Allen and Delancey 115 Allen Street 212 253 5400 Gosh, blink and you'd miss the entrance to this spot. Housed on a still dodgy street, this much awaited restaurant with chef Neil Ferguson at the helm (it was supposed to be Craftbar chef Akhtar Nawab) is neither the foodie event of the century nor is it completely terrible. Once past the drab outside, the farmhouse look of the front bar and the two back rooms are quite appealing. Warm and cozy, it works for couples and small groups but the menu is perhaps still a bit shaky. While the meal starts out with a lovely home made bacon bread (not bacon-y at all but absolutely delicious), the heavily pescetarian and market vegetable- focused menu just doesn't work. The leeks vinaigrette starter, while elegantly presented, will make you feel like you're eating tasty garnish. Some fishes arrive (the cod with artichoke) woefully raw, and other dishes such as the mackerel with apples, are just plain "fishy". Funnily enough, for a menu so heavy on seafood choices, the two winners are meat; the cabbage, beef and onion works because it is simple and the sweetbread appetiser is nicely done. We're sure everyone will make it here at least once but whether they will return time and again, that we're not too sure of. p.s. Word to the wise, both the bartenders and the dessert chef seem to be experimenting with flowers; the house drink being The Delancey, a prosecco cocktail done with elderflower, and the blood orange dessert salad done with some kind of floral ice cream. While we've had lovely floral tastes before, these two are more like Camay. |
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