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“The Orchard”

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

always had a great meal. There is consistency here, and that speaks volumesI have made a habit of starting with the flatbreads, immediately ordering a few to have on the table to snack on while deciding what to eat next. They are not so much pizzas as they are super crispy, cracker-breads, rectangular in shape, with toppings like steak tartare with Dijon potatoes, wild arugula and Parmesan-Reggiano ($12), messy pulled duck confit with sweet orange chutney, crème fraiche and frisee ($13), and melting gobs of Robiola cheese with hunks of Applewood smoked bacon, sautéed spinach and sweet pop from dried cranberries ($12). They are ideal for sharing and snacking, two of my favorite activities.

I can’t remember the last time I was wowed by a salad. But here were two that did it. The crispy rock shrimp ($14) was a super-fly salad situation­—a mix of fluffy greens tossed with golden popcorn shrimp, sweet and juicy tangerines segments, pomegranate seeds to give your mouth a little POP!, and a dressing made from orange juice and honey for a sweet tart finish. Jamie and Alison were all over it. Which gave me a running start on the drunken goat cheese salad ($13), which was equally desirable—crunchy hearts of romaine, cherry tomatoes, chewy housemade croutons, and slices of Spanish wine-aged goat cheese, swept up in a lively red wine vinaigrette.

The tuna tartare ($16)—usually ho hum—was turned into something that made me give it a curious, but happy sideways glance. Like, Whatchutalkin ‘bout tuna? It stopped my fork in its tracks. A mound of diced yellowfin tuna is shamelessly seasoned with lime, chiles, and sea salt, and served with chunky guacamole, crème fraiche and hot and salty fried tostones as edible spoons. It’s almost like a ceviche more than a tartare, but semantics are not important here people. It’s killer. Scoop a bit of the tartare on top of a crispy hot tostone, top it with some guac and a dollop of crème fraiche, and tell me you are not the happiest you’ve been since the invention of Tivo.

Entrees are also surprising, and surprisingly good. For instance, his homemade cavatelli is served in a rough chopped sauce made from plum and cherry tomatoes, crispy pancetta, avocado, and a light tomato cream. Avocado in pasta? Come again? That’s what we said. But yes, there was avocado in the pasta. ... [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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