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“The Orchard”

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

Creamy chunks of it, actually. And against the smokiness of the pancetta and the acidity of the tomatoes, it works. Give it a whirly whirl.

Olive oil poached halibut ($24) shows that someone in that kitchen can cook fish, and well. A generous ivory slab was moist and flaky and sweet, and served with a wild side of these amazing crispy black beans—fried and crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside—tossed with lots of lime juice, chiles, and a touch of crème fraiche. I really had a thing for those beans. Luckily I went home alone that night. But really, who knew black beans could be this inspired. On another night, Kiri and I shared a great bowl of grilled fennel farfalle with leeks, peas, and fennel puree ($20), and a fish that matched the halibut—poached stripped bass with French beans, cherry tomatoes, and Sauvignon Blanc broth ($23).

Desserts end the meal on a light and silly note. I loved the mini carrot cakes, precious petit four sized frosted cakes, nicely spiced, that you can just pop in your mouth, one after another. They made me happy.

The Orchard is a fun, easy, comfortable place to hang out and spend an evening. It is not trying to put one over on you, it is not pretending to be something it is not. And it is refreshing, in this world of trumped up hype and dashed expectations, to find a restaurant that is what it is—no more, no less—a sweet, solid, consistent neighborhood restaurant with good food and a warm vibe.

And while I don’t know if I will ever find a home to call my own—a nice apartment with lots of light, with a bedroom large enough for a bed, a kitchen with a fridge and a sink, a bathroom where showering is not an Olympic sport—I will keep searching, knowing that every once in a very long while, you find exactly what you are looking for.

The Orchard is located at 162 Orchard Street, between Stanton and Rivington Street, 212-353-3570.

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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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