#22 – LITTLE OYSTER SANDWICHES at THE DUTCH

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

Without a doubt the hottest restaurant to open last year was The Dutch. And it’s not because they didn’t have air conditioning in the summer (they did), but instead because Andrew Carmellini, who also has a home-run with Locanda Verde in Tribeca, pleased both critics (this restaurant topped many top ten lists) and patrons alike with his southern-influenced menu in a private club/brasserie setting in the celebrity happy neighborhood of Soho.

I would have been shocked if this place went unrepresented on Time Out’s list. And it was no surprise that there ended up being two dishes. The rabbit potpie was unavailable the night we stopped in (it’s now a rotating special and we’ll be sure to return to test it out), but the much-heralded little oyster sandwiches are always listed under snacks. They come one to an order at $5. That’s pretty steep if you ask me, especially considering the result was reminiscent of a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish.

They were literally no more than a bite. The oysters were battered and fried and then placed on a seeded bricohe bun with a slather of pickled okra mayo. My biggest problem here was that there was so much breading that I couldn’t taste the oyster. It had a slight fishy flavor, but it could have been anything. And with the chunky mayo and the generic fish flavor, that’s why my mind wandered back to my very early days of eating at McDonald’s. And I’d say that’s not a great thing at a hot, elegant New York restaurant.

We did get a few other items since the little oyster sandwiches were indeed little. The complimentary jalapeño cornbread was a very warm and tasty starting point. However, I was quite underwhelmed with the tripe, which was a plate of drunk food I would have expected to find in my dorm room over a decade ago. It was served in a bean chili with interesting Mexican spices, avocado, sour cream, and fritos! The tripe itself had a funny taste and was not as tender and flavorful as I’m used to, while the rest of the flavors overwhelmed. This dish was quickly pushed aside because it tasted, smelled, and felt like really cheap junk food and nobody at the table found that pleasant.

For our entrees, we had both the pecan duck, which was tasty but nothing terribly special, and the 18 ounce strip steak which was charred and seasoned to perfection.

The desserts, which included a Banana Cream Pie and a Devil’s Food Cake with Black Pepper Icing and White Russian Ice Cream, were standouts. These sweets were perhaps the best part of the meal.

Despite its hottness, I found The Dutch to be rather lukewarm. I liked the large, convivial space and the lively vibe, but I found the food to be a mixed bag. Chef Carmellini is clearly a talent, but I think he’s spread himself a little too thin with a menu that is a bit unfocused and severely overpriced. But I will definitely be back to check out their consistency and taste that rabbit pot pie.

Would The Dutch’s Little Oyster Sandwiches make my Top 100 of the year? They get a 6 out of 10 because they cost way too much and taste like fast food. Neither are things that turn me on.