Most of you probably forgot I had this blog. I forgot I had this blog, too. (It’s been pointed out to me on more than one occasion that I tend to dabble in hobbies. For a few years it was this blog, then it was a fast and furious love affair with kickboxing; at this moment, it's photography.)
But the past is the past. It won't do any of us any good if I name drop any more of the places I went while the blog went dark, especially where my good friend Eileen took me this past April as a 35th birthday present. I’ll just say it had three Michelin stars. And it was French. And the chef was very hot. And the name started with "Le."
What made me recall I had a blog in the first place was my dining experience over the weekend. My mind was so blown that the very next day I began writing a thank-you note to the restaurant. Then I crafted a review on OpenTable (those clowns cut me off after like 50 characters). I was just about to dig up my username on Yelp when I had an epiphany that I could write anything I wanted on my own website, ie: here! So "here" is what follows:
I’ve long been a fan of Top Chef Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle, owner of Manhattan hotspots Perilla and Kin Shop. While strategizing where to take my good friend Eileen for her birthday, my co-worker and fellow foodie Joe mentioned Dieterle had opened a new contemporary German/Italian style restaurant called The Marrow about a year ago in the West Village. I perused the menu. “Who can resist German/Italian fusion?” I thought to myself. I knew I couldn’t, now that I knew it existed. From there, it was easy to convince Eileen that that’s where she wanted to go for her birthday.
The Marrow’s website has some great pictures of the decor, as well as of the food (Eileen took some pretty sub-par pics on her phone, which I’ll include despite their sub-par nature because people love pictures). What the site fails to capture is just how awesome the musical selection is. We heard Hendrix, Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison, even some rap as the evening went on. I LOVE restaurants that have polished food, service and décor, yet create a non-pretentious, friendly vibe ala the playlist.
Our server Karla made her awesomeness known early in the evening, as well. Eileen was looking for a cocktail that “masked the taste of alchohol” (ie: a girly drink). When Karla realized Eileen wasn’t drinking the first cocktail she brought out, she offered to replace it right away with something bubbly and girlier. Out appeared The Marrow 75 (gin, lemon, sage, blanc de blancs), which Eileen loved.
For apps, we chose: The Ricotta Cavatelli $16 (Baby arugala, pinenuts, lemon, and parmesan)
We also ordered: The Pretzel Crusted Rock Shrimp Salad $14 (Mizuna, pickled mushrooms, and chili-lemon vinaigrette)
This wouldn’t have even been on my radar (not a big fan of shrimp), if Eileen didn’t push it. So glad she did. The salad was bright and refreshing and delicate; the shrimp meaty, crisp nuggets of flavor, which perfectly balanced with the peppery greens. Naturally, I told the couple next to me to order this, too.
Finally, given it was the restaurant’s namesake, we ordered The Bone Marrow $17 (Sea urchin, fried potatoes, meyer lemon aioli and baby celery greens). (Pictured above the rock shrimp salad.)
Beautiful to behold, “meh” to the taste, I’m sorry to say. However, if you look online, people lose their shit over this dish, so take my opinion with a grain of salt (Seriously, what do I know? I’ve only had bone marrow on one other occasion, and I was meh about it then, too.) Eileen and I just weren’t impressed. Not with the marrow, and not with the bread that accompanied it. Thick, dry, a little chewy, and not toasted enough. This is where our server shined once again. Upon noticing two completely clean plates that recently had cavatelli and salad on it, and then the barely-touched marrow, she asked if everything was ok. We were honest. We said it just wasn’t our thing. She thanked us for the feedback and made no further mention of it until the end of the meal, when she kindly and discreetly removed it from our bill. Totally unnecessary, but very thoughtful and classy. We were touched.
For dinner, it was Pumpernickel crusted salmon $27 (schupfnudeln, baby beets, greens, and red wine sauce).
Eileen was similarly in love with her White Balsamic-Glazed Black Cod $36 (Roasted mushrooms, fennel and eggplant-basil sauce)
Karla also brought out a plate of Roasted Delicata Squash ($12), compliments of the chef (pictured above my salmon). Eileen and I were so full at this point, we were going to take a few bites to placate our server and the chef, but after one bite, I pronounced it the best thing I had ever eaten, and decided I had to make room for it. I declared this to the table next to us, and even began fixing them a plate (you never know where you’re going to make foodie friends).
For dessert, we went with a special: a plate of donuts served with marscarpone cheese and some sort of syrupy dipping sauce I can’t remember.
Again, this is where The Marrow showed its class. I made the reservation online about a month prior. Karla brought the donuts out with a candle on it (note: not the candle pictured; that was us trying to recreate some of the magic), and warmly wished Eileen a happy birthday.
I’m not sure it comes through in this entry, (Remember: I’m a photographer now), but I REALLY REALLY REALLY loved The Marrow. To the point I’m telling Eileen to take me there for my birthday. Get there, my friends!
The Marrow
99 Bank Street
(212) 428-6000
