Huertas, meaning orchards, is Spanish style and opened less than a month ago. The entrepreneurs behind the operation are:
Jonah Miller (Maialino),
Nate Adler (Blue Smoke) and
Luke Momo (Sirio Ristorante). It's always good when restaurant owners have industry experience, as it allows them to push the envelope a little more, and they do. Last night I was lucky enough to find out how.
Upon check-in, my girlfriend and I were told, "We've been waiting for your arrival," making us feel extra special. We were seated in the back room, with the rest of the people who chose the daily tasting menu. The front room, is for walk-ins, who are interested in beverages and pintxos (such as grilled octopus and fried potatoes), served dim sum style. We were offered still and sparkling water, both on tap, in-house and free. This little water surprise further set the tone for a good experience.
Our knowledgeable servers suggested we go for the
Ricitos de Oro, a Garnacha Blanca (crisp and light) for me and the
Lagar de Costa, an
Albarino (mineraly and dry) for my girlfriend. Both wines were high-quality and paired perfectly with the food. Our tasting menu came out one by one and each was a delicious, dazzling surprise, we were in hog heaven. I'm trying but I can't think of any mistakes that were made with the service and the atmosphere was relaxing, warm and inviting.
I can't rave enough about this East Village gem. If you're looking for your next new restaurant to go to, definitely add Huertas to the list. I didn't get pictures of all the tasting menu as I was "being in the moment," but below are some of my amateur photographs that give the gist of it...
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| Chilled asparagus soup, soft boiled egg |
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| Amish chicken, baby bok choy, morels & chanterelles |
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| The Crema Catalan, Rhubarb dessert gets the stamp of approval by my friend, the FoodieBrat (@foodiebrat) |
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| Valdeon & Manchego, Membrillo, Honey dessert plate |
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| Two stuffed hogs, oink! |
-Fabiola Conrado, Maria Fernandez, #friendsforever, #huertas, #new, #nyc, #eastvillage, #mustgo, #fabulous
