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“Joe Doe”

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

d like we got the runt of the fillet litter. The broth was rich and heavy with bacon and onions, which was great on its own, but it overwhelmed the delicate flavors of the cod. With a few tweaks this could be a great seasonal fish dish for winter.

Chicken at JoeDoe comes in the form of a half a poussin ($24), served with deep-fried pierogies in a Pepto-Bismol colored beet and sour cream sauce. Unfortunately, this dish did not win favor at our table. Not only did the bird lack any discernable seasoning (it was menued as a “Garden of Spices Poussin” but this garden of spices was barren), and it wasn’t hot, it was tepid. What’s more, the dish just did not come together as a cohesive concept. I like the idea of the pierogies, but they were stuffed with goat cheese and minced dark meat—not a terribly tasty combination—and seemed misplaced next to the tiny delicate bird (and why not use chicken?).

But the filet of beef from Manx Station ($29) was much better, a wildly generous portion of sliced tenderloin cooked so it was a rosy shade of pink in the center, and adorned with a bright and refreshing apple slaw with sliced fingerling potatoes and an artery-threatening sauce heavy with marrow. It’s the perfect Sunday roast you can have any night of the week (though at prices that shoot this high for a little place on First Street, perhaps the neighbors won’t be able to stop in that frequently).

There’s a modest but very good dessert menu at JoeDoe that goes a long way toward removing memories of flavorless little birds. Bananas Foster Bread Pudding ($8) comes with a buzz-worthy drench of caramelized rum sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and vanilla tapioca ($10) is showered with maple brittle and served with two homemade pecan sandy cookies. A cheese plate ($14) includes an impressive selection of domestic cheeses (goat, cow and sheep), sliced for ease of consumption and garnished with fruit and bread. But our favorite dessert was a dark horse, one that none of us particularly had high hopes for: the wildflower honey custard with Turkish flats ($8). The custard is creamy but light, and tastes as though a honeycomb was melted down with cream. To dip into your custard you can use a spoon or even better, the crispy Turkish flats (wavy pieces of confectioner sugar dusted fried dough) sprinkled with honey and crushed salty peanuts.

I might not have loved everythi ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 7, 2008

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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