Dirty French: French/Moroccan/Asian Mashup

Dirty French
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After thumbing through pics of lamb carpaccio and foie gras in crispy bric dough scattered throughout my IG feed for the past month, I attempted to snag a table at Dirty French, the latest venture from Team Torrisi focused on French cuisine with Moroccan and Southeast influences.

Since they opened around Labor Day, tables earlier than 10pm were nonexistent and it took about two weeks until I received a call that a last minute table opened up around 8pm. So much for the Barry’s Bootcamp session I had planned to attend that evening.

Running a few minutes late, I walked past Katz’s when my eyes were naturally drawn to the bright pink neon signs silently screaming out DIRTY FRENCH.

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Bacchanal

Bacchanal
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We ducked into Bacchanal, a new restaurant that opened in late May that quickly became known for serving tantalizing small plates with influences from Italy, France, and Spain. We started things off the right way - with a superbly made cocktail. It was a particularly humid July afternoon, and this Old Fashioned was the antidote. 

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Contra - A Gem in LES

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I first met Jeremiah Stone back in September at a pig roast in Williamsburg. Night had fallen and I was devouring a chorizo caramel ice cream from Oddfellows when Michelle introduced us to her friend, Jeremy, was opening up a restaurant called Contra in early October on the LES.

He was amped about the progress; with 2 weeks left before opening,  the decor and furniture were installed and the 5-course, $55 prix-fixe menu of New American cuisine were in the final stages of development.

Last week, Michelle called in a reservation for what turned out to be an enjoyable experience for our group. The five of us sat comfortably at 2 veneered wooden tables near the bar. By the time we ordered the extra bread and cheese course, the restaurant was humming along, filled with patrons eager to try the food.

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