The DL

Last week, Ken and I were invited to a new restaurant* that’s opening on the LES, The DL. Ken and I always love trying new restaurants so we headed down there to try it out. The restaurant has an interesting vibe (I’m not sure if it’s officially opened yet because there weren’t many people there) but the food was really great. It’s more like a bar/lounge with a lot of small plates (we ate the entire menu!) We started off with a small order but the chef kept sending dishes out (not that we were complaining – he uses lobster very liberally in his dishes!)

We started off with the “Lobster Crack” – cracked lobster claws & knuckles steamed in tarragon and vermouth:

Very tender meat with a tasty broth. With lots of meat!

The chef sent over some grilled cheese with tomato soup –

The cheeses were too strong for us and we didn’t like the taste of the bleu cheese with the creamy other choices.

Next, “Truffle Pops” – risotto croquettes served with a white wine and tomato broth:

This was our favorite dish of the evening; fried risotto balls with truffle oil and a slight tanginess from the tomato and wine broth.

Also really good – “Hot Tamale” – filled with mole negro and chicken:

The tamale was cooked a little unevenly (some bits of the tamale were very soft and some were very hard, as if it had been heated up in a microwave).

Another really good dish was the Ludlow mac “Ludlow Mac” elbow macaroni, with béchamel and cheese trio – lobster and chive, bacon and green apple, and truffle and mushroom:

The lobster and chive was my favorite; lots of lobster chunks, good flavor, and perfectly cooked noodles. I would have preferred a bigger noodle (maybe double spirals). Ken liked the bacon and green apple but I didn’t like the texture of the cooked apples with the noodles and bacon.

The monkfish:

With more lobster – this time in the shape of lobster broth – with sauteed vegetables. A little lobster overdose but not bad.

The “Steak Frites” – beef carpaccio, celery root puree, micro greens and potato crisps:

Ken enjoyed this dish but I thought the meat wasn’t very fresh and also sliced a little too thick for carpaccio. It was also served at a temperature that I thought was too warm for raw meat.

“PB & J” pork belly and guava jam slider:

The pork belly was fatty and very juicy and had a good contrast with the pickled cabbage. Their fries were a little too thin for me.

“Spicy Big Eye” – tuna poke with sticky rice and thai pesto:

Similar to the carpaccio, the tuna was a strange temperature and didn’t taste or smell fresh. I’d avoid getting the tuna if you visit.

One of the chef’s specialties from his time in Europe was the “Crock O’ Lamb” lamb moussaka – thinly sliced layers of eggplant, potato and ground lamb:

Very delicious comfort food; the thin slices of eggplant and potato are layered with ground lamb, baked, and served with rosemary and other spices. So good, especially with a nice glass of wine.

For dessert, we received a bunch of the chef’s specialties – the first was the chocolate cake with pistachio crumble:

My favorite was the pate a choux with a passionfruit glaze:

The best presentation was the grilled pineapple and ice cream served with 151:

The small plates were all very good, especially the comfort foods (the more inventive ones are the ones I’d pass on). During the summer time, it will be super fun with the upstairs lounge and the rooftop – I can’t wait!

*Ken and I received a free meal but were not required to write a post!