03.04.09
Review of Apiary, Thursday January 2009
60 3rd Ave. & 11th/10th Sts., 212-254-0888, 212-254-0898
Great for: almost everything, sophisticated dining in the East Village
My best friend E is very supportive of the blog and always up for trying a new, cool place. We liked Apiary so much, she brought her (very picky) boyfriend the next week and he did too. It’s a civilized standout in the East Village, with all those dives geared towards college kids. It also has a pretty large bar area.
I loved my special of diver sea scallops with pea shoots and creamy sauce. The sour notes of the sauce balanced the cream and the two scallops were medium size and lovely. E absolutely loved her sweetbreads with romesco (a garlic- and oil-based Catalan sauce with almonds or hazelnuts) and frisée. The romesco was a great counterpoint to the creamy nuttiness of the sweetbreads. This would be a clever introduction for someone who thinks they don’t like organs.
My Atlantic fluke with smoked bacon and razor clam chowder made me very happy. The fish was crisp on top and flaky inside, while the potato-heavy chowder was pretty good. The clams were, oddly, sliced as small as garlic slices and managed to be rubbery and good at the same time. E went for the chicken, since most reviewers had raved about it, but it wasn’t mindblowing. It was a little dry despite its madeira jus, perhaps because the pieces were so giant, though the polenta and crispy spiced skin were nice. Overall it was a bit too bland. We agreed that it needed some kind of contrast. We rather enjoyed the side of Brussels sprouts with shallots and bacon. The sprouts could have used a little salt and been a tad softer but they were quite good anyhow.
The cocktail list is basically two drinks. I liked the Adelina, a terrific and sparkly mix of prosecco, muddled strawberries and honey. E was happy with her red zinfandel too. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful, especially when it came to the wine. It seemed as though the manager was also waiting on everybody, probably because the place had opened so recently.
Apparently two of the owners of Ligne Roset, the upscale furniture store, also own the restaurant, and you can see it in the lovely décor. The faux chandeliers which were actually 2-D glass models and lampshade cutouts that made chandelier shadows were interesting. The chairs are enormous and the banquette is comfy yet firm. I’m looking forward to my next visit.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $130
Noise level: happy noisy
Chance of walking in: it’s quite popular, you should reserve. Especially on Sunday when they do a $35 dinner prix fixe.
