129 E 27th St
New York, NY 10016
(212) 689-1999
Dosas are one of my favorite foods in the world. They are the food of deep comfort, the kind of food I crave after a breakup or when I'm sick, the kind of food I could eat at any hour of any day, every day of the week and not tire of. In fact, the only thing I don't like about dosas is that they take two days to make. And sometimes I just need immediate gratification. That's when I go to Chennai Garden.
Chennai Garden, for anyone who doesn't know, is home to the best sambar and paper dosas in Manhattan -- better than the Manhattan location of Saravanaa Bhavan (though not better than Saravanaas locations elsewhere in the world, including the one in Edison, NJ). Paper dosas are quite literally almost as thin as paper and made with minimal oil, if you ask for them that way. Sambar has just the right amount of tamarind and heat, the right consistency (from having been boiled with just the right amount of dal) and a nice variety of vegetables. The high ratio of rice to lentils in the batter ensures that the texture is very crispy and very light, yet decadent -- maybe somewhat akin to the experience of eating a Pierre Herme macaron.
Other strong choices from the menu: vada (not overly dense, well fried; about as good as Saravanaa's, which are excellent); idli (tender and fluffy); and rasam (balanced, always nicely tomato-y even in winter). The menu offers north Indian (Punjabi and Gujarati) vegetarian dishes, as well, but fixated as I've been on dosas, I haven't yet tried those. I've also never been for the buffet.
The only thing that breaks the spell of my dosa enjoyment at Chennai Garden and the reason why I rate this restaurant as a three-star establishment rather than a four or five is that the service is really pretty darn terrible on weekends, when I tend to go. You have to flag down a waiter for a menu and doing so can be harder than catching a fly in a fishing net. You have to flag someone down again for water and your check. A 45 minute meal can drag to an hour and a half for lack of attention from staff if you let it. (In fact, while we were there, today, a couple left in a huff after they sat for a long while without even receiving menus.) It also seems that every time we go, something we ask for never arrives at the table: an order of medu vada, today, an order of behl poori on our last visit. Sometimes we are charged for the missing item, though usually we are not. (I do think it is an honest mistake.) On the upside, food doesn't usually take too long to come to the table once you've ordered it.
For dosas and sambar, Chennai Garden can't be beat. I wish I could say the same of the service.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Baoguette (New York, NY)
February 2010
120 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-0877
If you're a pho snob, don't bother with the version, here. The meat is really nicely sliced -- very thin -- but the broth tastes like it's five spice mixed with water. I'm hardly exaggerating. It really is almost that bad.
OTOH, the "classic banh mi", while not exactly classic, tastes pretty good, anyway. The bread is proper bahn mi bread with rice flour mixed into the wheat, resulting in a lighter, crispier and more tender texture than your average baguette. There's a nice schmear of pate, and a good amount of pickled vegetables and cilantro. However, the crumbly roasted porky stuff is a touch too sweet. In the other extreme, the "barbecued" chicken sandwich is a bit bland: The chicken is very lightly marinated and tastes pan fried or sauteed, not grilled.
I wouldn't go to Baoguette for pho except in case of a real phomergency, but if it's banh mi you're after and you're not a stickler for authenticity, you could do worse than the "classic". Since there ain't much competition in the W. Village, we'll probably be back, driven by desperation.
120 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-0877
If you're a pho snob, don't bother with the version, here. The meat is really nicely sliced -- very thin -- but the broth tastes like it's five spice mixed with water. I'm hardly exaggerating. It really is almost that bad.
OTOH, the "classic banh mi", while not exactly classic, tastes pretty good, anyway. The bread is proper bahn mi bread with rice flour mixed into the wheat, resulting in a lighter, crispier and more tender texture than your average baguette. There's a nice schmear of pate, and a good amount of pickled vegetables and cilantro. However, the crumbly roasted porky stuff is a touch too sweet. In the other extreme, the "barbecued" chicken sandwich is a bit bland: The chicken is very lightly marinated and tastes pan fried or sauteed, not grilled.
I wouldn't go to Baoguette for pho except in case of a real phomergency, but if it's banh mi you're after and you're not a stickler for authenticity, you could do worse than the "classic". Since there ain't much competition in the W. Village, we'll probably be back, driven by desperation.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Scarpetta (New York, NY)
February 2010
355 W 14th St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-0555
I've always thought that Scarpetta sounded like the name of a villain. It's so sibilantly similar to Scarpia, Scalia, Slytherin.... Maybe those associations are why, after all these years of hearing rave reviews of this restaurant, I still hadn't gotten around to trying it -- until tonight.
We walked in without any difficulty around 8:30, without reservations, and were seated in the front room (where, evidently, people without reservations are relegated). Our table was a bit unpleasantly close to the wait station -- right next to it, in fact -- but the space was still quite attractive and far enough from the door that we weren't getting hit with blasts of cold air each time it opened. I have to confess that I did love the front room's farmhouse chic, its variegated wood walls and cast-iron light fixtures.
We started with the yellowtail crudo with ginger and sea salt and the chestnut soup with root vegetables and beef cheeks. Both were quite good. Yellowtail was a nice study of textures, with crunchy sea salt and microgreens contrasting nicely with the well cut, tender, fresh fish. There was just enough acid to brighten each bite and not a bit more. Chestnut soup was rich and earthy -- a lovely wintertime dish.
For my main, I had the Sicilian-spiced duck breast with preserved orange and roasted root vegetables (actually carrots, endive and beets). The portion was small, clearly meant to be eaten after a larger, belly-lining pasta course, though sufficient for me. The meat was extremely tender and beautifully, perfectly seasoned, but prepared very rare without the wait staff asking me how I wanted it cooked. I personally love my meat bloody, but probably not everyone enjoys duck that way. In any event, I thought the dish was excellent. I do wish I'd ordered something more assertive to go with it than my quartino of pinot nero. It was a 2007, but was pale, watery and tasted much younger.
[Didn't try the SO's housemade spaghetti with tomato and basil, but he loved it.]
We finished with a nuanced, light, refreshing dessert of coconut panna cotta served with guava "soup", caramelized pineapple and a scoop of coconut ice cream (or possibly sorbet). Panna cotta was a lovely texture, almost as tender as dofu fa, and the guava soup was not overly sweet. The coconut ice cream tasted of the very essence of coconut, but avoided being cloying. It was a great dish to end a rich meal, though not entirely seasonal.
It's pretty clear that the kitchen is able to put out beautifully made food. Some might take issue with the portion sizes, which are designed to be part of a four or five course meal, though I personally do not. I wasn't thrilled with the two wines off the wine list we tried that were available by the quartino: Quality to price ratio seemed to be much lower than it is at Mario Batali restaurants. But in all honesty, at this point, it's too early for me to have a well-informed opinion; I'll have to do a lot more, ah.... "research". :) I will say I'm inspired to come back after a strong first meal.
355 W 14th St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-0555
I've always thought that Scarpetta sounded like the name of a villain. It's so sibilantly similar to Scarpia, Scalia, Slytherin.... Maybe those associations are why, after all these years of hearing rave reviews of this restaurant, I still hadn't gotten around to trying it -- until tonight.
We walked in without any difficulty around 8:30, without reservations, and were seated in the front room (where, evidently, people without reservations are relegated). Our table was a bit unpleasantly close to the wait station -- right next to it, in fact -- but the space was still quite attractive and far enough from the door that we weren't getting hit with blasts of cold air each time it opened. I have to confess that I did love the front room's farmhouse chic, its variegated wood walls and cast-iron light fixtures.
We started with the yellowtail crudo with ginger and sea salt and the chestnut soup with root vegetables and beef cheeks. Both were quite good. Yellowtail was a nice study of textures, with crunchy sea salt and microgreens contrasting nicely with the well cut, tender, fresh fish. There was just enough acid to brighten each bite and not a bit more. Chestnut soup was rich and earthy -- a lovely wintertime dish.
For my main, I had the Sicilian-spiced duck breast with preserved orange and roasted root vegetables (actually carrots, endive and beets). The portion was small, clearly meant to be eaten after a larger, belly-lining pasta course, though sufficient for me. The meat was extremely tender and beautifully, perfectly seasoned, but prepared very rare without the wait staff asking me how I wanted it cooked. I personally love my meat bloody, but probably not everyone enjoys duck that way. In any event, I thought the dish was excellent. I do wish I'd ordered something more assertive to go with it than my quartino of pinot nero. It was a 2007, but was pale, watery and tasted much younger.
[Didn't try the SO's housemade spaghetti with tomato and basil, but he loved it.]
We finished with a nuanced, light, refreshing dessert of coconut panna cotta served with guava "soup", caramelized pineapple and a scoop of coconut ice cream (or possibly sorbet). Panna cotta was a lovely texture, almost as tender as dofu fa, and the guava soup was not overly sweet. The coconut ice cream tasted of the very essence of coconut, but avoided being cloying. It was a great dish to end a rich meal, though not entirely seasonal.
It's pretty clear that the kitchen is able to put out beautifully made food. Some might take issue with the portion sizes, which are designed to be part of a four or five course meal, though I personally do not. I wasn't thrilled with the two wines off the wine list we tried that were available by the quartino: Quality to price ratio seemed to be much lower than it is at Mario Batali restaurants. But in all honesty, at this point, it's too early for me to have a well-informed opinion; I'll have to do a lot more, ah.... "research". :) I will say I'm inspired to come back after a strong first meal.
Employees Only (New York, NY)
February 2010
510 Hudson St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3021
Have you ever walked into a bar with a roaring wood fire in the fireplace, cocktails made by artisan mixologists, good grub and nice people, and sort of wished you could be snowed in there for a few days? If not, head to Employees Only and you'll see what I mean.
As others have noted, there is a slightly disconcerting psychic working at the front when you first walk in, as well as a funny man with a little clicker, counting the number of people inside. Once you're through the second set of doors, though, there's a warm, inviting bar to the right, stocked with all sorts of alcoholic goodies, dried flowers and teas, elderflower liquor, ginger, etc.... To the left are two small tables and beyond them, a roaring fire on cold nights, smelling of the most delicious woodsmoke. This front room is where the soul of the place resides, where drinkers congregate to watch the highly skilled bartenders make their magic, warm their hands before the fire, and just chat. It's the kind of warm, inviting (if sometimes very crowded) place where you feel welcome to chat for hours on end. You and your companions will actually hear one another, most of the time.
The back dining room is a bit less inviting. The tables are horribly cramped and arranged to pack you in like sardines. If you're sitting on the inside, against the wall, you'll have to climb over or under the table to get out if there are other diners next to you. Also, the high glass ceiling lets in drafts of cold air and traps all the heat 20 feet up, where, alas, your standard sized diner cannot enjoy it. But no matter. The cocktails and food will warm you right up.
Employees Only's winter menu offers hearty, belly warming victuals. There's elk loin served with polenta fritters, broccoli rabe and foie gras mousse, a veritable carnivore's delight. There's rainbow trout with smoked trout and frisee salad, beef cheeks with celery root puree and pickled beets. Specials on a recent night included a dish of giant prawns served over braised kale, which a dining companion declared delicious.
The beef cheeks are gorgeously tender and minimally seasoned, allowing the full flavor of the meat to shine through, though the celery root puree accompaniment was slightly sticky and waterlogged. For the record, I don't personally mind this texture -- it's vaguely reminiscent of tororo -- but it won't appeal to everyone. It was wonderfully buttery and probably very few things with that much butter can go truly wrong in my book.
Employees Only is not terribly vegetarian friendly, unfortunately, unless you want to drink your dinner. There is one vegetarian pasta main, two salads and a few assorted sides. I haven't tried the sides, but the pasta and salads are pretty run of the mill -- definitely not among the stronger menu offerings.
If you do want to drink your dinner, though, you're in luck. IIRC, Employees Only offers three pages of cocktails, not to mention two more pages of wine, a number of beers and many more liquors. The cocktails are without question the highlight and rank among the best in the city. Bartenders mix with a precise hand and nothing is ever too sweet or sour or bitter. Drinks are well balanced grown-up concoctions -- and they all seem to have at least five ingredients, each. Despite the complexity, bartenders serve them up fast.
Favorites include the Amelia (Luksusowa potato vodka and St. Germain elderflower liqueur shaken with pureed blackberries & fresh lemon juice) and the Ginger Smash (muddled ginger root & fresh cranberries shaken with Plymouth gin, Berentzen apple liqueur & fresh lemon juice served over ice). Each drink includes a full serving of fruit -- or that's what you can tell yourself if you're drinking your dinner -- and protein, too, if you order one with egg whites. Eight of these bad boys and you're good to go.
510 Hudson St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3021
Have you ever walked into a bar with a roaring wood fire in the fireplace, cocktails made by artisan mixologists, good grub and nice people, and sort of wished you could be snowed in there for a few days? If not, head to Employees Only and you'll see what I mean.
As others have noted, there is a slightly disconcerting psychic working at the front when you first walk in, as well as a funny man with a little clicker, counting the number of people inside. Once you're through the second set of doors, though, there's a warm, inviting bar to the right, stocked with all sorts of alcoholic goodies, dried flowers and teas, elderflower liquor, ginger, etc.... To the left are two small tables and beyond them, a roaring fire on cold nights, smelling of the most delicious woodsmoke. This front room is where the soul of the place resides, where drinkers congregate to watch the highly skilled bartenders make their magic, warm their hands before the fire, and just chat. It's the kind of warm, inviting (if sometimes very crowded) place where you feel welcome to chat for hours on end. You and your companions will actually hear one another, most of the time.
The back dining room is a bit less inviting. The tables are horribly cramped and arranged to pack you in like sardines. If you're sitting on the inside, against the wall, you'll have to climb over or under the table to get out if there are other diners next to you. Also, the high glass ceiling lets in drafts of cold air and traps all the heat 20 feet up, where, alas, your standard sized diner cannot enjoy it. But no matter. The cocktails and food will warm you right up.
Employees Only's winter menu offers hearty, belly warming victuals. There's elk loin served with polenta fritters, broccoli rabe and foie gras mousse, a veritable carnivore's delight. There's rainbow trout with smoked trout and frisee salad, beef cheeks with celery root puree and pickled beets. Specials on a recent night included a dish of giant prawns served over braised kale, which a dining companion declared delicious.
The beef cheeks are gorgeously tender and minimally seasoned, allowing the full flavor of the meat to shine through, though the celery root puree accompaniment was slightly sticky and waterlogged. For the record, I don't personally mind this texture -- it's vaguely reminiscent of tororo -- but it won't appeal to everyone. It was wonderfully buttery and probably very few things with that much butter can go truly wrong in my book.
Employees Only is not terribly vegetarian friendly, unfortunately, unless you want to drink your dinner. There is one vegetarian pasta main, two salads and a few assorted sides. I haven't tried the sides, but the pasta and salads are pretty run of the mill -- definitely not among the stronger menu offerings.
If you do want to drink your dinner, though, you're in luck. IIRC, Employees Only offers three pages of cocktails, not to mention two more pages of wine, a number of beers and many more liquors. The cocktails are without question the highlight and rank among the best in the city. Bartenders mix with a precise hand and nothing is ever too sweet or sour or bitter. Drinks are well balanced grown-up concoctions -- and they all seem to have at least five ingredients, each. Despite the complexity, bartenders serve them up fast.
Favorites include the Amelia (Luksusowa potato vodka and St. Germain elderflower liqueur shaken with pureed blackberries & fresh lemon juice) and the Ginger Smash (muddled ginger root & fresh cranberries shaken with Plymouth gin, Berentzen apple liqueur & fresh lemon juice served over ice). Each drink includes a full serving of fruit -- or that's what you can tell yourself if you're drinking your dinner -- and protein, too, if you order one with egg whites. Eight of these bad boys and you're good to go.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ofrenda (New York, NY)
113 7th Ave S
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2305
On the Day of the Dead, many Mexican families build ornate tables stacked high with candles, photographs and food to honor the dead. Often, these ofrendas, or "offerings", include the favorite foods of the deceased. I don't know whom chef/owner Luis Arce Mota intends his West Village newcomer, Ofrenda, to honor -- but whoever (s)he is, I bet (s)he'd be happy to eat there.
Service is *excellent*. The wait staff is incredibly attentive, though never stifling or hovery. They have never rushed me out the door no matter how late the hour. Chef Mota is often in the kitchen, isn't shy about coming into the dining room to talk to patrons about how they want their food prepared, and is extremely accommodating of food allergies. Drinks are well mixed and often inventive -- the Scotch with jalapenos and pineapple juice is a lovely combination of sweet, smoky and hot.
A good part of the menu is of Chef Mota's own invention. It is not strictly Mexican and where it does draw inspiration from that cuisine, it does so from coastal regions more than most restaurants in NYC. (Pampano is a notable exception.) Probably, though, it is as accurate to call Ofrenda a new American restaurant with strong Mexican (and some east Asian) influences as a Mexican restaurant with (north) American and east Asian influences. The menu includes ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and jasmine rice; "chimichangas" filled with pig trotters and shiitakes, and wrapped with rice flour wrappers; and chiles toreados sauteed in soy sauce.
Ofrenda does fusion in a classy, well-thought-out way unlike some restaurants of the genre. But though I very much like the food, I can't honestly say I'm in love with the restrained style (perhaps a symptom of Chef Mota's classical training at Cordon Bleu). I personally swoon for brassy, bold intemperate flavors; Ofrenda tends towards the mild and low-key even as Chef Mota introduces a few subversive elements. On a rational level, I do very much appreciate the balance, refinement and thought that has gone into the food; on the level of pure desire, I can't help but yearn for more of this fun, subversive streak. And more heat. [The sparing use of peppers is actually quite interesting given that my cyberstalking of Chef Mota reveals he'd originally conceived of Ofrenda as a place where he could showcase a variety of peppers. (http://blogs.villagevo...)]
Whatever my personal (low brow) preferences, one can objectively observe that ingredients are of high quality and well prepared: My recent ahi tuna entree, cooked a perfect medium rare, was close to being sushi grade. Scallops were tender and steaks almost equally so at prior meals, while battered cauliflower was light and well fried.
They say that the candles on an ofrenda are meant to guide the spirits of the dead, back. I do hope that the food at Ofrenda will be enough to bring the living. This restaurant deserves to succeed.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2305
On the Day of the Dead, many Mexican families build ornate tables stacked high with candles, photographs and food to honor the dead. Often, these ofrendas, or "offerings", include the favorite foods of the deceased. I don't know whom chef/owner Luis Arce Mota intends his West Village newcomer, Ofrenda, to honor -- but whoever (s)he is, I bet (s)he'd be happy to eat there.
Service is *excellent*. The wait staff is incredibly attentive, though never stifling or hovery. They have never rushed me out the door no matter how late the hour. Chef Mota is often in the kitchen, isn't shy about coming into the dining room to talk to patrons about how they want their food prepared, and is extremely accommodating of food allergies. Drinks are well mixed and often inventive -- the Scotch with jalapenos and pineapple juice is a lovely combination of sweet, smoky and hot.
A good part of the menu is of Chef Mota's own invention. It is not strictly Mexican and where it does draw inspiration from that cuisine, it does so from coastal regions more than most restaurants in NYC. (Pampano is a notable exception.) Probably, though, it is as accurate to call Ofrenda a new American restaurant with strong Mexican (and some east Asian) influences as a Mexican restaurant with (north) American and east Asian influences. The menu includes ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and jasmine rice; "chimichangas" filled with pig trotters and shiitakes, and wrapped with rice flour wrappers; and chiles toreados sauteed in soy sauce.
Ofrenda does fusion in a classy, well-thought-out way unlike some restaurants of the genre. But though I very much like the food, I can't honestly say I'm in love with the restrained style (perhaps a symptom of Chef Mota's classical training at Cordon Bleu). I personally swoon for brassy, bold intemperate flavors; Ofrenda tends towards the mild and low-key even as Chef Mota introduces a few subversive elements. On a rational level, I do very much appreciate the balance, refinement and thought that has gone into the food; on the level of pure desire, I can't help but yearn for more of this fun, subversive streak. And more heat. [The sparing use of peppers is actually quite interesting given that my cyberstalking of Chef Mota reveals he'd originally conceived of Ofrenda as a place where he could showcase a variety of peppers. (http://blogs.villagevo...)]
Whatever my personal (low brow) preferences, one can objectively observe that ingredients are of high quality and well prepared: My recent ahi tuna entree, cooked a perfect medium rare, was close to being sushi grade. Scallops were tender and steaks almost equally so at prior meals, while battered cauliflower was light and well fried.
They say that the candles on an ofrenda are meant to guide the spirits of the dead, back. I do hope that the food at Ofrenda will be enough to bring the living. This restaurant deserves to succeed.
Friedman's Lunch (New York, NY)
February 2010
75 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-7100
Despite the name, Friedman's Lunch serves breakfast, brunch and dinner -- not just lunch.
Pros:
- There's a large selection of decent gluten free sandwiches, pancakes and other items, and the restaurant is extremely conscious of food allergies more generally.
- Pastrami is decent -- flavorful and thinly sliced, though a bit dry. I don't know if you can ask for fatty or lean cuts, but if you don't specify either way, you get a pretty lean cut. (I personally prefer fattier, more tender / moist cuts.)
- There is a good selection of vegetarian sides, a few mains (vegetarian lasagna, mac & cheese, edamame "studded" brown rice) and a "market plate" option that allows you to order three sides as a main. Sides include mac & cheese, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, sweet potato and potato fries, cauliflower gratin, jalapeno cheese grits, etc...
Cons:
- The latkes are terrible and greasy. When you cut into them, all the residual grease bubbles back up to the surface..... Although latkes are one of my favorite foods in the world and I certainly don't avoid fried foods, I didn't really want to eat these.
- The shaved Brussels sprouts side was as sweet as candy or dessert. I don't mind a bit of sugar, but this was imbalanced and really excessive.
Middle of the road:
- Broccoli rabe came with sweet, roasted garlic and was generally well made, but REALLY oily.
- Cauliflower gratin was well made, but had been left under the broiler for about twice as long as it should've been. Result: a brick hard, partially burnt, nearly inedible upper strata.
My impression is that Friedman's starts out strong, with good base ingredients and good recipes. But poor / inattentive / indifferent execution neutralizes many of the merits before the food ever makes it to the table.
75 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-7100
Despite the name, Friedman's Lunch serves breakfast, brunch and dinner -- not just lunch.
Pros:
- There's a large selection of decent gluten free sandwiches, pancakes and other items, and the restaurant is extremely conscious of food allergies more generally.
- Pastrami is decent -- flavorful and thinly sliced, though a bit dry. I don't know if you can ask for fatty or lean cuts, but if you don't specify either way, you get a pretty lean cut. (I personally prefer fattier, more tender / moist cuts.)
- There is a good selection of vegetarian sides, a few mains (vegetarian lasagna, mac & cheese, edamame "studded" brown rice) and a "market plate" option that allows you to order three sides as a main. Sides include mac & cheese, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, sweet potato and potato fries, cauliflower gratin, jalapeno cheese grits, etc...
Cons:
- The latkes are terrible and greasy. When you cut into them, all the residual grease bubbles back up to the surface..... Although latkes are one of my favorite foods in the world and I certainly don't avoid fried foods, I didn't really want to eat these.
- The shaved Brussels sprouts side was as sweet as candy or dessert. I don't mind a bit of sugar, but this was imbalanced and really excessive.
Middle of the road:
- Broccoli rabe came with sweet, roasted garlic and was generally well made, but REALLY oily.
- Cauliflower gratin was well made, but had been left under the broiler for about twice as long as it should've been. Result: a brick hard, partially burnt, nearly inedible upper strata.
My impression is that Friedman's starts out strong, with good base ingredients and good recipes. But poor / inattentive / indifferent execution neutralizes many of the merits before the food ever makes it to the table.
Localfolk Smokehouse (Waitsfield, VT)
February 2010
9 Rt 17
Waitsfield, VT 05673
(802) 496-5623
Localfolk is wedged in at the fork in the road where Rt. 17 meets Rt. 10. It's just down the mountain from Mad River Glen, where it and gravity draw tired, hungry skiers in at the end of the day with huge plates of decent grub, a full bar and a lively game room. The menu offers the usual ski-town standards of fries, wings, burgers, sandwiches and even a fair-sized Tex Mex section. But what distinguishes Localfolk from the competition are the mighty fine St. Louis style smoked pork ribs.
The ribs we ordered were fantastic: tender, juicy, meaty and flavorful through and through, but not at all oversauced. If this restaurant only served ribs, it would be a 4 or 4.5 star establishment. Unfortunately, other dishes we tried were a bit less successful.
Pulled pork -- the braised kind, not the kind made low and slow over dry heat -- was too tough (not cooked long enough and/or not fatty enough) and too coarsely pulled. Enchiladas were filled with well-seasoned, sliced, grilled beef (not ground beef, thank goodness), but the meat was tough and chewy and tortillas were dry, tough and rubbery. The tortillas may have been fried too far in advance, refried and/or just not spent enough time in contact with sauce.
Sides of black bean salad, cornbread and mashed potatoes were solid, not standout, though I appreciate that the mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes, not flakes. Cornbread was northern style: a bit sweet and lot soft, with a large ratio of wheat flour mixed in with the yellow cornmeal. I personally prefer southern style yellow cornbreads, but Localfolk's wasn't a bad example for this side of the Mason Dixon.
For the area, the restaurant is well priced, especially if you factor in the massive portions. A very large combo platter with a choice of two meats (pork ribs, smoked chicken or pulled pork) and two sides was $15.50; two enchiladas with two sides were $12.61; a friend's nachos platter, which I didn't try, looked like a built-to-scale replica of a ski mountain, it was so tall, and set him back a mere $9.17. Even if you're a VERY hungry caterpillar, the combo platter will almost certainly leave you with enough leftovers for at least one more meal -- in our case, two.
Most of the menu is not anything I'd travel far out of my way for. But if you do find yourself in town with a hankering for a meaty, hearty meal, give those ribs a try. They're the real deal.
9 Rt 17
Waitsfield, VT 05673
(802) 496-5623
Localfolk is wedged in at the fork in the road where Rt. 17 meets Rt. 10. It's just down the mountain from Mad River Glen, where it and gravity draw tired, hungry skiers in at the end of the day with huge plates of decent grub, a full bar and a lively game room. The menu offers the usual ski-town standards of fries, wings, burgers, sandwiches and even a fair-sized Tex Mex section. But what distinguishes Localfolk from the competition are the mighty fine St. Louis style smoked pork ribs.
The ribs we ordered were fantastic: tender, juicy, meaty and flavorful through and through, but not at all oversauced. If this restaurant only served ribs, it would be a 4 or 4.5 star establishment. Unfortunately, other dishes we tried were a bit less successful.
Pulled pork -- the braised kind, not the kind made low and slow over dry heat -- was too tough (not cooked long enough and/or not fatty enough) and too coarsely pulled. Enchiladas were filled with well-seasoned, sliced, grilled beef (not ground beef, thank goodness), but the meat was tough and chewy and tortillas were dry, tough and rubbery. The tortillas may have been fried too far in advance, refried and/or just not spent enough time in contact with sauce.
Sides of black bean salad, cornbread and mashed potatoes were solid, not standout, though I appreciate that the mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes, not flakes. Cornbread was northern style: a bit sweet and lot soft, with a large ratio of wheat flour mixed in with the yellow cornmeal. I personally prefer southern style yellow cornbreads, but Localfolk's wasn't a bad example for this side of the Mason Dixon.
For the area, the restaurant is well priced, especially if you factor in the massive portions. A very large combo platter with a choice of two meats (pork ribs, smoked chicken or pulled pork) and two sides was $15.50; two enchiladas with two sides were $12.61; a friend's nachos platter, which I didn't try, looked like a built-to-scale replica of a ski mountain, it was so tall, and set him back a mere $9.17. Even if you're a VERY hungry caterpillar, the combo platter will almost certainly leave you with enough leftovers for at least one more meal -- in our case, two.
Most of the menu is not anything I'd travel far out of my way for. But if you do find yourself in town with a hankering for a meaty, hearty meal, give those ribs a try. They're the real deal.
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