Empire State South

On our monthly dinner out MBD and I finally made a point to try Hugh Acheson's restaurant, Empire State South. Hugh has been on Top Chef Masters, and as such, has celebrity status. Even without that I would still have been excited to check out this restaurant.

It has a distinctly beachy feel to me, I loved the ambiance of the restaurant and outdoor seating with Bocce. The wine list is above-par and the service was great. And, we got to meet Hugh:)

First drink: The Delores: Blume Marillen Apricot Eau de Vie, Elderflower, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice, Soda

We started with the oysters. Very fresh, and the presentation ws adorable. House made hotsauce, celery mignonette and cocktail sauce in tiny corked bottles with delish benne crackers.



Next we shared the crispy pork belly with creamed kimchi rice grits, pickled daikon and crushed peanuts. It was in a little skillet and I could have eaten two servings easily.

At this point I couldn't stop with just one more thing, so I decided to forgo the entree special and on our server's recommendation had the summer bean salad with pickled shrimp, ESS whipped lardo, grapefruit confit and amaranth. Not an overdone combo...very very good. Couldn't get a good picture in the lighting. I need a flash on my next phone.

Then the soft poached farm egg with crisp rice, corn, maitake mushrooms, housemade bologna, and bourbon mustard. The dish came out with a ceramic lid which he lifted and the aroma was delish. I love the details of the service and plating here. It's little stuff, not too gimmicky, and memorable.

Cynthia Wong, formerly of Cakes and Ale, is their newly acquired pastry chef, so of course we had to try dessert. I can't remember the specifics, and MB has the pics, but it was ouzo soaked blueberries with buttermilk ice cream on these cookies. YUM. I also tried the "rasentin" - an Italian specialty, wherein your "rinse" the foam and dregs from your coffee cup with grappa to release the aroma and clean your palate. MB thought it smelled like a hobo wine - it was overwhelming, but good. Flamboyant end to a great meal.