<< previous review   next review >>

reviews

“Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak”

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

t surprisingly, the menu also includes a tuna tartare (good luck finding a menu these days without one). But it's a nice one: very fresh, mixed with lemon juice, avocado, peppers, and cilantro. It was nice match for the delicious garlic-butter toast points, very reminiscent of its steak cousin. Meatballs were also terrific, served in surprising company: a savory mushroom and barley broth standing in for the ubiquitous tomato sauce. I liked it. They were tender and had an earthy flavor that was lovely.

Sides were good and, well, not so good. Brussels sprouts are great,  roasted with lemon juice and chili flake, browned and crisp on the edges. These were a nice change from the usual bacon-braised play. The cauliflower gratin on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. Sort of the culinary equivalent of staring at an incredibly good looking person, only to cringe when they open their mouth. You wish they would just go back to looking pretty in silence. This dish looked very promising, but it didn’t hold up to it’s appearance. It was lacking in that nutty cheese flavor and the sauce was kind of thin, so it wasn’t very creamy.

Still, one strike doesn’t mean you’re out, and fortunately there are plenty of other things to choose from at Bin on Bleecker. Maybe the best way to get a feel for the menu is to try one of the “signature” dishes: braised short rib with horseradish mashed potatoes and snap peas. The meat was super tender, but I didn’t care for the way it was served: one huge rectangular block of short rib sitting in broth. This piece was very fatty, and sliding around in a deep cast iron dish on top of that broth was making it hard to cut. The few pieces I managed to cut off were pretty tasty, but the horseradish mashed potatoes stood out more in my opinion with a nice tangy bite. And if the side stands out more than the main I think that’s something worth fixing. At this point we were quite full, but we managed to save some room for dessert.

The dessert menu wasn’t expansive, but the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was perfect. Warm indeed, the chocolate was rich and dense with the cold vanilla ice cream slowly melting over it like lava. Sometimes the best things in life are the simple, chocolatey things. Walking out of Bin on Bleecker, you’ll feel warmed from the inside out. Whether it comes from the wine, the food, or both, you’ll be glad yo ... [more, click below]

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  

 Make a reservation

<< previous review   next review >>

Posted: February 6, 2012

Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   

Share ! Post a comment