Fat Radish

Finally got around to checking out The Fat Radish this past Saturday night. Got around to, simply because I'm scared of places that generate so much buzz. Much of that buzz is not for the food, but for the crowd, of which I'm decidedly not a member. But it's gotten some nice press and prose for the food, and it's right around the corner, and...

Who walks into a small, allegedly hot NYC restaurant on a Saturday night at 8 P.M. without a reservation? Well, that's early in this neck of the woods I guess, because with a little schmoozing of the darling hostess (and some no-show 8 o'clock reservations), Significant Eater and I found ourselves at a nice little table in the back. Her seat along the wall was way more comfortable than mine (a stool which makes dining at Noodle Bar seem like dining at the Casbah, btw), but who's complaining?

Anyway, the food. We only ate 4 dishes, so that's the caveat, but I'll be returning soon. Especially if the English peas are on the menu. Paired surprisingly with razor clams and not so surprisingly with ramps, this dish veered between a salad and a light braise; whatever - it was delicious. The peas were barely cooked and the razors had that familiar briny chew, and we scooped up every last bit of it. Less successful was the asparagus appetizer, but only because the peas were so good.

For mains, Sig Eater had the special mussel and ham potpie, which was the first time I'd seen those 2 proteins together in a pot pie. It's a nice combo and it was well done. Actually, it was delish.

My hamburger was too - medium-rare, exactly how I ordered it, and it was a handful. A decadent one at that, oozing with cheese and smoky from bacon, not usually the way I order a burger, but when in Rome... Crusty and juicy. Bun didn't fall apart until halfway through. A good burger exists below Delancey! With big, honkin' duck fat fries, too.

We didn't try dessert; maybe next time. By the time we left at 9:30, the place was packed. Like they say in all those blogs and articles, the crowd looked good. I'd return for the food alone.