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“Little Giant”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Lower East Side	Moderate	Good

MY DINNER AT LITTLE GIANT

Little Giant, owned by first time (and beautiful) restaurateurs Tasha Garcia (Gourmet, Norman’s), and Julie Taras (Blue Hill) is a sweet little nook of a restaurant on the corner of Orchard and Broome, with a blond wood bar and matching Ikea-styled tables, a wild, wavy exposed brick ceiling, and fabric-covered pillowed banquets lining windowed walls. We strolled in on Friday night and the place was crowded with large groups of women and a few intimate tables of couples, leaning into eachother with love (or something like that) in their eyes. It was loud and lively, and charming in a casual hip sort of way.

Dinner should by all means begin with a cocktail especially because Tasha and Julie take their cocktails seriously and have created a fresh and seasonal cocktail list that is quite impressive. In fact, I might even forgo Barrio Chino once in a while (my favorite margarita place located on the next block) for one of their Fresh Pineapple Margaritas ($8), made from house-infused pineapple tequila, with a splash of pineapple and fresh lime juice. Their fall signature is the Concord Grape Sparkler ($8) made from Greenmarket grapes, reduced to a sprightly syrup with lime juice and sugar and poured over ice with Sky Vodka, lemon and lime juices, and lemon-up soda.

Liquid diet aside, the seasonal American menu has some gems and some diamonds in the rough. A plate of marvelous Deviled Eggs ($5) can start you off while you peruse the menu. Whatever you decide, you should make a point of having the Sausages and Onions ($11). These were fantastic. And their story is kind of sweet. Julie and Tasha were a bit overwhelmed with the work of opening a restaurant and a sausage-obsessed friend agreed to stop by and help them out with the grinding and stuffing. He has been showing up once a week, with casings and Kitchen Aid in tow, to help them put their sausages together. The man in question is Dr. Howard Levitt, an ER doc who says he is their “sausage mentor.” Now, doesn’t every girl needs a sausage mentor? I think yes! Especially because the sausages he made last week were spectacular. They included duck flecked with scallions, sesame with hoison, lamb with mint, garlic, and a harrisa made from Chinatown chiles, and Berkshire pork butt ground up with speck, slab bacon, pureed fennel, apple, brown sugar, rosemary, thyme, and confited garlic. YUMMY! They are served sliced in meaty circles tossed in a tangle of ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 24, 2004

Other restaurants in Lower East Side :
+ Mojo   + WD-50   + Schiller's Liquor Bar   + Azul Bistro   + Barrio Chino   + 71 Clinton Fresh Food-- Closed   + Little Giant   + Kuma Inn   + Falai   + The Stanton Social   + The Tides   + Thor   + The Orchard   + El Bocadito-- CLOSED   + Bondi Road   + Rayuela   + Suba   + Bun (boone)   + Sorella   + The Fat Hippo   + Pulino's   

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