Shorty's .32 - Girls Night Out!

For a recent dinner with my gal pals, we headed to Shorty's .32 - a cozy (literally - they only have 32 seats, hence the name), American restaurant with a neighborhood-y feel. The chef, Josh Eden (an apprentice under Jean-George Vongerichten), opened Shorty's as a feel-good, affordable, low-key dining establishment and I think we would all agree with that assessment. It feels like an underground apartment with the walls knocked down that was turned into a restaurant. This perception makes for an intimate dining experience but does not make for a pleasant waiting experience, which brings me to the only negative aspect of our experience...


...One minor hiccup was wait time. Shorty's surprisingly had several open reservations for a party of 5 on a Saturday night, in less than a week's notice. However, when we got there we waited for over half an hour because our table wasn't ready. The host was nice enough to throw us some glasses of champagne...but we came to eat! And once we did, the wait became worth it.

Everyone enjoyed the dishes and some highlights were:

Sea Scallops, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Acorn Squash, Smoked Maple

and

Roast Chicken, Chilled Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Fried Garlic



The green beans that came with the chicken were AMAZING. And the scallops, which I got, were full of flavor and tasted very fresh.

I would definitely revisit Shorty's and would suggest you check it out if you're looking for a warm dining experience and fresh, seasonal food.

Freemans

For this one, we'll let our friend and protege, Jason Bleck, take the reigns for our first ever "guest blog."  Here he is:

JB

Between Rivington and Chrystie, there is an innocuous corridor running amidst typical east village walk ups.  Take four strides too many and one would miss the alley entirely; venture down the path however, and prepare for a truly satisfying and well rounded dining experience. 

Freemans Restaurant endeavors to serve rustic cuisine in a colonial tavern turned hip Bowery hotspot.  The restaurant largely succeeds in its pursuit.  With exquisitely seasoned American staples and a beautiful decor, the only real downside to the Freemans experience is that too many people are aware of its existence.

Without a reservation, the food bloggers were twice denied a table.  Thus, when our dear friend Lindsey was about to embark on her 25th year, the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone presented itself.  We would celebrate her birthday and get a reservation at Freemans (they only accept reservations for parties of 6 or more).  We called many weeks in advance and they were able to accommodate our party for July 3rd at 9pm.

When we arrived the joint was packed.  We waited outside in the sweltering summer air for about twenty minutes and then we were ushered inside to our table.  The AC cooled our skin and the beautiful people were easy on the eyes.  The front bar's antique fixtures and dim lighting were juxtaposed with top shelf liquor and hipsters in fedoras.  The tables in the front were way too close together for my taste which is why being led to the backroom so delighted me.  We were led through the kitchen, past the waiters' lockers into what had to have been the best table in the house.  A lone oak table sat in the middle of the private room.  Beautiful plants adorned antique bookcases and kitchen shelves stocked with wine and liquor.  After seating, our group really felt like we were being treated to a special evening in someone's colonial home.

The service was great, and the restaurant even accommodated a seventh and unexpected party guest.  The waiter recommended some specialty cocktails and our evening began.

I had a Gatsby something-or-other and my friends got the Freemans Cocktail and the Grass Roots Sour.  Although the list of ingredients was certainly impressive and exotic, for $12.00, the cocktails did not impress me that much.  My Gatsby tasted like a gin and tonic flavored with ginger ale and I found myself wishing I just ordered a dirty martini like the b-day girl did.

Artichoke Dip

The meal began with what I can only describe as two of the best appetizers I have ever had in my entire life.  The healthy sized portion of mussels were so delicious that our entire group devoured them within a minute and we had to get more bread just to soak up the remaining juices.  Next came the spinach artichoke dip served with mini toast.  I am not usually a big fan of that dish as I find it is often too creamy for my liking.  However, this dip was perfection.  It was not creamy in the slightest and was seasoned with what I believe was wine, garlic and some spicy jazz.  It was incredible and unlike any spinach artichoke dip you have ever had, I guarantee it.

Mussels

The entrees we ordered were the filet mignon, the trout, the chicken and the scallops.  My chicken was jazzed up with a bbq sauce that had a great kick to it but it was not overwhelming.  The brook trout was cooked to perfection and seasoned delicately.  The dishes were on the smaller side.  The chicken came with mustard potato salad and we ordered a side of spinach.  I felt that the sides were uninspired, but the meat was so good that it was hard to notice.

Fillet Mignon

Scallops

Chicken

Trout

Desserts were frankly very plain and probably overpriced, but the bananas foster with rum butterscotch was the highlight and we were glad we listened to the waiter's recommendation.  The meal closed with cappuccinos and an iced coffee (which to my surprise is not something you are supposed to order at restaurants- feel free to comment on this issue below).

All in all, a lovely and memorable evening with great people and great food.

Gonzo

Last weekend, we went out to dinner with our parents to Gonzo (13th St btwn 6th & 7th). We had heard good things and it was on our mental list of "places to try." Gonzo is sneakily big as you walk down a few stairs to get in and are greeted by a bar area with a bunch of tables. However, if you keep heading towards the back, you walk into a large dining room with an open, yet rustic, feel.. With the large, open room, Gonzo got loud by 9-10 PM when it really started to fill up. They seated us at a circular table, which is always nice when you are dining with 6 or more people. Plus, by going with a group of 6 people we were able to sample a bunch of the different dishes offered:

Appys: We'll start off with what Eric felt was the best thing that he tasted all night... Wild mushroom pizza! We ordered a pizza - half mushroom, half margherita - for the table and everyone was able to eat 2 slices (1 of each).

The sauteed mushroms & onions were carmelized to perfection and together with the muzzarella cheese and "tortilla-thin" pizza crust, it was a pizza party for your taste buds! Everyone who tried this slice was a fan! The margherita was fairly average, so we would say that if you go, try something a bit more exotic - they had lots of pizza options with a variety of toppings.

We also shared the grilled onion salad with aged balsamic vinegar and the arugula salad:


Both salads were a success and the same could be said for each: if you like onions/arugula then you'll be sure to enjoy this salad. For an additional $4, you got some aged balsamic vinegar on top of the grilled onion salad. We read before that this was worth trying so we indulged. No doubt, it was tasty & a great way to give the dish a little more life, but if you're not a big balsamic fan or don't want to spend $17 on a salad appetizer, don't feel bad for not getting it as it doesn't make or break the dish. The arugula salad comes with a tasty surprise underneath the bed of greens, but we wouldn't want to ruin that for you so you'll have to go to Gonzo to see for yourself!

On to the entrees: I (Eric) got the braised shortribs since it came highly recommend by our server (very sweet woman, although on this Saturday night, she was a bit all over the place). I normally don't order shortribs but I figured what the heck!


The shortribs were very tender, and were falling off the bone. The meat had tons of flavor and the fat was marbled right in there so very few bites were too chewy or fatty. The portion size was HUGE and could easily be split into two meals. Especially since we got a handful of sides for the table.

The creamy polenta was super rich and had mascarpone cheese mixed in to give it its creaminess. It paired perfectly with the hearty shortribs. The balsamic roasted brussels sprouts & roasted asparagus were both above average sides that paired better with some of the lighter dishes on the table.

Would I get the shortribs again? Probably not. Even though they were cooked very well, it was still a bit too fatty for me, and just not my thing. Next time around I want to see what their pasta dishes have to offer..

I (Jess) went a little lighter and ordered the grilled scallops:


There was an arugala pesto on top and it was a lovely flavor match for the scallops. Since it's been almost a week, I don't remember what went along with them, but it was a delicious dish that I would order again if I went there.

For dessert, the table shared two dishes: a brown sugar cheesecake & a pecan praline ice cream sandwich. The latter was held together by two pecan meringue cookies and filled with vanilla ice cream. The former was a slice of cheesecake heaven to top off an already rich meal. This was one of the stronger pieces of cheesecake we've had in some time with a great, crumbly crust and sweet, creamy filling. Won the award for the dessert MVP! Please make sure you save some room for it!

Also worth mentioning was that Gonzo had a great wine list, with lots of good reds & whites to choose from. All in all, Gonzo is a solid spot worth venturing to for a quality Italian meal. We hope to return soon to sample some more of their menu.