Fancy Mexican food is an oxymoron in Manhattan. A few new restaurants are changing that, though. Cosme, opened last year by chef Enrique Olvera —- a CIA grad who owns of Mexico City’s best restaurants — is the leader.
Margarita, naturally!
Longtime SCF fans may remember our visit to Olvera’s restaurant in D.F., Pujol, where we had the best food and the most fun of any meal on our trip. Here’s the link: Sour Cherry Farm goes to Pujol.
Today, Kelli, Boo and I are dining at the bar (reservations were full), and not doing a traditional three-course meal, but rather a few things to share. We started with the scallops.
Scallop aguachile, poached jicama, fresh wasabi-cucumber-lime:
Just as sweet, tender, fresh and bracing as it looks in the photo.
Here is the (deservedly) famous Uni tostada, avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber:
Divine. Silky, oceany uni; fatty avocado and a nice, slow charge from the chili in the salsa.
Razor clams, celery salsa, crystal hot sauce:
I love a razor clam and this one was a fine specimen. Slurpy, spicy, chilly, briny. So good.
These aren’t listed on the current menu but they were beets with a yogurt sauce (I think!).
So very tender and earthy, with a tang from the yogurt
Burrata, pasilla mixe salsa, weeds:
A huge hit at our table, er, bar stools. Also a nice slow burn, and, oh! that milky, creamy cheese!
And our main course was crazy good. Duck carnitas with onions, radishes and two kinds of salsa:
Like the best roasted duck you’ve had, plus a riot of flavors to garnish it with.
A few shots of the restaurant:
Saw this vintage relic on the staircase!
And because I was playing with SnapChat that night, here’s a Snap (I’m @sourcherryfarm if you want to add me!)
We ended the evening on the roof.
The 411 on Cosme: 35 E. 21st St., Manhattan. 212-913-9659, cosmenyc.com.
