How did we possibly end up with reservations at Tatiana on the one date night we’ve had in months? It was just meant to be, I guess. I had placed a notification on Resy for Tatiana never thinking we would actually get a reservation. I just thought if we had an evening free, I should probably throw my hat in the ring. Like playing the lottery.
Well, this may not have been quite as exciting as winning the lottery, but we did win a highly in-demand table at the restaurant many critics have named the best in New York last year.
The location is very special, attached to Lincoln Center sharing as much prestige as David Geffen Hall or the Metropolitan Opera. The chef here is as New York as they get: Kawame Onwuachi, who grew up in the Bronx and rose to fame as a contestant on Top Chef.
The food at Tatiana traces his influences and experiences throughout New York, so while Kwame is Nigerian-American, the food touches on African, Asian, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Since the praise has been overwhelming and over-the-top, I had been set up to naturally be disappointed, but I can safely say it was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long, long time.
In a future post, I will write about some of the other incredible dishes that came before the large portion of oxtails, but I have to start big. And the braised oxtails were big on flavor, portion size, and concept.
The dark, sticky tails were floating in an incredible reduction that had layer upon layer of sweet, spicy, aromatic flavors. Each morsel of meat surrendered immediately on each poke of the fork. The fat was perfectly rendered and it was impossible to not devour each delicious bite.
Of course, this aromatic garlicky gingery Caribbean-influenced dish is one I have tasted at restaurants in Harlem and food carts throughout the city. Oxtails are usually a home run, but I have never had them quite like this. They’re served with the requisite “dirty rice” studded with black-eyed peas and gently garnished with carrots and squash.
It’s a large dish fit for two people to share and one that I will dream about for weeks to come. I would totally eat it all over again – does this kind of luck hit someone twice? One can only be so lucky. Price: $56
| TATIANA BY KWAME ONWUACHI |
| 10 Lincoln Center (at Broadway and West 65th Street), Inside David Geffen Hall Lincoln Center (212) 875-5222 |
| tatiananyc.com |
