Pork Buns from Bleecker Kitchen & Co! Totes Delicious!
When it comes to highly populated areas such as Manhattan, the turnover rate for new restaurants is very high and the chance of some of these restaurants surviving in a somewhat struggling economy is tough on top of that. I found one last night though that I believe can rise above those issues and thrive in the fast paced world of Manhattan just based off of delicious food, comfortable setting and great service. This is Bleecker Kitchen & Co, located in the heart of Greenwich Village.
Bleecker Kitchen & Co has only been opened for a short period of time (right before December 2013), yet from what me and my friend saw last night you couldn’t really tell because it was packed within half an hour of us being there. There is dim lighting which really sets the mood and the whole place is set up somewhat like a kitchen, with beautiful tables and chairs and a great hardwood finish to add to the lovely detail. It definitely rings as welcoming the moment you walk in, and the wait staff couldn’t have been more amicable and helpful throughout the dinner.
Oh and that’s the best part of the whole thing- THE DINNER! I am not one who drinks much, but the drinks that me and my friend had at Bleecker was just delicious. I had the Pear Flower Spritz, which had sparking pear cider, lemon juice, sauvignon blanc and elderflower liquer, with two slices of Pear on top of it. It wasn’t overly sweet and the addition of the sliced pear really made it that much more yummy. My friend had the New York Sour, which contained Bourbon Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Can and mulled wine. It had a really great red texture to it and was packed with flavor, according to my buddy.
I for one am not the biggest fan of tartare , however their Salmon Belly Tartare with avocado, heirloom tomato, melon, cilantro and citrus really was quite tasty and very fresh to boot. The star of all the meals, which is weird because it was a small plate, was the BBQ Pork Puns. This pork is smoked for 72 hours and was topped with pickled onion slaw. This was flavor explosion to the max and is something that is worth smoking for 72 hours. Hands down, one of the best appetizers I have had in a long time.
Two words you really can’t go wrong with are- short ribs. Which is exactly what I ordered for the main course last night. The short ribs were cooked to perfection on top of being braised in root beer (Yummmmm) and came with some delicious carrots and sweet potato crisps that really added a crunch to the entire meal. My friend had the Free-Range Chicken Breast with lemon spinach, garlic confit, shallots, baby turnips. He said that the chicken was cooked well and the star of the entire meal was actually the lemon spinach as it added a ton of flavor to it.
Overall I would give this meal a 9/10. As stated before, this restaurant combines the core values that one needs to survive which is flavor, ambiance and overall professionalism throughout. Bleecker Kitchen & Co will be opening up their Sweetwater Social tonight at 5pm, which comes with a mixology menu and super fun bar games. Definitely a place you would like to visit if you are in the Greenwich Village area. Check out the official website for more information, and enjoy your visit when you go!
Bleecker Kitchen & Co
643 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
(212) 253-7467