The Place: In the early days of my food adventuring around NYC, we discovered this great little ceviche and cocktail bar called Desnuda. It felt like a secret little spot that was doing something specific and great. It’s been closed for a long time now, unfortunately, but I have been hoping someday that something would come to fill its void.
Quique Crudo has been on my radar for a while now and I was hopeful this would be it. Unlike Desnuda, it’s bright and open, although still only has room for bar seats. It takes the place of a few previous innovative dessert bars in this space (namely a short-lived location of Chikalicious).
I snagged a seat at the bar and while the service wasn’t the most friendly and the chef/owner suspiciously periodically peered over my way from across the room, I had a few good bites and realized this would have been in the running for one of my date spots. If this was 2011.
The Dish: A cold, ultra-fresh raw scallop with smoky umami sauce was a good palate cleanser, but I found the Tostada de Jaiba to be refreshing, well-balanced, and a hefty small plate. The crunchy tortilla almost couldn’t stand the weight of the generous amount of lump crab meat that held onto its sweet brininess while also marrying well to the radishes, tomatoes, red onions, and peppers. Dots of creamy avocado cooled down some spice and smoke, while bits of citrus tamed the salty tortilla. It was a play of textures and flavors that came out just right. Price: $24
| QUIQUE CRUDO |
| 27 Bedford Street (between Downing and West Houston Street), West Village (646) 590-0960 |
| quiquecrudonyc.com |
