Restaurant Review: Charlie Bird Part II

Jeremy and I went back to one of our top spots, Charlie Bird, in the West Village. The first time we had a really great experience, and this time was no different. Service was outstanding, as expected, and we had a really lovely evening celebrating 4 years together.

The food and drink line up was as follows...

I wanted to try a new cocktail this time, so I went with the Last Word, which is gin, lime, maraschino, and chartreuse. Jeremy stuck with his Old Pal, made with rye, vermouth, and campari. Both were delicious and strong.

Left: Last Word
Right: Old Pal

We started in the raw section with the Long Island Fluke. This came as a plate full of extremely thinly sliced pieces of raw fluke dressed in olive oil and probably lemon or something tangy, topped with almonds and delicious pickled tomatoes. I love pickled veggies and this was first experience with pickled tomatoes - they were great. The fish was very fresh and I enjoyed this dish, but because the pieces were so thin, the amount of fish you actually get is pretty minimal.

Raw Long Island Fluke

Next was the Tuscan Chicken Liver, served with balsamic raisins, capers, walnuts, and crispy bread to spread it on. I already raved about the liver last time, but I will reinforce that this is the best liver I've ever had. It's not your typical irony liver. It is well seasoned, smooth, and mild. It's an all around wonderful starter.

Tuscan Chicken Liver

Next was the pasta dish. While we liked the Duck Egg Spaghetti the first time, we wanted to try something else. So, we went with the Spaghettini Nero with Dungeness crab, chilies, and Meyer lemon. The black pasta was homemade and there was a decent amount of crab. I wouldn't say this was the most flavorful dish of the night, but it was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend the Duck Egg Spaghetti over this one though.

Spaghettini Nero

Our entree and side came out together - braised rabbit and cauliflower. The braised rabbit was cooked and seasoned nicely, not too gamey. It was served on top of a hash of spring onions, pancetta, and fava beans. Good texture and interesting ingredient combination. I liked this dish while Jeremy REALLY liked it.

Braised Rabbit

The side of cauliflower was "caramelized" and served with pancetta, almonds, and olio nuovo (a type of oil). Because the menu said it was caramelized, I was expecting more of a sticky/sweet situation, but it was actually kind of dry. While I liked the pancetta and almonds flavor combination, I have to admit I had higher hopes for this one.

Caramelized Cauliflower

We went for dessert this time around, and since pignoli cookies are Jer's favorite, the Gelati & Pignoli caught his eye. We had a few choices of gelati and went with the olive oil flavor. This was a fantastic choice, and they were very generous with the portion. The pignolis were fine, but since Jer has such high standards for this cookie, it didn't quite live up to his expectations. It was still good though, don't worry.

Olive oil gelati and pignoli cookies

We had a lovely anniversary dinner with great food in a fun, yet quiet(ish) atmosphere. Since the menu is not huge, I think we have exhausted everything we wanted to try and probably won't rush back again so soon. However, I would still strongly recommend this spot if you haven't been, so go check it out!

Restaurant Review: Charlie Bird

Last night Jeremy and I decided to have date night and check out a new spot that we've been hearing about over and over, Charlie Bird. A bit pretentious at first glance, especially when they gave away our table after we were 10 minutes late. Let me ask, who isn't 10 minutes late to a reservation? Anyway, we waited just about another 10 minutes and they "figured something out" for us. It's a trendy spot in the West Village; a decent size with a happening bar. Our waiter was quite friendly and attentive, so A+ for service.

More importantly, the food was excellent. We both thoroughly enjoyed every part of our meal.

We each kicked it off with a cocktail. Me with the "Two One Two," a mix of tequila, Aperol, and grapefruit, and Jeremy with the "Old Pal," a mix of rye, vermouth, and Campari. Both were very nice.

Left: Old Pal
Right: Two One Two

We started our meal with two small plates - Grilled Octopus and Tuscan Chicken Liver. We told them we were sharing everything and it all came pre-separated, which I greatly appreciated. This way, I can eat at my leisure and there is no swatting of the fork when Jeremy goes for my portion.

The Grilled Octopus was served with speckled beans and green garlic. It was grilled to perfection with a nice, crisp exterior and it was juicy and tender inside. It had great garlic flavor too, without being overpowering.

Grilled Octopus

The Tuscan Chicken Liver was served in a bowl with toast on the side. I normally don't mind chicken liver, but Jeremy loves it. This liver, however, was actually delicious. It was not irony, as I normally expect, and it was creamy and seasoned very well, which I guess is "Tuscan" style. We had to ask for more toast to ensure we scraped the bowl clean.

Tuscan Chicken Liver

Our next course was the Duck Egg Spaghetti, split into two portions all tied up with uni on top, spring onions and lemon. The uni, or sea urchin, was a small portion but packed a powerful punch. A bit fishy as expected, but did not overpower the entire dish. The lemon provided a nice acidic balance and a fresh taste. Not 100% sure if the pasta was homemade, but it tasted like it!

Duck Egg Spaghetti

Last was the Grilled Black Bass. This was also portioned out for us, and the fish was served atop of a shitload of tomatoes. There were chunks and slices of heirloom tomatoes, and little tiny tomatoes cooked in someway that made them shrivel up still attached to the vine. All of this sat in a broth made with Lambrusco, a type of wine. The bass was cooked perfectly, and I personally loved the acidity the tomatoes brought. However, Jeremy thought it was a bit much. I am more of a tomato lover than he is.

Grilled Black Bass

Overall, we had a very nice experience. Great spot for date night, or even a double date. A little pricey, I will warn you, but worth it. I would definitely return!

Restaurant Review: Animal

While on vacation in LA, Jeremy and I were able to score a reservation at long-time hotspot, Animal. The restaurant had a cool vibe and we got lucky with a very personable and fun waiter. You could tell he is passionate about the restaurant and the food they serve. He helped us curate a fantastic meal that we thoroughly enjoyed. I definitely recommend hitting this place up if you are ever in town.

We started with one of Jeremy's favorites - chicken liver. The whipped chicken liver mousse was incredibly smooth and airy and generously topped on a crunchy, thick piece of baguette. The rich spread was accompanied by a line of caramelized onion and chimichuri down the middle. This is a must-order to start - a close second to Charlie Bird's chicken liver, very close.

Chicken liver toast

Next was the heirloom tomato salad with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries mixed in a creamy lemon preserve (almost yogurty) sauce. It was topped with black sesame seeds and shiso. Shiso is the shredded green garnish in the picture, but I found it to have a sort of bitter after taste. We were surprised to find how much we loved the unusual combination of tomato and berries, but I think the sweetness of the perfectly ripe tomato is what created the balance. I love real lemon flavor, so I was a huge fan of the sauce. I probably could have done without the shiso though.

Heirloom tomato salad

Next came the yellowtail collar. Jeremy likes to go for anything from the collar area because it's always so tender and flavorful- and this was definitely no exception. The outer layer was slightly crispy with the perfect amount of jerk seasoning and just the right kick. The fish inside flaked off with ease and was honestly some of the best fish I've ever had. I also thought the citrus and palm sugar sauce was out of this world, so I crushed this plate mostly for an excuse to eat as much of this sauce as possible. There were a few pieces of orange and jicama which were nice for freshness- and to scoop up more sauce with.

Yellowtail collar

Next out were the pig ears. While this dish sounds like it's on the more adventurous side, we have had pig ears before and really liked the super crunchy bacon flavor. This was a solid version, with the addition of a fried egg and red chili sauce poured over the top. We were instructed to crack the yolk and stir it all together. The sauce was definitely spicy, but not overpowering. I liked the overall flavor combination of the ingredients.

Pig ears, before

Pig ears, after

Next was their special for the evening (which apparently is available often) - a 6oz burger made with short rib and bone marrow served on marble rye toast. 

It. Was. Devine. 

One of the best burgers I've ever had. Not sure if it was THE best, but it was pretty memorable. It had chilis and sautéed onions and the patty was topped with jack cheese. There was this rich, decadent sauce on top, but not sure what actually made up this goodness. They only serve it rare and that's because it is perfect that way. Juicy, drippy, and decadent. If it's ever available, this is a must-order.

Short rib and bone marrow burger

Last to come out was unfortunately the least. It was the pork toro (comes from the jowl). We asked about it before ordering and the waiter did caveat that it's a fattier piece of meat, but that intrigued Jeremy, so we went for it. It was in fact fatty, but also super chewy and honestly hard to eat. We took one bite and decided it wasn't worth it. We ate a few layers of the surprisingly delicious cooked cabbage (because who ever finds cabbage delicious?) with crispy edges. We left the rest, and when the waiter came by to ask about why most of the plate was left, I told him honestly that we really just didn't like it. To my pleasant surprise, he ended up taking it off the bill which was super nice and really appreciated.

Pork toro

Overall, this spot had excellent menu options with a little adventure and sometimes unusual offerings. We had a really excellent experience and would recommend it to anyone that is willing to eat outside the box.

Restaurant Review: Alder

Eh. I have to say that Alder was a bit of a let down. I must caveat that I was not feeling 100% the day I went with Jeremy, but we agree on the so-so-ness of Alder. First of all, I was a bit confused by the atmosphere of the place. The decor was pretty bare and there was just nothing memorable about it. It was dimly lit, so my pictures are exceptionally poor this time, sorry. Also, our waitress was kind of awkward, but she was fine service-wise. Now the food...

We ordered 5 dishes to share, starting with the Pickled Beets. They were served with coconut ricotta and Thai basil crystals. The beets were not very pickley, which is good actually, because it went well with the creamy, not-too-sweet, coconut ricotta. The Thai basil was super interesting because it was somehow crystallized and reminded me of colored sugar (like the kind you use to decorate cupcakes). It provided a nice textural contrast and overall I thought this was a good starter.

Pickled Beets

Next was the Chicken Liver Toast. Unfortunately for this dish, we just had an amazing iteration of Chicken Liver with Toast at Charlie Bird, so this version fell flat. It was served on top of cornbread with grapefruit marmalade around it and a piece of crispy chicken skin on top. Since chicken liver is creamy, it seemed weird to put it on top of cornbread as it is a soft vehicle and it all kind of mushed together. It didn't help that the liver was under seasoned. However, the grapefruit marmalade gave a nice tang, and the chicken skin on top was super crispy and savory.

Chicken Liver Toast

The next course was the Fried Squash Blossoms. Two flaky cornucopias were served on a slate board filled with blended smoked shrimp, summer squash, celtuce, and some fresh dill. This was probably the best dish of the night. The outside was crispy and the inside was creamy and flavorful. There was a nice sauce drizzled on top too.

For our entrees, we split the Rye Pasta and the Beef Tongue. The concept of the Rye Pasta was cool - rye flavored pasta with shaved pastrami in it (like the classic kosher deli sandwich), however I probably would have preferred the actual sandwich. The pasta was dry and it needed some kind of sauce. I personally thought a nice mustard-based sauce would go well, but what do I know.

The Beef Tongue was served thinly sliced with smoked yucca, pickled cippolini, and chimichurri dashi. This was pretty good. The tongue was tasty and the dashi broth was nice. Nothing to run back for. I can't even remember any other thoughts I had about it.

Rye Pasta

Beef Tongue

Needless to say I will not be returning or recommending this spot. It was pretty expensive, about $150 for this meal (including 2 beers), and there are plenty of other restaurants that have food good enough to command this rate.