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“The Orchard”

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

But there is one search I will never surrender—the one true constant of my life—the journey towards a killer meal.

And the other night, I found it.

From the street, you can’t help but be drawn to it. The light shines through the restaurant’s façade—a wide windowed storefront dressed in a stretch of wooden Venetian blinds, tilted downward, letting the light slip out into the night, warming the sidewalk with a soft copper glow. The restaurant’s name, carved from wood, grazes the top of the blinds. It reads, THE ORCHARD.

Walk inside and you’ll find the warm copper glow fills the bar room, a cool, contemporary space, washed in smooth pale wood, with a row of bar stools covered in a creamy, hot cocoa-colored suede. The dining room carries on with the same amber light, a nice touch for the windowless room, lined with a long stretch of cocoa-colored banquettes along one wall and an assortment of hand-made wooden tables for two and four down the center and far wall.

The restaurant is the third project from chef John LaFemina, the salt of the earth guy behind those amazing pizzas at Apizz, and Frank’s business partner at Peasant. Down to the bones of this restaurant, The Orchard is a rare labor of love. LaFemina is a self-taught chef who custom built and designed everything in the restaurant from the exit signs to the tables and chairs to the bar, and light fixtures with the help of Arturo Torres, a former carpenter from Mexico, and a dishwasher here in New York City for 15 years. Arturo’s son works for John at Apizz, and when John was looking for someone to help him build, Dad stepped in to help. LeFemina was wowed by his talent, artistry and craftsmanship. Arturo, who is now the restaurant’s dessert chef, also helped John build the wine storage units, which will house a list of 200 wines, but for now, The Orchard is still BYOB. (Stop by at September Wines around the corner.)

The menu John offers is American with a gracious nod to Italy, and it is a menu that is just easy to be around, like a friend you can hang out with for days and days. It is nothing too complex, nothing that requires an explanation, and everything that makes sense.

I have been to dinner at The Orchard a few times now (Bruni was there on my last visit), and I have ... [more, click below]

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Posted: February 5, 2006

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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