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“European Union-- NEW CHEF; SEE APRIL 2007 Review”

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

from pork) on housemade pretzel roll (dense and salty and terrific) with a shaved brussel sprout slaw in a bacon vinaigrette standing in for the more ubiquitous cole slaw ($13).

The selection of entrees also spans the European continent—there’s a Catalonian lamb cassoulet with white beans and garlic sausage ($25), schnitzel with almond spaetzle and pink pears, skate with brown butter, apples and chestnuts ($21), and artic char with golden beets, candied fennel and licorice vinaigrette ($21).

When Kathy, Julie, and I were dining there the other night, we went to England with the daily fish and chips. The night we were in, it was really more of a full-on fabulous fish fry than fish and chips, with perfectly cooked shrimp, squid, hake and skate all in attendance in crunchy robes of golden batter. Then we swung over to Italy with Sarah’s homemade cheese and pumpkin cavatelli that she serves in a wide flat bowl, tossed with wild mushrooms and braised greens ($17). The cavatelli were just lovely, rolled by hand so they were tender yet firm, and the mushrooms added a balance of dark earthy flavor to the mildly sweet pasta. I guess there needs to be an option for vegetarians on the menu, but to me this dish begged for a smoky hit of pancetta. (What isn’t made better by the addition of pancetta? I mean, really. For heaven’s sake.)

Desserts are quite good (despite being pancetta free). I was especially impressed when I learned that the pastry chef, Andrew Lesturgeon, is all of 23 years old. He most recently worked at Perry Street, and prior to that spent three years at Balthazar where he cooked on the line, worked pastry and waited tables. His menu mirrors the savory tour Sarah’s menu takes you on. We loved the Cannelé de Bordeaux, a moist sponge cake cloaked in a dark brown crust that is often served with tea and juice, which he serves with a delicate Chamomile cream and juicy tangerine sorbet ($7). His cheesecake is fresh and light with a bit of a ripe zip thanks to goat’s milk. He gives the cheesecake a clever Mediterranean twist by serving it on a homemade olive-fennel flatbread with roasted figs ($8).

I’m glad that EU has finally opened for business. (In the next few weeks they’ll do brunch and then lunch too.) It’s a great neighborhood restaurant, one that offers value (both reasonably priced food and wine) and one that can work for almost every cr ... [more, click below]

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Posted: November 20, 2006

Other restaurants in East Village :
+ Yujin-- Closed   + Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar   + Mermaid Inn   + Five Points   + Lavagna   + Five Points   + Bond Street   + Jewel Bako   + Alphabet Kitchen   + In Vino   + Bao 111   + Chikalicious   + Il Buco   + Hearth   + Lima's Taste   + Mercadito   + Hedeh   + Momofuku   + Una Pizza Napoletana   + Winebar   + Uovo-- CLOSED   + Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction   + Gotham Bar & Grill   + Colors   + Chinatown Brasserie   + Knife and Fork   + European Union-- NEW CHEF; SEE APRIL 2007 Review   + Aroma Kitchen and Winebar   + Stand   + European Union   + Mercat   + Gemma   + Back Forty   + The Smith   + Seymour Burton   + Belcourt   + Graffiti   + The Redhead   + Double Crown    + Apiary   + Joe Doe   + Apiary by guest reviewer Kiri Tannenbaum   + DBGB   + Northern Spy   + Goat Town   + Saxon + Parole   + Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria   + Acme   + Calliope   + Nicoletta   + JEPPNEY by Claire Jaffe   + Feast   

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