RECETTE – NYC
328 West 12th Street (at Greenwich) New York, NY 10014
Date dined: 3.4.12
Kirsten Luce for The New York Times
Recette is a tiny New American restaurant in the West Village that has a sophisticated take on traditional foods. Chef Jesse Schenker is playful and creative with his dishes and each one is a beautiful masterpiece on a plate. Dessert at Recette is equally as impressive as the main meal with creations by Pastry chef Christina Lee (formerly of Per Se).
Sunday was a day for catching up with some old high school friends and the quiet, relaxed spot was the perfect meeting point. The restaurant is a small space with paned windows on two sides – a traditional touch you don’t often see anymore in newer restaurants. The location is perfect for people watching as the surrounding Meatpacking area is bustling no matter what time of year it is.
We all started with the Noisette cocktail which was a combination of frangelico, sparkling wine and topped with a fresh raspberry.
As uni serious lovers three of us ordered the hamachi appetizer- a beautiful combination of marinated hamachi, uni, sea beans and accented by an airy harissa mousse. The dish was a well balanced and the delicate flavors were all complimentary of each other.
Hamachi and Uni
As my main dish I ordered the braised oxtail which was served on a crunchy hashbrown and blanketed with two fried eggs with a few small scoops of rich bone marrow and fresh arugula. The braised oxtail was rich and tender on top of the hashbrown and the runny yolks of the eggs created a nice sauce for the dish.
Braised Oxtail with Eggs
One of the other girls ordered the PB&J “pain perdue” with earl grey milk jam, and fresh strawberries. Of course I had to sample this ridiculously enormous piece of French toast which was surprisingly not overly doughy. It was very crisp and golden brown outside and filled with the creamy peanut butter and jam. A bit over the top but worth a taste.
PB & J
Apple Smoked Bacon
With a pastry chef who is a veteran of Per Se it is hard to pass up one of her creations. The “s’mores” is the signature dessert here which is a deconstructed version of the simple treat. Graham cracker ice cream atop “hot” chocolate ganache sprinkled with cacao nibs and adorned with a swish of toasted marshmallow around the side. This version just may be better than the original.
S'mores
Recette is consistently good food and is the perfect place for a date, small group or a nice dinner with parents.
can i tell you how bummed i was that the pork belly was cegnahd from kimchi crispy edged pork belly to the bbq pork belly sandwiches? bring back kimchi pork belly!! other than that the foie gras and biscuit was still amazing from my last visit in feb!