This past weekend my cousin came in town, and since she too is a foodie, we picked several restaurants that she has heard/I have wanted to eat at. One of these was Prune. This east village eatery has been on my list for almost a year now and despite varying reviews, I still wanted to eat there. Known for it's "Unpretentious American home cooking with eccentric, multicultural influences" Prune has one of the interesting menus I have come across in a long time. Bone marrow, lamb shank, sweetbreads with bacon and capers, oh my!
I had no idea what to expect walking up to Prune, but I wasn't anticipating a 20 person dining room,
with a beautiful old door, glass front windows, and a clear view straight into the kitchen. Our table wasn't ready so Dory and I went to the bar and had our first drink of the night, a "fresca", a grapefruit concoction that really tasted like the soft drink Fresca. After waiting for our table for 25 minutes (I was not pleased at this point), we were seated near the front. My frustration was completely eliminated when our server presented us immediately with fried chickpeas. These crunchy, salty, creamy popable bites were devoured in seconds. Literally, seconds. Things that small and delicious are dangerous.
For our appetizer we ordered buttered brown bread with spanish goat cheese and salted red onion and thyme (pictured top left). The portion size was just perfect. Large enough to subside the hunger pains, but not too big that I was so full I couldn't eat my entree. The cheese was so soft and when you added the salted onion, it was the perfect creamy crunch. Something
so simple, and yet so good.
Our entrees continued to impress. Dory ordered the lamb shank with braised romano beans and myer lemon (pictured right). A) Look at that thing. It looks like something out of midevil times. It was the biggest hunk of meat I have seen in my life. B) Once the cool metal fork touch the meat it immediately fell apart. The mix of dark meat and fat reminded me of a duck leg (I know, I know - it's lamb). Ahhh, so tender and delicious. I ate as much of hers as I did my own. Since we knew that the lamb was going to be a little heavy, I opted for the grilled swordfish with corn, bacon and arugula (pictured below). To me swordfish has a great texture; it's light, but not flaky and is really cuts more like a tuna steak than anything else. The corn, bacon and arugula mixture was of course delicious (hello, it has bacon in it). Lastly, for a side we ordered some new potatoes that were so good, I had to ask for the ingredients (which I replicated at home - check back for recipe) - a mixture of fresh herbs and mustard that was the perfect compliment to our meals.
We laughed as we sipped on sparkling wine and rose. I always say the meal can be great, but it's who you dine with that matters and I had great company :) I know that some people (eh hem, Marcy) have has poor experiences at Prune, but I would definitely go back.
New York, NY 10003
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