Hawksmoor

As I alluded to in my previous post, Leah and I decided to do one last last fancy dinner in NYC before moving out. Seriously, this time was the last. 

I was having a craving for steak, so we looked at a few best-of lists and settled on Hawksmoor, a steakhouse that only opened in 2021. Their menu seemed like a nice modern take on the traditional steakhouse format, with a strong-sounding cocktail program, which always helps get us in the door. We ended up having a great time despite a few annoyances, and I would recommend Hawksmoor to anyone looking for a steakhouse that goes above and beyond the century-plus old traditional experience. 

Hawksmoor
109 East 22nd St, New York, NY

We arrived a few minutes early, so our table wasn't ready. We were told we could have a seat at the bar, which we did, only to be called to our table barely a minute later. In our brief time there, we felt that the bar was very nice and worth visiting on its own. 

Some shots of the beautiful restaurant interior, which apparently used to be an event space used by presidents and other dignitaries. We thought it had a sort of old bank or train station vibe (in a good way). There were several chalkboards hanging throughout the restaurant listing specific in-stock cuts of beef - as they were ordered, the servers came around and crossed off what was no longer available. 

Our server, who seemed very inexperienced, came by and asked us if we had ever been to the restaurant before. We said no, and then she promptly proceeded to read half of the menu to us out loud. Seriously, she said, "We have X and it's prepared in Y fashion and comes with Z" for like nine different things on the menu. We said that we had never been to the restaurant before, not that we had never been to ANY restaurant or heard of a restaurant or had ever seen a menu before.

Next she asked if we would like bread and butter for the table, to which was said sure. Closer inspection of the menu after she left revealed that there's a $5 charge for bread and butter. We would have still gotten it, but a bit annoying to be offered something that almost every other restaurant provides for free without being told there's a charge. 

Anyway...the bread was great but we could have used more butter. 

Cocktails
Sour Cherry Negroni - Fords Gin, Martini Rubino Vermouth, Sour Cherry, Campari
Ginza Highball - Johnnie Walker Black Scotch, Apple, Verjus, Lemon Verbena, Soda

These two opening cocktails were fabulous and set the stage for a wonderful meal. I've said before that I greatly prefer a negroni with a spin to it rather than the traditional version, which I always find cloying, and this sour cherry version fit the bill perfectly. My highball was a delightfully complex yet refreshing combination of flavors, with the mildly sweet and sour verjus tying it all together. 

Oysters

Dressed - Scotch Bonnet Mignonette

Charcoal Roasted - Bone Marrow, Breadcrumbes

We opted for three each of Hawksmoor's prepared oyster options. Both were superb, though I enjoyed the raw ones just a bit more since they were more "oyster-like". 

Ash-Baked Beets
Pickled Fennel, Horseradish, Hazelnuts

Leah and I both zeroed in on this lighter sounding dish from the long list of very heavy appetizers. After two bites, I declared it the best beet dish I had ever eaten. It might have been the best thing we ate for the whole meal. 

Potted Beef & Bacon

Yorkshire Pudding, Onion Gravy

This was essentially beef rillettes - shredded meat slow cooked and preserved in its own fat, most often seen with duck or pork. The idea here was to spread the beef on the puddings and top with a bit of the gravy. Delicious, though we both agreed the gravy was extraneous. I also would have appreciated a bit of crunchy finishing salt on the plate to sprinkle on each bite. 

More Cocktails

Night Nurse - Dewars 12-Year Scotch, Beeswax, Honey, Ginger, Laphroaig Scotch

Mandarin Paloma - Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, Mango, Mandarin, Passion Fruit Kombucha, Champagne

My Night Nurse came from the "50 Years of NYC Bar Life" section of the menu, which purported to celebrate and reinterpret some of the most famous drinks invented in NYC over the decades (e.g. the Cosmopolitan, the Apple Martini, etc.). It's known far and wide that the Penicillin - created in 2005 by bartender Sam Ross at NYC's Milk & Honey - is one of my favorite cocktails of all time. Hawksmoor's version advertised itself as a mellower riff on this instant classic, which it was. It was fine, but the removal of the "bite" of the Penicillin also removed the magic. Leah's Mandarin Paloma was very tasty, reminding me of a fancy screwdriver. The best part was the spiced orange garnish. 

Steak

16 oz Ribeye
Roasted Bone Marrow
Creamed Spinach
Atlas Carrots, Cider & Mustard
Garlic Portabella Mushrooms
Peppercorn Sauce
Béarnaise Sauce

I felt like we ordered incorrectly with the steak, and for all our server's insistence on guiding us through the menu, I'm surprised in retrospect that she didn't suggest something like a rib chop or porterhouse. But Leah and I both love a ribeye and that's what we ordered, not knowing it would in fact be a boneless ribeye. The steak was flavorful, but a little chewy; as I have found at virtually every steakhouse I've ever been to, the steak is never the best part of the meal. 

I found the spinach a little offputting - it lacked salt and was basically a purée, which reminded me of eating baby food. The carrots were the heroes of the table, with a nice texture from the fried carrot tops, and lots of flavor from the mustard. The mushrooms were good too and went nicely with the steak, as mushrooms do. The sauces were also both delicious, though unfortunately our leftover peppercorn sauce leaked out of the flimsy paper cup to-go container, making a mess in our take-home bag after we left. 

Of course, the bone marrow was outrageously delicious - we had both saved some of our $5 bread to eat it on. Again, some crunchy salt would have been appreciated though. 

Even More Cocktails

Amaro Coretto - Amaro Ramazotti, Cognac Dudognon, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Espresso

Full Fat Old Fashioned - Elijah Craig Bourbon, Salted Brown Butter, Extra-Aged Rye

These two late-meal cocktails came perfectly with dessert time. Leah will order any cocktail with coffee in it, so I knew as soon as we saw the menu that she would get the Amaro Coretto, which was very good, as was my Old Fashioned. 

Peanut Butter Louie

Peanut Butter Mousse, Milk Chocolate, Salted Caramel Ice Cream

In keeping with their theme of riffing on other famous culinary creations, many of the desserts were plays on famous confections originally invented elsewhere, like this spin on the Louie XV dessert from the same-named 3 Michelin Star restaurant run by Alain Ducasse in Monaco. I am a sucker for creamy desserts like mousse and pastry cream, especially when paired with a crunchy textural element, so this landed extremely well for me. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding Sundae

Milk Ice Cream, Sticky Toffee Sponge, Caramel Sauce

We're nuts about sticky toffee pudding and couldn't resist ordering this version. It was outrageously good, just barely beating the Peanut Butter Louie as my favorite dessert. 

Grand Rocher

70% Cru Udzungwa Chocolate, Hazelnut

Obviously an homage to the gold-foiled Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut candies, we were interested to order this. I'm glad we did, but it was a tiny bit disappointing, as it was very heavy and gloppy - the center of the half-dome was filled with chocolate and hazelnut pudding which kinda just blended together into a mess on the plate. It was rich and decadent, but also very one-note. I also normally despise gold leaf, but if ever there were a place for it, this was it. 

Tributes

Salted Caramel

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Old Fashioned

How many homages are too many? At what point are you just ripping off others' ideas? I suppose individuals have to decide for themselves, though I can't argue if the results are delicious, which these take-home candies inspired by Rolos definitely were. 

Completely unbeknownst to us, we walked out into the middle of the tail end of a Manhattanhenge event. 23rd St is one of the best places to view it, so we took a moment to navigate the crowd and enjoy the spectacular sunset, which cast everything in a pink and orange glow. What an amazing end to the evening!

Sixty Three Clinton

It's been a busy month - Leah and I have made arrangements to move out of NYC and into a much more rural location just outside Waverly, NY. With our move impending, we decided to enjoy one last fancy meal out before leaving (spoiler alert, it was not our last fancy meal out). 

With tons of options to consider, we opted to go back for a second visit to Sixty Three Clinton, having had a spectacular and innovative meal there back in January. The second visit was as good, if not better, though we we weren't treated to any complimentary booze at the end (not a problem - the wine pourings were very generous!). 

Sixty Three Clinton
63 Clinton St, New York, NY

Once again, we made sure to secure seats at the wonderful kitchen counter, where guests can watch chef Sam Clonts and his team at work. 

My lovely wife, whose dress perfectly matches the Exit sign!

Cocktails

The printed cocktail menu offers a limited but refined selection that reflects the season. Leah's was a deliciously light drink with Japanese whiskey and blueberry, while I opted for a negroni enlivened by tequila. 

Breakfast Taco

Hash Brown, Ajitama, Salsa Verde, Smoked Trout Roe

The trademark dish once again opens the menu and it was even better than we remembered. A perfect contrast of textures and flavors. I maintain that the freshly made flour tortilla is the best part - it reminds me of warm homemade bread right out of the oven. Chef Sam, who was standing on the other side of the counter, laughed when he overheard me moan, "That's so fucking good..." 

Caviar Temaki (+$55)

The other trademark dish, which you'd be crazy not to order for the very reasonable (relative to the portion) supplemental price, is the astoundingly good caviar handroll. Having eaten this twice now, I can say that it is the best caviar preparation I've ever had. 

Hamachi

Tomato, Horseradish, Hokkaido Uni (+$22)

A masterclass in refreshment. The fish was tender and light, and we loved the cool tomato water gelèe for both its texture and subtle sweetness, though I felt the supplemental price on the sea urchin was high for the portion. 

Murray Cod

Sherry, Morel, Scallion

Here things began to transition to richer flavors. The cod was juicy and succulent, with a crisp wafer of skin. The sauce had all the flavor of cream but without any of the heaviness. 

Corn

Peekytoe Crab, Ramps, Golden Osetra Caviar (+$35)

Taco and handroll aside, this was probably my favorite dish. It was about as rich and hearty as you could imagine a plate of food being, while still possessing a refined quality, such as little sour studs of what I think must have been pickled ramps. The caviar (yes, more caviar - no, it was not too much!) was a generous portion and a must-have element on the plate. 

Caraflex Cabbage

Comté, Nori, Hazelnut, Dark Rye Sourdough

We picked up on the pattern that the chefs here like to serve a roast vegetable over cheese with a side of warm bread. This time it was a beautifully cooked piece of cabbage studded with mustard seeds and crunchy hazelnuts. The bread was as delicious as ever. 

Heritage Pork Loin

Tomato, Tonnato, Bok Choy

This was an interesting dish. The pork was slow cooked and topped with a piece of salty, crispy ham, which basically served as a seasoning agent. There were two types of tomato, one roasted and one pickled, which lent a nice contrasting dynamic. The bok choy added some pleasing vegetal crunch and the tuna sauce, a play on the classic Italian vitello tonnato, made for a unique and delicious pairing with the pork. 

Baked Alaska

Strawberry, Yuzu, Coconut

The last recurring dish of the night was the delightful little single-serving baked Alaska, bursting with fresh summer fruit flavors. 

The final menu. The seven courses are a steal at $92, though the supplements are effectively mandatory (at least the two caviar options were - the uni less so in this case and last time). Even at the final price, I feel that Sixty Three Clinton absolutely holds its own or even outshines other NYC restaurants at similar price points. The food is delicious and innovative, and the dining experience is downright fun. 

A beautiful NYC sunset awaited us as we exited!

Flash Pizza

After years of seeing his recipes pop up in search results, I decided to subscribe to Chef John's excellent YouTube channel. His recipes are all very practical and reasonable to make at home, and so far everything we've made has been perfect, including this no-fuss, no-rise "flash" pizza dough. It eats more like a flatbread than a true pizza, but considering the minimal effort and quality results, this is definitely a recipe I'll be making again.

I topped the pizzas with roasted garlic white sauce, roasted fennel, ground sausage, kalamata olives, and a few drips of chili sauce. 

Carole & Mark's 70th Birthday Dinner 2022

This year marked the 70th birthdays for my in-laws, Carole & Mark. Like we did with my parents on my dad's 70th birthday back in 2015, Leah and I planned and prepared an extravagant meal to mark the occasion. For one night only, the Terrier Club was revived for a special six-course celebratory dinner. 

Food Prep

The most involved dish involved making beef stock and reserving the marrow to fill tortellini. In sourcing the bones, I found Webstaurant Store, an online purveyor of restaurant supplies, including bulk food products. I was able to buy 20 lbs. of marrow bones at a very reasonable price, perfect for making a big pot of stock. Unfortunately, I didn't store the bones properly the first time and, long story short, they rotted and had to be thrown out. Another 20 lbs. of bones later, we were once again on track. 

The bones were first roasted in two batches for about 25 minutes each, which softened the marrow and allowed for extraction. Then we put the bones back in the oven and roasted again for a while longer, adding tomato paste near the end to get a nice browning effect. 

With the bones roasted and marrow reserved, it was on to the stock. We cooked down a traditional mirepoix, then added the roasted bones and water. This cooked over very low heat overnight. All the gunk was skimmed off the top and the remaining liquid reduced by a third and seasoned. This left us with an incredibly unctuous, rich beef stock. 

So what did we do with the marrow? First we strained the marrow fat and used it to cook some minced yellow onions. Then we briefly pulsed the marrow itself in a food processor until it had a spreadable, but still chunky texture. This was mixed with the onions and some good Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to create our tortellini filling. 

Next came the most laborious part: making fresh pasta dough and filling about a hundred or so nickel-sized tortellini. This was a true labor of love. 

With the main labor out of the way, we moved on to some less intense prep, like making this jar of pickled apples. The pickling liquid was a mix of cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, and spices - cinnamon sticks, mustard seeds, and allspice berries. 

Dessert prep was next: we used our handy smoking gun to smoke chestnuts with applewood, which served as the base for an ice cream, along with copious amounts of milk, cream, brown sugar, and honey. I wasn't happy with the amount of smoke flavor from just the chestnuts, so I also smoked the ice cream base itself before churning. 

Parsnips are one of my favorite vegetables - here is a lovely pot of them simmering away in milk and cream with some thyme. 

Speaking of my favorite things, I also bought 10 lbs. of veal sweetbreads from Webstaurant Store when I placed my marrow bones order. I love this strange organ meat, though it requires a lot of prep to get right. I'm happy to say I have perfected my technique: 1) soak the sweetbreads for several days in cold water (changing and rinsing daily), 2) cut into portions and trim excess membrane, 3) poach for several minutes until just gently cooked through 4) pull off any additional membrane (easier to do now that the sweetbreads are cooked) 5) place on a plate with a heavy pot or pan on top and leave in the fridge to be pressed down overnight. All of this results in a clean, pleasant texture once the sweetbreads are finally cooked. 

To dress the sweetbreads, we prepared a silky, rich sweet & sour sauce consisting of veal demi-glace, red wine vinegar, apple cider, butter, and a quick infusion of fresh thyme and rosemary. 

Rather than shake individual cocktails when our guests arrived, we opted to assemble everything in a big mason jar in advance and store in the fridge. This was a recipe from Liber & Co., a purveyor of delicious cocktail syrups that Leah and I keep stocked. 

Our family loves foie gras. Here I am punching rounds out of sliced brioche in preparation of our foie gras course that would come toward the end of the meal. 

The final pre-meal prep was to fry some thin shavings of parsnip, which were later used as a textural component in the sweetbreads dish. 

Here we are at the start of the meal! I'm gently scrambling eggs with butter over very low heat until they form almost a porridge-like consistency for our caviar course. 

The bone marrow tortellini cooking away, while the warm beef stock awaits. 

Some thinly julienned red cabbage, lightly dressed with oil and lemon juice. 

The sweetbreads! Soaked in buttermilk and then dredged in a mix of AP flour and rice flour, then fried in a cast iron pan. The result was wonderfully crisp. 

Some preemptive dessert prep, whisking egg yolks and whites for our soufflés, which went in the oven at this time. 

The rounds of brioche slowly being griddled in a warm pan while I punched out discs of foie gras to sit on top. Eating the foie gras scraps was a luxurious indulgence as we worked. 

The finished soufflés! Nicely golden brown, though they deflated slightly. 

Our after-dinner cocktail being mixed. 

Dinner

Welcome and happy birthday Carole and Mark!

Ginger Apple Cider Cocktail - Liber & Co.

Old Home Distillers Brothers Cut Bourbon, Fiery Ginger Syrup, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Apple Cider

Popcorn

Butter, Spices

Years ago we had the idea to serve popcorn and cocktails to our guests at the start of each Terrier Club meal. We always season the popcorn according to the...season...in this case using cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg to represent winter. 

Critz Farms Harvest Moon Rippleton Original, Cazenovia NY

It's of course traditional to serve caviar with champagne, but Leah and I aren't fans and instead opted to use a local product from Carole and Mark's area. Critz Farm's driest cider drinks like a champagne and the apple notes paired very nicely with the caviar. 

Egg Caviar - Jean-Georges, NYC

Smooth Scrambled Egg, Vodka Whipped Cream, DeSietra Siberian Caviar

Aside from messing up and having to redo the whipped cream, this dish, a shameless copy of the signature version served at Jean-Georges, turned out great.

Gevrey-Chambertin "La Justice" 2017 Domaine Antonin Guyon

I'm a relative novice when it comes to wine, so I phoned and a friend and asked Al for his expertise - he recommended a red Burgundy. Leah and I have a nice little wine store downstairs from our apartment, and we found a few options that fit Al's suggestions (depth of flavor but not too heavy), ultimately settling on this bottle, which hit all the marks. This was served with both of the next two courses.

Tortellini in Brodo - Faun, NYC

Bone Marrow, Onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, Nutmeg, Beef Stock

I watch a lot of food videos on YouTube, including reruns of Mike Colameco's Real Food. A few years ago, he visited a small NYC restaurant called Faun, and one of the dishes they spotlighted was this amazing sounding tortellini in brodo. They described how the dish was made, but not the exact recipe, so I sort of reverse-engineered it as best I could. The results were spectacular, though we're never making tortellini this small ever again!

Crispy Winter Sweetbreads

Parsnip Purée & Chips, Pickled Apple, Red Cabbage, Sweet & Sour Demi-Glace

When we all got together for Mark's birthday in January, he mentioned that he loved sweetbreads and hadn't eaten them in a while. It was a lightbulb moment, and Leah and I dusted off this old recipe I came up with years ago. It didn't turn out great the first time, so we worked to refine and perfect the technique, which really paid off. This turned out incredibly well, and was a particular hit with Carole and Mark. 

Critz Farms 20 Below Ice Cider, Cazenovia NY

Back to Critz Farms for some ice-cold dessert cider, which bridged the gap between our savory and sweet courses. 

Foie Gras Brûlée

Duck Torchon, Griddled Brioche, Raw Sugar, Maldon Salt

This dish just popped into my head one day a few years back, and I served it at an earlier Terrier Club dinner. It's simple and perfect, two bites of savory-sweet deliciousness. 

Bartlett Pear Soufflé

Smoked Chestnut Ice Cream, Chestnut Honey

I love a good soufflé and have made several different types over the years. Thinking of winter fruits, pear came to mind, and I felt it would go nicely with the nutty flavors in this smoked chestnut ice cream I first made a few years ago. We sourced some good chestnut honey online, which added a pleasant bitter component to the otherwise sweet dessert. 

Half a Century of Poetry

Casamigos Añejo Tequila, Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao, Chameleon Cold Brew, Cinnamon Simple Syrup, Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters

A dessert cocktail I invented for one of my dinners with Al. I named it after the bard Dandelion's opus collection of poetry from The Witcher (nerds will understand what I'm talking about). 

Godiva Chocolates

This wasn't a planned part of the meal, but it was right after Valentine's Day, so Leah and I had this big box of chocolates laying around, which served as mignardises. 

The end! Thanks for everything guys - it was a ton of fun celebrating together.