Northern Spy Food Co.

(Hi all! I didn't see the 300 word count until I started to put this up. I tried to quickly get rid of some, so please excuse the wordiness!)

The restaurant was tucked away in the East Village of New York City, hidden like a spy might be. But as you walk up to this gem, it’s actually very sweet and inviting, more like an apple (the Northern Spy variety) that the restaurant is in fact named after. The decor is homey and simple and the main room reminded me of an old school house - a single room building with hardwood floors, chalkboard, and a white door. We sat in the window and it was early enough that the sunlight was still coming in, making it a comfortable place to settle in and enjoy a meal.

I started with a bright green cucumber wine cooler... it tasted like summer, cool and crisp, with just a hint of white wine. Our large group was served family style and it worked nicely allowing us to try many dishes. The fresh farmers market salad and the pan-seared gnocchi came out first. The arugula in the salad was tender and the baby vegetables were crisp and just-picked fresh. Mysterious nuggets were identified as sweet roasted red carrots. I enjoyed the tart yogurt dressing - just enough to complement, but not drown the salad. The gnocchi was pan-seared which gave these fluffy pillows an interesting texture; it was paired with a cherry tomato sauce and speckled with peas and basil.

Next came a vegetable freekah risotto (freekah, which I was not familiar with, is roasted green wheat, very chewy and nutty) and the locally sourced and daily changing fish entree. The risotto was creamy, clothbound cheddar and mascarpone were responsible for the creaminess, and it wasn’t too heavy, which I find risotto can often be. Market fresh zucchini and turnips helped to lighten it up and created a nice balance. While I am a vegetarian, and didn’t try the fish, I was excited with the many vegetarian options on the menu! In fact, Northern Spy Food Co. doesn't seem to cater to vegetarians, but it tasted like the meat-free plates were created by a chef who wanted to make them, not by a chef being forced to deal with a vegetarian option. And finally came our desserts, yellow plum cake with burnt caramel ice cream and sour & sweet cherry pie with basil ice cream. The ice cream was a small scoop, just enough for all of us to try, and tasted homemade. The cake and pie both looked like something my grandmother would have made and tasted just as good. We all left stuffed and happy, looking forward to our next trip to this little restaurant, the Northern Spy Food Co.