Dinner at The Fat Radish

Friday, January 18, 2012 – Dinner at The Fat Radish

After our pre-dinner happy hour at the Met on Friday, Elisa and I took the subway back down to the Lower East Side.  We had an early (7:30 p.m. is early by New York standards) reservation at The Fat Radish.  It was 7:25 p.m. when we exited the station on the south side of Delancy Street and rushed over to Orchard Street.  As we ran down Orchard, the number of lights decreased and the amount of signage in Chinese increased.  During daylight hours, especially on weekends, Orchard Street is a bustling place, with numerous shops and street vendors.  In the evening, however, it shows its quieter side.

The restaurant was only half-full when we settled down at a table, but by 8 p.m., there was a crowd of people waiting to be seated.  In keeping with its unusual name, the restaurant automatically provides a plate of plump radishes, dressed simply with olive oil, sea salt, and chopped fresh herbs, while diners study the menu.  Elisa and I went ahead and ordered an appetizer and some elderflower lemonade while we waited for Christian to join us (he was working late).  The grilled cheese and pickles sounded intriguing and it proved to be an excellent choice.  The Fat Radish elevates this mundane classic sandwich to the realm of the sublime, adding caramelized onions (and maybe mushrooms?) to the melted cheddar on thick slices of country bread.  It was quite simply the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten.  And the pickles, from a local pickle purveyor, were the ideal accompaniment.  It was lucky for Christian that he arrived before we devoured every last bite of the sandwich.

We fought over that last quarter of the grilled cheese sandwich.

We followed up with four extremely satisfying dishes.  The celery root pot pie, gooey with Gruyere cheese, was the ultimate comfort food.  We also shared a fish dish – olive oil poached cod with warm mustardy potato salad and leeks.  The vegetarian Fat Radish plate was a colorful array that included kale, Kabocha squash, heirloom carrots, cippolini onions, yams, baby turnips, adzuki beans, brown rice, and hijiki seaweed.  Finally, the side order of mashed golden beets and sweet potatoes was an extra treat.  I really like a restaurant that treats vegetables with respect, and I can understand why Elisa and Christian, who are pescatarians, are so fond of The Fat Radish. 

Celery root pot pie

Fat Radish Plate

Olive oil poached cod with potato salad and leeks