The Beatrice Inn
Savory Plum Tart – Black Pepper, Wild Arugula, Parmesan (1/4 as cut by server)
Duck & Foie Gras Pie – Cippolini Onions, Fingerling Potatoes, Tarragon Gravy
Roast Duck Flambee – Cherry Jus
Roasted Carrots, Hazelnuts, Black Anchovies
Potatoes Lyonnaise
Bone Marrow and Bourbon Crème Brulee
Fried Apple Pie with Foie Gras Ice Cream and Duck Fat Caramel
Banana Brulee Sundae with Chocolate covered Cherries, Amarena Cherry Ice Cream, Sponge Cake and Pedro Ximenez
Once a nightclub, the downstairs entrance and ‘in-the-know’ vibe still present within the walls of a low-ceilinged space in the West Village, the Beatrice Inn has recently emerged as one of New York’s premier destinations for a good Steak or stiff Cocktails, the purchase by Food & Wine 2017 Best New Chef Angie Mar further converting a once unexciting menu into something unlike any other in New York and a great location to gather a group for dinner.
Without doubt a place that has survived a lot of staff turnover in recent years, a total of at least four Chefs employed prior to Ms. Mar’s hiring and subsequent take-over, Beatrice Inn is detailed both by the media and on the website as a “Chophouse,” but ditching the antiquated ideas of Keen’s or Maxwell’s the location at 285 West 12th Street instead invites patrons to sit back and enjoy the sort of Meats offered as small plates at trendy nose-to-tail spots in portions that are prone to attract stares.
Presenting a lengthy menu that is mostly meat-centric, the total number of fishes currently listed about 1/4 the number of “Of the Land” items, save for Oysters and Shellfish platters from the Raw Bar, those entering Beatrice Inn will first be met head-on by a sizable bar area commonly stacked two-deep even during off-hours, those with reservations soon to be led to one of two rear rooms, the one sharing a wall with the Bar actually more calm than the other, though those looking for a quiet evening out are nonetheless encouraged to dine elsewhere.
Still featuring a lot of wood paneling, white tablecloths and candlelight, not a restaurant particularly well suited for photography, it is shortly after seating that diners are presented with both a wine and cocktail list plus the menu and descriptions of daily specials, the prices at first a bit disarming until the first silver tray is delivered tableside – the vast majority of the plates big enough to share while those suggested ‘for two’ or more are big enough at a four-top.
In many ways a throwback to past days, the unnecessary music channeling several decades prior, it was after a bit of debate that the decision was made to order eight plates divided into four rounds, the first a Savory Plum Tart portioned into fourths before serving, the lightly glazed Fruit playing well off a buttery Pastry base and garnished with Wild Arugula topped in Black Pepper and aged Parmesan.
At this point well-aware of both big portions and the overall richness of the menu, many whole Animals featured and most Steaks or Chops offered as a full cut on the Bone, course two saw Chef Mar send forth a Cast-Iron Skilled filled to the brim with confit Duck, Foie Gras and Potatoes beneath a flaky Crust, each bite the definition of decadence yet at the same time well balanced by a ladle of Tarragon Gravy and plenty of roasted Onions.
Torn between the Smoked Rabbit, 120-day Dry Aged Ribeye or Roast Duck Flambé for an entrée, the eventual decision made when the server explained that the latter was salt-cured for four days before being roasted and finished tableside with flames, those who love Duck are well advised to invest the $102 menu price on what very well may be the richest piece of meat in New York that is not from Japanese Cattle, the flesh cooking up crisp atop a ribbon of fat while the meat is juicy and pink with a flavor halfway between the Tea Smoked version served at Chinese restaurants and a really good piece of Ham.
Chuckling at the Cheese Board, every item offered as a whole block akin to what one might find at Murray’s, though here at 2-3x the price, Desserts at Beatrice Inn are recited rather than presented in ink, the $27 Banana Brulee Sundae with Chocolate-covered Cherries a bit spendy thanks to the Pedro Ximenez upgrade while the funky Bone Marrow and Bourbon Crème Brulee is definitely a better option for those who wish to continue building on a theme, though the Fried Apple Pie with Foie Gras Ice Cream and salty Duck Fat Caramel is certainly no less indulgent.
http://thebeatriceinn.com
