PEASANT
SARA:
For some reason I'm usually the first to arrive at our supper club meals. However, the combination of drizzling rain and newbie taxi driver (who relied on me to get him through nolita...big mistake) had me at the restaurant a few minutes after our reservation, instead of my usual ten minutes before. I had left my umbrella at home, and had to back-track two blocks because my driver had missed Elizabeth Street. I was grumpy and damp, and my hair had already frizzed its way into a Carrot Top-esque do. I ducked into Peasant expecting the usual cramp of most downtown joints, but was surprised to find a large open space, rustic decor, earthy tones, and a large hearth wafting the smell of fresh pizza and happiness. The outside world was forgotten. The place was a mix of down-home comfort and sophisticated attitude; the stuff that makes up a great "go-to" restaurant.
GREG:
This sounds like the opening scene to a Sex in the City, rather than an intro to our Supper Club recap. And no, Sex in the City the Movie is not advertising on our blog...yet.
My pops actually recommended Peasant to me, and since none of my choices so far have been big hits (Extra Virgin, Chinatown Brasserie,) I was anxious to finally get a pat on the back over my selection. Not to jump right to a summary, but mission accomplished. The place looked and smelled great, and the clientele didn’t seem overly obnoxious like they often do in that part of town.
They sat us almost immediately and we ordered up four glasses of Prosecco (no wine pairings this month!) Then came the menus. Ah, the menus...they might as well have brought us four copies of The Brothers Karamazov in Russian. I couldn’t understand a SINGLE word. Was it in Italian? Was it from some archaic culinary dictionary? Was I holding my menu upside down? No clue. So the waitress had to explain every single item on the menu, top to bottom. I know, it’s what they do there, but it was a lot to digest (awful pun intended) and by the time she was explaining the segundi, I had completely forgotten the primeri. Good thing there were four of us paying attention.
SARA:
Sex and the City? What can I say...I'm a chick...
Anyway, while our waitress was translating every dish on the menu, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have to what she was saying. Instead I was amazed that the girl had to plow through the list for every table. The only word I knew was capretto = baby goat (only because my sister's friend's last name is this). Nevertheless, the waitress remained sweet and attentive, not bitter that we kept asking what anatra, cannolichi, or Pavarotti was. I thought back to when I was a tour guide at Disney. I had to give the same spiel everyday. By the end of the summer I was making stuff up, speaking in fake accents, and referencing inappropriate things. If I were this waitress I would most likely tell everyone they were ordering monkey's brains and snake surprise.
After snacking on delicious bread with ricotta spread, I decided to order the beet salad with gorgonzola. The beets were very fresh, and the gorgonzola was ripe, potent, but not overpowering. Liz had the mozzarella and tomato (the tomatoes were roasted). I kept sneaking bites.
GREG:
We really ought to devote more time to the bread at these restaurants. It’s the one constant from place to place, and I actually think it does set the tone for the rest of the meal. Sure, it’s just bread. But that’s why good bread stands out, especially with interesting butters/oils/chutneys. So yes, delicious bread.
My starter was the Beef Carpaccio with Artichokes and Ricotta. I thought the Carpaccio could have been spicier, but the artichokes were fresh, as was the ricotta, so overall I enjoyed the dish. Libby had Pears and Prosciutto, which I LOVED, the salty and sweet working perfectly together.
SARA:
Amazingly, by time our main courses were served, we were actually sober enough to taste them! We stuck to one bottle of yummy italian red (not including the glass of prosecco to start and the glass of moscato to end). However, I wish I was a little more buzzed so that I wouldn't have been a bit grossed out by my cornish hen's feet, which were hanging out on my plate in their full and scaly glory. The hen was juicy and the skin was delightfully crispy. I'm one of those nasty people who think the skin is the best part of the poultry. The stuffing inside the bird was a bit salty, so I pushed it away and ate the other side, some delightful polenta, which went great scooped on top of the meat.
GREG:
We should clarify something here. They weren’t looking to freak you out with the full hen. This place specializes in simple dishes, and part of that simplicity is serving food without much fanfare. I ordered a whole bass, and my concern was that it was TOO simple. Just a bass over some rosemary. And yes, it came out as a whole fish (as advertised), eyes and tail and the works. Fortunately, the waitress took care of filleting the fish for me, being that I was way to skittish for the task. And the fish was DELISH! The meat was full of the rosemary flavor, perfectly cooked through, with a nice crispy skin for a little crunch. Simple. Elegant. Fantastic.
SARA:
Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying I was overwhelmed or dissuaded from eating the hen. I ate the hen and it was delicious. I'll usually eat anything...a crockpot of sweetbreads and other innards, whole frogs, gator on a stick, tripe and haggis, jellied pig's feet, a year-old pickled egg in a dusty jar sitting in a bar on Avenue C (I won $100 for eating that!) I adore bone marrow, liver, tongue, even slim jims! I know that some people like feet (Andrew Zimmerman), but maybe it came from growing up with pet parakeets and having their little feet wrapped around my finger that turned me off.
Before reading on, please be aware that I really did like the food and atmosphere of Peasant. HOWEVER, as a rebuttal ....Peasant was so intentionally "simple" that it became fashionable (much like wearing all black). In haute cuisine there is a turn toward organic prep, straight lines, and simple sauces. Regional and straightforward is the new trend..the new "fad", even battling Wylie's gastric chemistry, or Anita Lo's fusion. Therefore, I DO think the feet were fanfare-ish (not trying to freak out people, but VERY intentionally trying to make a point), as was writing the entire menu in Italian or naming the place Peasant..further slapping us in the face with its "authenticity" of regional fare. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but its simplicity does give it "show".
GREG:
Here you go again with references I have NO knowledge of. Is Andrew Zimmerman related to Bob Dylan?
Anyway, Libby had the Venison, cooked medium rare, w/ red cabbage and pancetta (thank you notes!), and Liz had gnocchi with rabbit ragu. Jeez, it’s like we were eating the entire cast of a Disney movie. But they both seemed quite happy with their meals, since most of the table conversation revolved around how tasty everything was. Personally, I thought the gnocchi was good but nothing special, but the venison was wonderful. Libby was only willing to give me a tiny piece to taste.
Have you noticed we have a little system going now? The moment the food comes out, we all start preparing bite size samples to pass around the table. It must look pretty odd to the rest of the patrons, not because we’re sharing, but because of the efficiency with which we distribute the portions. I almost feel like we should turn around and say “don’t worry...we’re bloggers.” Would that be weird?
SARA:
Andrew Zimmerman...Bizarre Foods! I watch too much of the Food and Travel Channels.
We did manage to wipe out many of the woodland critters in our feast! Maybe I was trying to hone my Disney Princess past (in a perverse, "Sleeping Beauty dances with, then eats her pals" sort of way.) I enjoyed my taste of all the main courses, however, my favorite part of the meal was the dessert. I'm not usually a dessert freak, but the bread pudding with white chocolate ice cream was INSANELY good. Next
time I go to Peasant, I'm getting my own! Our free panna cotta (a mistake of the waitress) was also very tasty, though I'm not a huge fan of puddings, flans, and other foods that jiggle (except for my mom's striped jello salad). I would have liked the cooked apples if they weren't paired with hazelnut ice cream. I like apples, and I like hazelnut ice cream, but they didn't click together.
GREG:
Overall, Peasant goes down as one of my Supper Club faves . I hope I haven't
said that about every place, but the food, the ambience, and the cool
location all made for a superb dining experience. Plus, I wasn't too drunk
to remember what we ate. We're learning!
Peasant is the kind of place I can't wait to show off to out of town guests.
Sure, the cryptic menu and the excess anatomy give the restaurant an air of
pretension, but I didn't think the place felt obnoxious at all. The service
was fast, the food was mouth wateringly good, and the Lower East side is
STILL hip, damn it. They may call it Peasant, but that was a kingly meal.
SARA:
This is definitely Greg's best restaurant pick (he had to redeem himself after Chinatown Brasserie). I loved the comfort factor of the ambiance, and its fantastic wood burning oven smell. The crowd got a little "fancy" towards the end, but definitely not anything that was too obnoxious to handle (aka Le Bilbo-trash). I feel bad for the waiters and am still amazed they can keep a smile throughout service
after rehashing the menu over and over. The food was fresh and delicious. Overall, I think Peasant is a place you could introduce anyone to; your rich Uncle with a primed palate or your cautious cousin whose staple is Friendly's will both enjoy their meals and be treated exactly the same.
FINAL GRADES:
GREG:
Ambiance: A-
Service: B+
Appetizer: B-
Main Course: A
Wine: B
Desserts: A-
Value: A-
SARA:
Ambiance: A
Service: A-
Appetizer: B+
Main Course: B+
Wine: B
Desserts: A (bread pudding), B (panna cotta) C- (apples)
Value: B
LIZ:
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: B+
Wine: ? Wine with dinner I don't remember - the dessert wine was top
notch though - A
Desserts: A+ (bread pudding), n/a (panna cotta - I passed and instead
ate all the bread pudding) C- (apples - yucky ice cream)
Value: B+
LIBBY:
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A-
Wine: B+
Desserts: B
Value: A-
