Northern Spy Food Co.



Tucked on a side street in the heart of Alphabet City, if you didn't know the Northern Spy Food Co. was there you might miss it.

And that would be a shame.

Named for a variety of apple cultivated in New York, the mission of the creators of Northern Spy is to 'hunt down' regional fruits, vegetables, artisan foods and sustainably produced meat and fish and feature them in the most charming locale. After my visit there I can confidently say they have succeeded.

The designers of the space used as many repurposed materials as they could get their hands on it seems, which fits perfectly with the culinary vision. The décor is reminiscent of a country General Store, with banquettes that look much like park benches. After your meal be sure to visit the counter where they sell a bevy of products such as Brooklyn Brine Pickles (housed in an antique chicken coop) and tasty local treats like Liddabit's Sweets' Caramels.

On this night our large group dined family style. First up, the Farmer's market salad which featured baby turnips, leeks, carrots and cucumbers in a yogurt vinaigrette. The crunch of the colorful vegetables tossed amongst the peppery arugula was the perfect start. It was served alongside gnocchi which was charred and swimming in a cherry tomato sauce with fresh peas and basil. The smoky flavor gave the dish a unique taste and it was definitely something you don't see at your local Italian place.

Next up was Freekeh risotto with zucchini, asparagus and mascarpone. Creamy and full of fresh vegetables it's a dish that proves Arborio rice isn't the only player in the risotto game.



We also were presented with the Long Island Market fish atop a bed of roasted mushrooms, crisp green beans and sweet corn. The fish was perfectly prepared and complimented the heavier risotto.

Stuffed but still anticipating a sweet ending to our meal we were served two fruit filled delights. A spongy yellow plum cake with basil ice cream and sugar crusted sour and sweet cherry pie with caramel ice cream looked and tasted like something you'd see pinned with a blue ribbon at the State Fair. Rustic and familiar, the unusual ice cream elevated these two desserts to something even more prize worthy.



Northern Spy Food Co. recently doubled their wine list, featuring many local varieties. Service is swift and attentive without being overbearing or making you feel rushed. It's important to note there's a brief period between lunch and dinner (4-5:30 PM) where only snacks are served. The space is cozy so be prepared to wait or call ahead if you are looking to dine during prime dinner hours.

If you're pressed for time, take out is always available.

Northern Spy Food Co.
511 East 12th St (between Avenues A & B)
New York, NY 10009
212-228-5100

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.

Spies Like Us

You're not exactly incognito when you walk into a 25 seat restaurant with a group of nine. Even less so when the owner expects your arrival. But such is the life of a NYU Food Writing student. It's funny though, the perspective it provides with which to review. You learn a little more about what a restaurant values which, in some ways, is almost as important as the food they serve.

I've been to Northern Spy Food Co. once prior to this visit, for Brunch in March, on the advice of a friend. "Try this cool little place that just opened up on 12th" he said. I followed his advice and enjoyed a delicious meal. Slow cooked eggs and a home made biscuit. From that experience I learned that the folks and Northern Spy and I share a common value - it's important not to try too hard. Good food doesn't need to be dressed up and paraded around, it requires only thoughtful preparation in order accentuate it's tastes.

Yet as the tenor changed from lunch to dinner, so did my appetite. Brunch is my "light" meal, dinner is where I do my eating. Being such a large group and attempting to manufacture an paralleled eating experience, we were served family style. Two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts for the table. First up - gnocci and a market salad. I was looking for a hearty, dense meal and these choices seemed a perfect fit. The salad I found to be a bit too dressed up. The bitterness of the arugula lost in a sea of oversized vegetables and a slightly overpowering yogurt vinagrette. Arugula preparation should follow one basic principal: KISS (keep it simple stupid). The gnocci, on the otherhand, was very much to my liking. Charred on one side, swimming in a creamy tomato sauce, colored up with green peas. The main courses - Freekeh Risotto and Cod - were next. Both dishes had an inviting freshness to them. The risotto tasted less like a traditional, almost-too-dense risotto, an unexpected surprise and one I can attribute to the creative use of Freekeh in the dish. The Cod itself was good, if not exciting, but the vegetables sitting below made for a dish I'd eat again. And last, but certainly not least, was dessert. Plum cake with basil ice cream and cherry pie with caramel ice cream. Was it something new? No. But not every experience of the palate has to be new, just exciting, and this definitely was.

Where we failed as spies, we succeeded as diners. Leaving not a trace of the food that was placed in front of us.

Will Write for Food

Dianne Jacob's book Will Write for Food is a valuable reference for those looking to start a career, sideline, or second career in food writing. It's won awards for food reference. It's engaging and actionable. Most of all it's written by a successful food writer who really knows her biz. I encourage you all to pick it up if you can--at least peruse it in a bookstore or library. You won't be sorry.

My Restaurant Review-Northern Spy

As soon as I entered Northern Spy Food Co., I felt my neighborhood transform into a quaint, easygoing locale. The rosemary in the window was welcoming and on my way to the bathroom I noticed a bag of “help yourself” popcorn planted at the bar in a brown paper bag. We were served family style, which added to the simple elegance of the restaurant. The first two dishes to come out were the Farmer’s market salad and the gnocchi. The carrots, turnips, leeks and cucumbers in the salad were wonderfully crunchy and coated in a sharp, flavorful yogurt vinaigrette. The variations of the veggies were ones you do not see very often which made the dish a joy to eat. As good as it was, I could barely wait to stab my fork into the pillowy, perfectly burnt on-one-side gnocchi staring me in the face. The vibrant cherry tomato sauce was a gorgeous palette. They were deliciously creamy, and the sauce and English peas were a lovely, light compliment. The gnocchi was not dense at all, which can be a common dilemma. The strands of basil provided a nice bite and added freshness to the dish. Everyone looked satisfied with both dishes and no leftovers were seen anywhere at the table. We sunk into our seats and waited for the next course, which came out soon after the first. Dishes of freekeh risotto and cod with vegetables were placed on the table next, and everyone dug in. The freekeh was a lovely substitute for Arborio rice and tasted like barely. The mascarpone made the dish creamy and rich, but the zucchini and asparagus running through it lightened things up and provided a nice crunch. The cod was cooked perfectly and fell apart when my fork broke into it. The seasoning was perfect as well. The vegetable medley consisted of wild mushrooms, green beans and roasted corn and served as a perfect bed for the fish. The char of the corn really came through and added a nice bite. Just when we thought we couldn’t eat any more, two different desserts were brought out: yellow plum cake with basil ice cream and sweat and sour cherry pie with burnt caramel ice cream. My fork kept going from one to the other, not being able to decide which it liked best. The plum cake was definitely sweeter, and the pie had a delicious, sugar speckled crust I couldn’t get enough of. Both were a treat to enjoy and a lovely ending to a diverse and flavorful meal. I can’t wait to escape the heat again with a trip to this quaint outpost.

The Restaurant Review

Consider the experience of eating out --whether it's a fine restaurant, a food cart, a fast food joint. The key word here is experience. Eating out isn't just about the food, it's about the atmosphere, the other diners, the smells, the location, the service, the accoutrements. How easy is it to get there? How was the wait?

The point is, everything about dining out--from the first moment you consider a possible place to the actual meal--engages the five senses on some level.

Some tips:

1) Pay close attention. Seems obvious right? It's not so easy. Take the time to ask yourself: What am I seeing? What am I smelling? How does this makes me feel right now? Remember our first class? How many people missed the sweeping, gothic stairway into the main lobby of the Woolworth Building?

2) Take copious notes, if appropriate and not disturbing to other diners, take a photo of the food to remember later. In this age of smart phone cameras and food obsessed social media, this will hardly be cause for eyebrow raising.

3) Ask questions. If you want to know how something is prepared--ask. If the menu doesn't tell you enough, ask. And speaking of the menu--look at it critically. Does it do it's job? Is it appealing? is it confusing?

4) Eating with others? Ask their opinions too. Is there a quorum on how something looks, tastes, feels?

Please post your 300 word review of Northern Spy Food Company here prior to our last class on July 26th.  Please comment on one another's reviews as well.

Thanks

Ramin

Cast Iron Skillet podcast

This is an insightful podcast interview with Scott A. Barton, who’s a chief and food historian, and now he’s pursuing a PHD at New York University in Food Study. Allow me to share an informative chat with Scott about the ubiquitous cast iron skillet, we all remember those heavy cooking pans our grandmothers or mothers used to fry-up juicy tender chicken or bake crisp cornbread. These are some finger lickin good memories.

Below is my interview with Scott.