NYC — Autumn 2012: David Burke Kitchen

We wanted to try another restaurant from the NYC Restaurant Week list, so judging from the type of cuisine and proximity to our hotel, Wynnie made us reservations at David Burke Kitchen on Sunday night. The dinner prix fixe menu included three courses for $35, and it was awesome because about 90% of their regular menu was included in the prix fixe so I thought it was really worth it. (I apologize for the terrible lighting in the photos; it was really dim in the restaurant and I may have completely forgot about adjusting the white balance while I was there.)

Spicy Soft Shell Crab Salad

The soft shell crab salad was a special appetizer they made available that evening that wasn't on their official menu. A perfectly cooked soft shell crab on top of fennel salad, green beans, candied walnuts, and orange slices drizzled with chili lime vinaigrette. Beautifully executed; the spiciness of the crab worked well with the herbal zest of the fennel salad and chili lime vinaigrette, with the green beans offering a nice textural crispness, the walnuts adding crunch and a hint of honeyed sweetness, and the orange slices mingling a lovely citrusy tartness. It was surprisingly not too heavy, either.

Asparagus & Buratta Salad

Steph was the one who originally ordered the asparagus and buratta salad but we ended up sharing our appetizers. And let me tell you, it was just... epic. The salad consists of a huge slab of soft, silky buratta cheese on top of a folded slice of prosciutto, followed by two stalks of crisp asparagus, a thick slice of fresh tomato, and finally, a slab of juicy watermelon. I originally thought it was an odd combination, but it is surprisingly harmonious in both flavours and textures. I would eat this again and again and again.

Brick Chicken

Both Wynnie and I chose the brick chicken as our entrées, which came with a Milanese egg, green beans, and pickled beet salad. The egg seemed like a really random addition to this dish, but I can't complain 'cause, well, I just love eggs. It skimmed that fine line between soft-boiled and hard-boiled (medium-boiled?) that was just perfect. I'm not sure what makes their version "Milanese," because if you Google it, Milanese eggs is actually a dish with asparagus and prosciutto, but this one was coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried (at least, that's the way it tasted). As much as I liked it, though, it did seem a little too heavy to be eaten with the chicken.

The green beans somehow retained their fresh crispness, but were also coated in glorious butter that made them too addictive to leave even one behind. Simple pleasures, you know. The pickled beet salad was a lovely compensation for the typical use of potatoes in New American cuisine, and kept the dish from being too simple and bland. I never thought much of beets, but these made me realize that I actually really like them. Finally, the chicken. For those who don't know what brick chicken is, it's essentially chicken that has been cooked under a brick so that the skin is crisp but the meat remains moist and tender. (It also takes a fraction of the time to make than roast chicken.) It was very flavourful and juicy for the most part, with perfectly crackly skin, except when I reached the last chunk, which was just too dry to finish. A little disappointing since the rest of the dish was so great.

Strawberry Shortcake Parfait

Finally, for dessert, all three of us picked the ever-delightful strawberry shortcake parfait. A base of fresh strawberries drizzled with syrup, followed by a massive dollop of silky crême fraîche panna cotta, a layer of moist confetti cake (essentially vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles baked into it, which obviously makes it ten times better), with more fresh strawberries, and finally, a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. A single strawberry popper (a strawberry with whipped cream piped into it — so glorious) completes the dessert. It was a fun, interesting take on a classic American dessert, and really was the perfect ending to our meal since we were getting really full and the parfait satisfied our sweet tooths while still keeping it light. Oh, and our waiter was pretty much the cutest thing, ever. Super accommodating and friendly, attentive but not overbearing, quick and efficient. (Also charming and pretty hot, but that's beside the point.)

David Burke Kitchen

23 Grand Street

New York, NY 10013

(212) 201-9119