A current fashion in the dining scene that I noticed whilst I was out in NYC is the concept of ‘farm to plate’, which is pretty self-explanatory. It’s not too dissimilar to the revolution over the past few years by British chefs to champion local produce. A important cause it is too.
I was meeting a friend who lives in New York and is quite the foodie. She had heard good things about one of these ‘farm to plate’ restaurants called Northern Spy so we decided to check it out. It’s once again located in the East Village down 1st avenue, not far from Momofuku Ko.
We got there relatively early so the restaurant was pretty empty but half way through our meal it was full. This was fortunate because we were able to catch the end of happy hour where cocktails are half price (16.00 - 18.30 in weekdays). It’s fairly small, must be about 20 – 30 covers, with a casual, slightly rustic and buzzing atmosphere. It’s one of those down to earth places where conviviality and the food reign.
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| Inside |
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| Bar |
An extremely attentive waitress took our orders and was happy to talk us through recommendations. I ordered a squid ragu and my friend the papardella with pork belly, spinach and porcini mushrooms, which was one of the daily specials. The ragu looked very appetising and was rather flavoursome however the squid, despite being cooked well, was all too often lost. Whilst that was pleasant, the papardella was a triumph. I only had one taste but the pasta was of the highest quality and the pork gorgeous (I unfortunately forgot to take a photo though).
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| Squid & mussel ragu. Navy beans, cherry beans, jalepeno, country bread |
My peach cake for dessert was soft and sticky with strong fruit flavour and a slightly crispy base. Chocolate and cherry is a perfect marriage in my opinion so my friend’s thick chocolate terrine was rich (however not too rich as to get sickly after a while) and enjoyable.
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| Peach cake |
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| Chocolate terrine & cherries |
Northern Spy is one of those solid neighbourhood restaurants that turns out unfussy, well executed and flavoursome cooking of well-sourced ingredients. With its reasonable prices and warming atmosphere you should not be disappointed if you visit.
Price: Starters under $15. Mains $20-25ish
Where to go before/next: After dinner a must is to check out the speakeasy Please Don't Tell (113 St Marks Pl). You have to call 212 614 0386 in the afternoon of the day you want to visit to make a reservation. Go to the hotdog restaurant Criff Dogs on 113 Saint Marks Place and on the left as you enter is a phone booth. Pick up the phone, dial any number and tell the person on the line that you have your reservation and the back of the booth will open up to reveal the intimate bar inside. The cocktails were an absolute treat and it's no wonder that amongst its many awards, this highly rated bar was recently voted the world's best bar by over 100 bar professionals.
Website: Click here
Location: 511 East 12th street
Nearest Subway: 1 Av
Opening Times: Lunch 10.00 - 16.00, Dinner 17.30 - close (Mon - Fri). Brunch 10.00 - 15.30, Dinner 5.30 - close (Sat & Sun). Walk ins only.
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