Foxface Natural, East Village

[small_h]

I posted about my first visit to Foxface here, but I think it now needs its own thread (and if @moderators feel like moving my previous post, have at it).

Four of us had a pretty epic meal last night, and hopefully one of the other three will remind me what some of these dishes are called, because there was a lot of wine, and it robbed me of some of my menu memory.

Dramatic sourdough! with cultured butter and pickles.

Oysters, three raw (pictured) and three cooked (not pictured)

Hiramasa, the only repeat dish from my first visit (except for the bread), with - I think - housemade ricotta. There was raw tuna, also, which was even better.

This custard-y thing with barely cooked seafood, which has a name that isn’t chawanmushi, and which I intend to marry. ETA: I have been informed that its name may be pascaline.

Two fishes, black sea bass and tile fish head. Both excellent, although the second one was kind of a lot of work. Burn calories as you eat!

And dessert. A plate of beautiful cheeses, which I unfortunately took only an un-beautiful picture of, a prickly pear (I think) gelato, and a pepper and buttermilk (I think) gelato.

The bathroom scale was not kind to me this morning!

[pilgrim]

Still, some of the better pics and description of this smokin’ hot place.

[SteveR]

All was excellent. We also had a turtle soup that I really liked, but was different (not sure of details) from any I’ve had in N.Orleans or NYC/Bklyn versions. And a plate of goat meat that was tender and flavorful.
And I even “found” (with much help from Sivan, one of the owners) a couple of natural wines that I enjoyed: a white from the Canary Islands and an Orange (Porta del Vento, Voria) that was a little cider-y but went very well with the dishes served. As expected, since the owners are long time friends, there were quite a few comps, including some wines, the bread & both desserts. Another fine meal.
Thank you to Saregama for allowing Ginny and I to add in to her reservation (and to Sivan/Ori for fitting us in).

[Saregama]

Pascaline! I have been trying unsuccessfully to remember (and find) that word all morning

‘‘Twas a lot of food, though it didn’t seem that way when we ordered, and likely richer than it appeared. (I have not eaten yet today, and may not till dinner.)

The hiramasa pastrami was excellent, the tuna accompaniments very flavorful (though they overwhelmed the tuna a bit), the crackers for both fabulous, the pascaline / chawanmushi / egg custard was delicate (though it broke) and the raw scallop was a different and delicious topping, and the goat was fabulous. The pepper gelato was also just lovely, as was the meringue on it.

A long and delicious meal, more wine (and food) than I’ve consumed at one go in a while , and great company!

Some more pics and food:

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Pickle and cultured butter with the house sourdough

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Hiramasa Pastrami (fantastic sourdough crackers with seeds, horseradish cream)

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Tuna crudo / sashimi (ricotta, fermented tomato, different excellent sourdough crackers)

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Roasted oysters (there were also raw oysters):

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Turtle soup (with something cake in the center that was delicious, and fermented cucumber)

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Butterflied black bass with Yucatán spice paste and sumac pickled onions

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Tilefish head(s) in miso broth

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Smoked goat with melted eggplant and parsley salad (eggplant mostly eaten at this point, and goat half gone)

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Cheese plate with onion marmalade (and more of those excellent crackers)

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Passion fruit sorbet with lime curd and coriander cake cubes

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Buttermilk and timir pepper gelato with meringue and plums

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[small_h]

Thanks for supplementing the descriptions!

[Saregama]

I’m shocked I remembered any of it

[ninkat]

All looks amazing! Thanks for keeping your wits about you enough to report back.

[Ziggy]

Tremendous meal last night with 2/3 of my family. Bluefin Tuna and Hiramasa Pastrami to start. Both great, but we all preferred the tuna. Just more flavor overall with the quality tuna, cured olives, tomato and smoked chive olive oil, over the delicate Hiramasa. I’d order both again. The Boer Goat was fantastic. Super slow cooked, I dont think you can find more tender meat. Served with similar texture eggplant and fermented Okra providing a little crunch. This would have been a highlight in many places, but here it was my least favorite main (albeit the girl’s favorite) but something I’d order again.

Another hit was the monkfish roasted on the bone, with thick but mild Chraime sauce that cuts the richness nicely. It comes with crispy sunchokes and harrisa on a separate plate. But the star for me was the Pato Con Arroz - dry aged duck confit with delicious rice and a Aji Amarillo based puree that made it quite distinct tasting. The duck had a nice pastrami-like color and was packed with flavor. Chai and Butermilk Gelato with Saffron poached pear was outstanding as well. Prickly Pear gelato didnt compare but still solid.

When you are full but cant stop eating. My daughter asked me how to describe this cuisine. The best I came up with New American on steroids or the type you cant really categorize. A la Momofuku. One of the best meals of the year for me

[Saregama]

Duck and monkfish look fantastic

[small_h]

I dined solo at Foxface last night, determined to finally get the elusive uni pasta. And I was foiled yet again, because I am cursed. The uni had run out. I managed to comfort myself with

the tuna, which I don’t remember liking this much before. It was a belly cut, so very fatty, and accompanied by a coconut sauce (although I think it was a little better without).

A substantial amount of winter salad, radicchio, fennel, croutons and cheese. Bitter, crispy and bracing. (Also a little hiramasa, so I wouldn’t feel deprived.) I took half of this home in some tupperware I brought with me, because that’s how I roll.

Standing in for the uni, I guess, this housemade bottarga with housemade pasta and maybe housemade butter, too, who knows. It was a lot of butter! The bottarga was very salty, but once mixed in it softened and became saucy and excellent. I took some of this home, too, intending to have it tonight. Because I am a generous person, I offered a taste to H, cold out of the tupperware, and then I made the mistake of turning my back on him and he ate it all. Dammit!

A very powerful rum baba. By this time, I’d had a quantity of wine, most notably two glasses of Barbichette, Nuit Blanche, which @SteveR would probably spit right out, but I thought it was terrific!

And a little taste of the coconut sorbet, so I wouldn’t feel deprived at the end of the meal, either.

It’s a little tough to dine there solo, because the food’s pretty big. I gazed longingly at the big hunk of grouper the couple to my left was sharing. Next time, more tupperware!

[Saregama]

Very clever on the tupperware (less so on the sharing, but that’s what you get for being nice)

The tuna looks fab, and differently accessorized (also the hiramasa looks as good as before, and now i want it)

[small_h]

The hiramasa was SO HORSERADISHY and I love horseradish.

[JenKalb (Jennifer Kalb)]

whats in there with that bottarga pasta, eh? I have a piece of bottarga that has been languishing for a while. This all looks delicious.

[small_h]

It was thinly sliced bottarga over pasta in a very buttery sauce, with bread crumbs and I’m not even sure what that green is (it didn’t make much of an impression). You could do a pretty good job at replicating it at home.

[JenKalb (Jennifer Kalb)]

thanks - maybe parsley shards or baby arugula? but surely all that creamy sauce is not butter - could it be cream?

[small_h]

I went back last night with a regular (I think she goes at least 3X/month). I’ve been having dinner out too often, I decided, so this is it for a while After I go for post-theater dinner tonight. And sushi tomorrow. But THAT’S DEFINITELY IT.

Surf clam two ways. I can’t decide which way I liked better. I am such a fan of raw seafood. But I also sit in awe of a good clean fry.

This was what brought me in the door - cod roe taramasalata with smoked sturgeon. Described as the Jewiest thing on the menu (but it was not!).

turn

A really excellent turnip, which I would like to try to replicate at home, except that I don’t have a wood-burning oven. Maybe I’ll give it a go when we’re upstate and there’s wood, and it’s burning. Ham served on the side for my companion, who eats ham.

Big ass dungy, with two sauces and a rice. Once I got home I started wondering whether restaurateurs take into account how long it takes people to eat something. Like, this took about a month. Does the calculation of the cost of a dish factor in the amount of time it holds a seat hostage? My companion admits that she can commandeer a counter spot for two hours even when she dines alone.

This is actually the Jewiest dish. Because it is fancy cold halvah. Tahini gelato with pistachios and pomegranate.

And a shout-out to this wine, which was excellent, the best of the four (gah) I tried.

UBE Miraflores 2022case of 6

[Ziggy]

Amazing stuff. You can eat there once a week and every meal can be totally different than the rest.

[small_h]

I would be bankrupt and fat, but it might be worth it.