Saturday, December 4, 2010

Minetta Tavern







A space that looks like a mini-Sardis with cramped red banguettes and old celebrity photos. Minetta Tavern, offers celebrity style dining to the average joe with deeper than average pockets. There was a D-lister present whose name escaped us, but the show is the food itself. Balthazar bread arrives first and then the absoloutely most professional service and knowledgable waiter. We were seated at a two-top and the place quickly filled with folks and conversation. This was a stellar dining experience and recommended for a special occacion or just for a special night out. I ordered the special appetizer of roasted brussell sprouts, shaved parmesan and a poached egg wtih bacon lardons. The brussell sprouts were shredded and the flavors were a great mix of savory and bacony. Of course, the star of the show was the Cote de Boef(medium rare) which is marbled rib eye and bone marrow roasted(pictured above). Some of the best meat I have ever tasted was on this dish($110). The salty marbled rib eye and the gelatin like innards of the bone marrow made for a naughty pleasure. The pommes aligots- basically mashed potatoes with cheese curds were a good side dish to the spectacular main. We exchanged the boring hazelnut crepe for a chocolate dacqoise which is chocolate ganache with hazelnut meringue and was positively foodgasmic.
MUST GO!