Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6 Greenwich Village & the Meatpacking District
EXPENSIVE
Bar Blanc
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN I'm not sure the
three owners, who are all alumni of David Bouley restaurants, really
mean to say that Bar Blanc is a bar before it is a restaurant. The nar-
row space and the whitewashed look lends itself perfectly to the name,
and the
caipiroska
, the vodka version of the caipirinha, was as good as
I've had in any bar, but there is no doubt that the food is foremost
here. The menu is as sparse as the decor, and in neither case is that a
bad thing. It's not about quantity, it's about quality. An appetizer of
two pan-seared jumbo scallops wrapped in a fatty piece of smoked
pork belly might not seem like much, but each bite was memorable.
The entrees are not much more formidable than the appetizers, but
just as delicious: the juicy, milk-fed porcelet (an elegant way of describ-
ing pork), flavored with chanterelles and roasted brussels sprouts, and
the strip steak, grilled over Japanese charcoal and accompanied by a
bone marrow sauce. If you can, ask for a table in the back, away from
the bar where you might be able to have a quiet conversation.
142 W. 10th St (at Waverly Pl.).
&
212/255-2330.
www.barblanc.com. Reserva-
tions recommended. Main courses: $29-$36; AE, DISC, MC, V. Tues-Sun 5:30-11pm.
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th St.
Mas
FRENCH I've never had the pleasure of dining in
a French country farmhouse, but if the experience at Mas is anything
like it, now I know what I've been missing. This “farmhouse” is in
the West Village, and though there are nods to the rustic in the
decor, there is also an atmosphere of sophistication. A glass-enclosed
wine cellar is visible from the small dining room, the restaurant stays
open late, and you'll find hipsters in jeans and T-shirts as well as folks
in power suits eating here. And it's that combination, along with the
creative menu, that makes Mas so special. The dishes are innovative
and the ingredients are fresh, many of them supplied by upstate New
York farms. The tender, perfectly prepared braised pork belly, from
Flying Pig Farm, is served with polenta and a stew of escargot and
lima beans; and the duck breast, from Stone Church Farm, melds
magically with apple puree, sautéed Brussels sprouts. Service is low-
key but attentive, and the seating, though somewhat cramped, is not
enough to dim the romantic aura.
39 Downing St. (btwn Bedford and Varick sts.).
&
212/255-1790.
www.masfarm
house.com. Reservations recommended. 4-course tasting menu $68; 6-course $95;
main courses $32-$36. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6pm-4am (small-plate tast-
ing menu after 11:30pm). Subway: 1 to Houston St.
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