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.