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Barreled
ceiling, light wood, cool colors—rustic chic— starkly contrast the over-sized
portraits of farmers and fishermen displaying bounty, lining the warm cream
walls of David Burke Kitchen. As if
the gorgeous dishes vibrant with freshness, color and certainty do not
illustrate the farm-to-table concept enough, these portraits drive the point
home.
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| RER 3.11.15 |
David Burke
Kitchen had extended its New York Restaurant Week, allowing for a three-course
prix fixe comprised of menu items. It was like freedom with supplements, no
limits but few restrictions, a sampling of the seasonal menu.
Despite their
allure on paper, the fancy drinks fell short. The pretty winter sangria was
deep and dark and spicy, while the ice cubes in the ginger beer and bourbon
cocktail clinked as they melted, creating just a wet drink. The pisco sour was
frothy and proud, tasty but not quite worth it.
The food on the
other hand, most definitely was.
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Textures tangled
in the appetizers—slippery raw fish met with floral crunchy cucumber in the
salmon tartar; crisp and flaky on the outside, the chicken grilled cheese was
chewy and stringy and hot with cheese inside; the dumplings of the soup held
tender lobster meat, sweet and buttery, while the vegetables added life,
freshness and texture.
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Classic pairings
with refined twists and turns, morphed entrees into elevated memories.
Succulent scallops, crusted with sear, settled nicely on soft cabbage and salty
lentils littered with meaty bacon, while the extra thick pork chop was
garnished with abstract apple sauce and mature tater tots, and the tender short
rib, marinated with time, danced with a crispy brick of risotto laced with
strong gorgonzola. Each dish echoed timeless companions championed through
perfected partnership.
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Dessert brought
comfort and exotic notes. The gigantic monkey bread, served with sweet ice
cream, thick fresh whipped cream, and dense caramel sauce was warm like
breakfast and studded with meaty pecans and soft bananas. Juxtaposing the
overlarge monkey bread was the delicate tropical tart, exuding sunshine, lime, pineapple
and coconut filling out a crunchy cookie shell.
The appetizers
and entrees were aesthetically simple and contemporary, but the profiles were
complex and varied. Produce and seasonal items were transformed into the visual,
sensual and visceral.
RER
3.11.15
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| RER 3.11.15 |
