On my last night in New York, I finally made it to the one restaurant I had marked as a must visit when I read about it in one of those seat pocket airplane magazines. I was immediately impressed by Dave Pasternack’s ability to find the right fish guy for every fish, bypassing the middleman. I remember that review describing a remote Eskimo who supplies the chef with some niche fish and wondering what fish I’d choose and where in the world it would come from.
As a southern coastal Italian restaurant, I had high expectations for the seafood, as that was my favorite food on my Amalfi Coast visit. Everything was so fresh and real in Italy. Esca did not disappoint.
My friend David and I decided to make an event of it given my last night instead of just going for food, so we started off with a bottle of wine and a half dozen oysters. Given the wine list was all Italian, we consulted the sommelier who recommended the dry Moscato del Veneto “Sirio” Vignalta 2007 Veneto from the Northeast. The oysters were Widow’s Hole and Peter’s point, all large and succulent.
It was a tough decision to forgo a crudo dish of raw seafood, but the Altro dish (cooked appetizer) of clams with prosciutto was too enticing to pass up and really, how many dishes can we do?
From there, we went to our primi dish of spaghetti neri, which was squid ink spaghetti with tiny cuttlefish, green chilies, and scallion. The chilies gave it a surprising kick and the squid ink gave it a fantastic and beautiful texture.
Our Secondi dish, we went for the Branzino per Tre, which was a whole Mediterranean sea bass cooked in sea salt. Teased by the display of this fish to our neighboring table... The waiter brought it out caked in the salt for our inspection prior to serving it up on our individual plates. While it was meant for 3 people, it was perfect for two even with all the other food. I normally don’t care for fish that may have bones in it, but the server deboned it expertly, leaving no inedible remains and a magnificently flavored fish. Clearly the chef understands fish better than any other chef’s seafood concoctions I’ve ever tasted before, knowing just what it needed, and didn't. Our complex dishes in this meal combined wonderful flavors, while our main dish was so simple and perfect.
To finish, we couldn’t fathom any more food, so we both ended with a digestivo instead of dessert. I can’t remember the name of mine, but it was a carmel flavored liquor and a wonderful end to a fantastic meal.
The restaurant itself appeared small, with only a handful of tables inside and a large al fresca dining space on a neighboring patio, but this added to the intimacy of the place. There was a more formal side of the restaurant, but I was happy with our bright, open, yet intimate table. The space was overwhelmed with branches of a flowering live pink rhododendron to add personality.
Our service was attentive. I appreciated that the wait staff seemed less like starving actors and more like professional service people, unlike other restaurants in this Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
Overall, Esca tops my restaurant experience in New York, Coming in a close second only to Nobu. Thank you David for a wonderful meal!
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