What It’s Like To Spend Christmas Eve In A New York Restaurant (Instead Of At Home)
First Course: Oysters, Foccacia Barese, Salt Cod Croquettes, Squid and Bean Salad, and Soft Prawns with Oranges and Olives
Oysters weren’t included on the menu description online, but once we arrived they were on the printed menus. These were Montauk Pearl oysters with plenty of horseradish. The perfect way to kick off a fish-centric feast.
This was some of the cleanest, crispest focaccia I’ve ever tasted. It came speckled with green olives and what tasted like stewed tomatoes. This tiny slice made me crave a whole loaf! One small thing that was frustrating about service is though we got an initial overview of the courses, we didn’t get more detailed explanations of the dishes as they appeared. For instance, I think that was tomato on here, but I’m not sure. This is a product of time and the flurry of the holiday, sure, but it was a little disappointing.
This deceptive little croquette was the best thing we ate all night. It tasted like the fluffiest, most delicious steamed fish that was battered and fried into airy heaven. It was like the Platonic ideal of a fish stick, if fish sticks were good.
Honestly, this salad was a much-needed palette cleanser after the decadence of the focaccia and the croquettes. The squid was cut fine and added a rubbery texture and a bit of salt to the dish. The dish has beans in the name, but the cabbage, and even parsley were in the forefront more than any sort of bean flavor or textures.
This shit was insane. The prawn was falling apart and spread across a slice of orange like a little plate. It was perfectly salted and juicy, but still so soft and buttery. The orange in contrast with the prawn’s texture was decadent and sultry, then a little splice of brine from the olive finished off each bite. Oh, and I can’t forget the pickled onions. I wanted four more plates of these.