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“Lonesome Dove-- CLOSED”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Flatiron	Moderate	Good

 When I first heard about a restaurant from Texas moving to New York I was skeptical. Generally speaking I am skeptical of most things that come from Texas. But I try to be open-minded and not pre-judge, though I imagined a menu I thought would be amateurish or maybe some sort of rip-off of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill fare. I wondered, what could Tim Love do that our chefs hadn't done before? Turns out, quite a bit.

First, there's the big brown and white cowhide rug sprawled out on the sidewalk of 21^st Street that you must walk over to enter the restaurant. It's rare. Then there's the restaurant itself, which Love designed to feel like an urban saloon. The space is marked by dark wood, with a long welcoming stretch of bar topped with cactus plants, chile peppers, and margarita-filled tumblers. On the pressed tin ceilings hang deer antler chandeliers, and on the burnished walls, a giant heifer's head. The vibe will have you searching for the swinging doors and the smoking gun.

 

But the food is what really got me to stop and reconsider my preconceived notions. Love is doing some fun and quite inventive cooking. I've eaten at Lonesome Dove a few times now, for a feature assignment from the Post, for a shoot with Code TV, and with Craig, Adrienne and Gregg before we left for Italy, and I have become a big fan of his food because it's a dose of fresh air, it's something new and boldly different from what we are used to. Love's vision of the Wild West includes ingredients from his native Texas and from what he considers the new Wild West-Australia. He brings together unexpected ingredients to surprising effect. I loved the kangaroo "nachos"-actually tender seared slices of kangaroo carpaccio layered on tortilla chips and topped with a rosettes of creamy boursin cheese partnered with an avocado and roasted corn salsa and glossed with huckleberry-habenero demi glaze ($12). Then there are the buffalo corn dogs, sweet corn fritter dough blanketing spiced buffalo dogs served with a tangy ketchup called State Fair Sauce-a smashing puree of Dijon mustard, mustard powder, garlic aioli, and roasted poblano chilies ($12). The quail quesadillas are also terrific-soft flour tortillas filled with shredded quail, goat cheese and New Mexican onions, folded over and marked on the grill until hot and gooey and served over smooth black beans and tart crème fraiche. The weakest appetizer is ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 23, 2006

Other restaurants in Flatiron :
+ Suenos   + Amuse-- Closed   + Dos Caminos   + Lucy-- Closed   + Gramercy Taver   + Veritas   + Fleur De Sel   + Bolo -- CLosed   + City Bakery   + Shake Shack   + Kalustyan's Cafe   + Devi   + BLT Fish   + Sugarcane   + BLT Prime   + Barca 18-- CLOSED   + Beppe   + Barbounia   + Boqueria   + Eleven Madison   + Lonesome Dove-- CLOSED   + Hill Country   + Olana   + Wildwood   + Primehouse   + Allegretti   + Bar Breton   + Aldea   + SD26 by Bao Ong   + ABC Kitchen   + Ciano   + The NoMad   

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