Dara blogged here that she was going to wait a couple weeks before visiting Haute Dish, but I don’t have her discipline. And while the service is clearly still learning the details of the menu (one of my dining companions asked our server what a gremolata was, and she didn’t know), this place really lives up to all the hype.
First, the room. It’s beautiful, elegant, and huge! The location is also quite convenient for me, seeing as Haute Dish is on Washington Ave. right next to Sex World and Sinners.
And the food: It’s fine-dining with a considerable wink. It’s high concept with a sense of humor. It’s scary and weird and new but approachable. The menu is divided into three sections: First (appetizers), Middle (small plate/burger ) and Last (main entrees).
Landon Schoenfeld is known as a master of the steak tartare, and he is killing it with his Steak & Eggs (above). The tartare was beautiful, bursting with capers and cornichon (which is kind of like a cucumber), surrounded by an egg in a hole cut out of toast, and finished with a bloody mary oyster shooter. Every element of this dish was incredible.
On the Middle Menu we tried General Tso’s Sweetbreads, on the recommendation of another chef in town. The fried rice was amazing, with creamy chunks of foie gras peppered throughout. And the sweetbreads? To take cow’s throat and prepare them in a General Tso-style sauce is absolutely genius. It’s delicious.
And much Helvetica will be spilled on blogs rhapsodizing about the Tater Tot Haute Dish ($18)—the deconstructed hot dish with luscious, tender short ribs, crisp baby green beans, a porcini mushroom bechamel, and “tots.” The tots are brilliant: super-sized and super-flavored as compared to the typical frozen tot.
I had the Stuffed Pig’s Foot with morel mushrooms on top, as well as ramps and a wonderful truffle sauce ($15). The pig’s foot dish comes with three large pieces, stuffed with sweetbreads and chicken sausage. I really enjoyed it, but it’s a lot of food. I was the one stuffed at the end of it. And the consistency is pretty… well… gooey. If you’re adventurous, I’d buy this for the table and share it with three people. One piece was enough.
I’m sure Dara will have a full review of this place on the horizon, but in the meantime, get to Haute Dish. The vibe is great. The food is fantastic.
