<< previous review   next review >>

reviews

“The Harrison”

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

ek to celebrate my friend Susie’s birthday and her return to New York City after two years living in Rome. It was a heartwarming reunion that we kicked off with a bottle of rose and slew of appetizers from Amanda’s menu including possibly the best beet salad of my life. Ruby colored beets are barely cooked and then shaved into julienne slices like a crunchy cole slaw, and tossed with pistachios and tangy robiolina cheese ($11) in a bright acidic vinaigrette. The flavors were vivid, the texture was terrific, and the salad was exceptional, as much for its creativity as its taste.

Next came an excellent octopus ($14)—charred and smoky yet tender enough for a suckling newborn, rubbed with olive oil, and seasoned with feta cheese, and fresh mint. It’s tastes like Greece has arrived on Greenwich Street. Susie, who has been living on a steady diet of proscuitto, mozzarella and fresh pasta for years now (poor thing) was going bananas over the food, her eyes wide and thrilled at the sight of a octopus and feta. She was practically in tears. It was hilarious.

Surprisingly, Susie didn’t get up from the table when we ordered the lobster and crawfish raviolini ($16), perhaps because they were more a dish born from New Orleans than Rome. Amanda fills round little pillows of pasta dough with a crawfish and lobster and serves them in a rich brick red Creole butter that’s hot and spicy and tastes like something you might find at a stall during Jazz Fest. For those of you who have been to Jazz Fest, this dish could rival the crawfish sack and the crawfish bread. It’s good. Amanda, get ready for the Fest!

The only mild disappointment was an order of Parmesan fritters ($10), ping pong ball-sized fry babies filled with black forest ham and smoky mozzarella dusted with Parmesan cheese and herbs. While the fritters had a nice kick—there must be some chile flake in that recipe—and my friend Adrienne gobbled them up, they were a bit dense for me, just not as gooey and cheesy as I’d have liked. Her radish salad ($11), sort of like a cold version of bagna cauda with an anchovy vinaigrette that could have been a bit more bracing than it was. I like an anchovy vinaigrette that’s salty and briny and makes my mouth water and this one was, I am sad to say, a bit wimpy. The concept is right on, it just needs a bit more oily fish, please.

Her menu offers a nice selection of entre ... [more, click below]

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  

 Make a reservation

<< previous review   next review >>

Posted: July 13, 2008

Other restaurants in Tribeca :
+ Lunchbox Food Company--Closed   + 66: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Ola-- Closed   + Bouley   + Dominic   + Landmarc   + Pace-- Closed   + EN Japanese Brasserie   + Centrico   + Cercle Rouge   + The Harrison   + Turks & Frogs Tribeca   + Devin Tavern   + Dani-- Closed Now   + Bacaro/Smith & Mills   + The Harrison   + Matsugen, By Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Forge   + Macao Trading Company   + Harbour   + Review text tbd...   + Mehtaphor   + Brushstroke   + Jung Sik   

Share ! Post a comment