05.26.09
Review of Sweet Emily’s, Saturday April 2009
321 W.51st St. & 8th/9th Aves., 212-957-9338
Great for: sharing lots of interesting dishes, American food with a Latin twist, pre- or post-theatre
The Marketer knows the owners here and thought I might be able to give them some nice publicity. (I don’t think he understands the point of this blog. This is for straightforward reviews, without exception.) The eponymous Emily was indeed a sweet lady and I’m happy I can honestly recommend her restaurant. M and I had dinner plans elsewhere so we just had several small plates, but we tried a decently varied cross-section of the menu.
The Prince Edward Island mussels with tasso ham in tequila broth were very good. I’m not even a huge mussels fan. The broth doesn’t taste much of tequila, and there was lots of lovely diced ham, onions and small tomatoes as well as a generous number of mussels. The roasted jalapeño cheese poppers with creamy herb dip were great. There was just the right balance of everything, so that each popper was delicate and creamy without overpowering the peppers. The bacon mac and cheese croquette with smoky, spicy tomato dip was also terrific. It managed to be light and not too cheesy with nice big bacon crumbles.
We decided to leave room for our next dinner but couldn’t resist some dessert. M’s warm apple cake with caramel sauce and whipped cream turned out to be awesome despite its appleness. I wouldn’t order it myself, as I don’t really like apple desserts, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who does. My baked cheesecake empanada with strawberry sauce and more whipped cream was great. I found the cake a little spongy but the combination of ingredients was lovely.
The waiters are really nice and seem happy to be there. There are two dining rooms, although they’re not always both open, so it’s probably a good idea for large parties and walking in. I enjoyed the lights and décor, which made the place look inviting and upscale at the same time.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $45 (3 apps, 2 desserts)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: pretty good.
