy barely fit so we almost moved inside, but he decided to suck it up. Though, this became a bit of a damper on the meal as he kept complaining and shifting around trying to get comfortable.

Vinegar Hill House back patio

We started with a few drinks. The waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the wine selection. I told her I like a full-bodied red, and she proceeded to explain each red on the menu in great detail. I settled on a tempranillo and it was right up my alley (also a pretty solid pour). Jeremy went classic style with the Vinegar Hill cocktail, made with Rittenhouse rye, Cocchi vermouth, Dolin genepy, and hopped grapefruit bitters. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy this.

Red wine and Vinegar Hill cocktail

For a starter, we selected the chicken liver mousse. It was served in a jar and topped with pistachios, and I love the way the whole dish was plated. The jar came on a wooden board with caramelized vinegar onions, a small frisee salad with dijon mustard dressing, and a few pieces of sourdough bread. The chicken liver was divine. It definitely tops the chicken liver list for us (yes, there really is a list). Because it was a mousse, the texture was airy and creamy. The pistachios added that crunch it needed, along with a complementary nutty flavor. The bread was also amazing. It was basically blackened on the outside, but the inside was soft and fluffy, making the perfect vehicle for the mousse. The vinegar onions added a little tang to the bite when piled all together. They were also just delicious on their own, so we were sure to finish those off even after we had scraped the jar of mousse clean. The frisee added some color and freshness, but I ate it really for the zesty dressing.

Chicken Liver Mousse

Our "pre-entree" selection was the pasta special - housemade fettuccine with chanterelle mushrooms in duck confit. No doubt this fettuccine was housemade. It was the right amount al dente, and the duck confit glistened on the noodles. I don't think I have ever had chanterelle mushrooms, but I really enjoyed them. Not at all earthy or spongy, and they picked up the savory flavor of the confit. There were also pieces of pickled turnip on top that provided a slightly sour taste (in a good way) and added a little crunch.

Fettuccine

The main event (at least for Jeremy) was the entree. Most of the reason we came here was to try the famous Red Wattle Country Chop. This pork chop was served sliced and sitting atop potato-currant salad with dill and pickled pearl onions. The chop was cooked perfectly and had the most delectable outer crust. It is almost hard to describe why it was so good, but it has something to do with the way the rub caramelized on the skin. The inside was perfectly pink and juicy. The "potato salad" was really just large chunks of potato in a mayo-dill dressing. More like a side of potatoes than a salad, but still good and went well with the chop.

Red Wattle Country Chop

My entree was not as delicious, but definitely unique and really just weird. I went with the Brisket Pibil, and was expecting a tender, melt in your mouth piece of meat, maybe BBQ or Jewish mom style. However, I was completely surprised that it was served in the form of Irish corned beef. Two thick pieces of pink brisket arrived on top of chunks of watermelon, with mole sauce and buckwheat roti on the side. The brisket was tough, and had a dark, crispy crust around the edges. That was definitely the best part. The watermelon at first bite was good, I got the whole salty/sweet thing. But what was with the mole sauce? and the roti? How does an Indian bread make any sense here? I was very confused. I just don't understand how Irish-style brisket pairs with Mexican-style mole sauce pairs with Indian-style roti bread. Plus watermelon. Unfortunately, I just could not get into this dish and was pretty disappointed in my selection. I had major food envy towards Jeremy.

Brisket Pibil

As a general review, I would definitely recommend this adorable place off the beaten path and tucked away in DUMBO. The service was great and I appreciated the detail and effort that went into each dish. Aside from my entree, everything was really top notch. I would really love to give it another go and try a different entree, and perhaps hit up their cornbread which I really should have went for in the first place. Til next time!

Restaurant Review: El Porron Part II

Since I had such a nice meal at El Porron last time, we decided to go back on a double date. I got to try a few new dishes, and had another really lovely meal that was full of flavor.

Instead of wine, this time we tried a pitcher of white sangria which was sweet and yummy.

First up was the Queso Manchego. A slice of cave-aged Spanish sheep's milk cheese was served on top of a piece of raisin pecan bread with quince paste. The cheese was mellow yet savory, and overall it was a nice light bite to start with.

Queso Manchego

Next, a few things came out together. The Albondigas de Ternera, veal meatballs, were served in a leek, carrot, celery, and tomato stew and topped with slivered almonds. This was one of our favorite dishes of the night. It came with 4, so unfortunately we each only got one of these super tender, delicate, and flavorful balls of goodness. The slivered almonds added a nice salty crunch, making for a good combination that I had never tried before.

Albondigas de Ternera

Since I liked the Pulpo a la Gallega last time, we ordered it again. The boiled octopus was cooked nicely, though I still prefer a good char. The oil and vinegar and seasonings gave the octopus some zest.

Pulpo a la Gallega

The most adventurous dish of the evening was the Mollejas al Espuma de Cava & Ajo, otherwise known as crispy sauteed sweetbreads. It was served in a garlic and cava wine reduction alongside julienne veggies. They were very tender and juicy inside and the outside stayed crispy atop the savory reduction sauce.

Mollejas al Espuma de Cava & Ajo

There was a request for croquettes at the table, so we went with the Croquetas de Pollo. They were crispy on the outside and filled with creamy chicken on the inside. That might not sound the best, but it was actually really good. The tomato dipping sauce was a tasty compliment as well.

Croquetas de Pollo

Last time I thoroughly enjoyed the skirt steak, so this time we went for the Solomillo de Vaca a la Pimienta Verde...or the filet mignon. The meat was high quality and cooked wonderfully and served in a light herbed green peppercorn sauce atop of julienne veggies and homemade french fries.

Solomillo de Vaca a la Pimienta Verde

The final dish was the paella. We tried a different one than last time, the Valenciana. This one had a bit more variety of land and sea ingredients - chicken, veal, Spanish chorizo, monkfish, mussels, squid, clams, scallops, shrimp and veggies. You could tell everything was cooked together and all of the flavors came through beautifully.

Paella Valenciana

I am glad I went back to try a few new things. The menu is huge so it will definitely take a few more trips to really hit everything. We had a really delicious meal and I would recommend going back with 4 people, maybe 6, so you can drink lots of sangria and try as many things as possible!