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“Cookshop”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Chelsea	Moderate	Great

althy dose of good energy. It’s just a bit of a madhouse up there in the bar room at times.

The menu at Cookshop changes daily, according to farmers’ supply, though several items are usually available. Among the stationary menu items is the pizza. At Five Points, Marc is known for his taleggio and potato pizzetta, and his wood-fired pizza at Cookshop will certainly be garnering the same loyal following. This one is slightly smaller in diameter than at Five Points, and it has a crust that is soft, chewy, and crispy, all at the same time. It is smothered with a caramelized tangle of onions that gives the gooey melted mozzarella cheese some body and a zippy tang ($10). Another constant menu item is the incredible house-smoked bluefish ($9) served with an arugula salad and a few clusters of sweet-tart, thin-skinned New York State grapes. It will be the next wave for Russ & Daughters. Forget smoked white fish, it’s all about the bluefish. Another must have starter is the chicken fried duck livers ($8)—crunchy poppers served on a bed of creamy sage grits dotted with hot sauce. Now I don’t want to hear you whine about not liking duck livers. You will like these pups. They are incredible—and they should become the next McNugget for sure.

Next to the starter section of the menu you will find a small box labeled “snacks.” This is a section of little nibbles that is perfect for ordering at the bar while waiting for a table, but we deemed them necessary for the dining room as well, as should you. They are all silliness, and all good. There were killer Deviled Eggs topped with caviar ($5), but the wood-roasted troutlings ($6) were the surprise hit of the evening. I had never heard of a troutling, but as the name implies, these are baby trout. I had no idea I would like a little fried fish so much. They are not fishy as you might imagine a small fish to be. They are sweet and meaty and served pan-fried with a bright lemony salad of sliced baby brussel sprouts. Honestly, you must just try these. We also loved the duck taquitos fashioned from pulled duck confit stuffed snuggly into crispy corn tortilla cylinders, then swiped with a sticky sweet mole ($6). The only disappointment was the shrimp beignets ($7), which were a tad fishy and slightly undercooked.

But our entrees left us sated and deliriously happy. The long-line halibut ($24), cooked in the wood-oven, was intensely creamy, wildly flavorf ... [more, click below]

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Posted: November 6, 2005

Other restaurants in Chelsea :
+ Matsuri   + La Bottega   + Tia Pol   + Bombay Talkie   + Cookshop   + D'Or Ahn: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Buddakan   + Crema   + InTent: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Trestle on Tenth   + Klee   + El Quinto Pino   + Socarrat   + Txikito   + Co. (Company)   

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