Jamie and I had a great date last night. It started with seeing Branford Marsalis with the New York Philharmonic and it ended at
Recette. I'd heard it was super romantic, so we thought we'd go for a little date. When we got there it was bustling and smelled amazing, but we had to wait half an hour for our table even though we had a reservation. Even though it started out a little rocky, I
definitely recommend this place!
To start, we got salt cod fritters with a curry aioli and lamb ragu. It came in a teeny cast iron pot and we thought it was too small, but it was just enough. So rich and flavorful, with the soft and crunchy fritters and the tangy, heart ragu. I would never have guessed to pair these together, but the flavors went together very well.
For the next course, we ordered two things to share: Beef carpaccio, burrata, tomato jam, porcini puree, basil and watercress and Branzino, haricots vert and lentils, local greens, and a tomato vinaigrette. The carpaccio looked little, but it was the perfect amount of food. The carpaccio was wrapped around the creamy burrata and topped with everything else. The flavors were so amazing - the creaminess of the cheese and the tart of the tomato jelly, along with the savory taste of the carpaccio. Really a wonderful dish. The Branzino was equally good - the fish was cooked perfectly, with crispy skin and moist, flaky flesh. The flavor was strong but fresh, and the black lentils were delicious. Since we weren't overly stuffed (in the best way!) we ordered dessert. I ate most of our Snickers Parfait, which was super tasty, although nothing outshined that carpaccio, mmmm.
I will definitely go again, but perhaps planning for a later night and making the reservation for 9:45.
