Have I ever told you how much I love Orchard Street? Going out to eat on Orchard always makes me feel like I'm going to find the next best chef or food. Your options are unlimited and range from gastro to british to latin american. In other words, you go out to eat on Orchard St and you can be transported to almost anywhere in the world.
Last night, we opted to go Latin America. I have heard wonderful things about A Casa Fox with specific emphasis on their empanadas. Chef Melissa Fox heads up this excellent little space. You have to love a restaurant that feels like you're eating at someone's home. A Casa Fox accomplishes just this with wood banquet tables on the perimeter and small two tops by a homey fireplace. In furtherance of this feat, there is an open kitchen behind a raised counter. To finish it off, the open kitchen design pours out to the diners the most amazing scents as food is prepared.
Karen and I had a wonderful bottle of Torrontes from Argentina that was a dry white wine that went wonderfully with our food. We started with calamari and chorizo in a lemon scented tomato fish broth that came with little toasts and a variety of 6 mini empanada. There were some pieces of calamari that were expertly cooked and melted in your mouth but there were others that were a tad on the chewy side. The chorizo added a wonderful spicy/salty tone and the broth was fabulous. In fact, the broth was so good Karen and I were eating it by the spoonful and dipping our bread in it. We moved on to the empanadas, which included cheese, beef, portbella mushroom, chicken and olives, pork and caramelized onion, and chorizo and manchego. I would have to say they were all very tasty but the pork and caramelized onion and the beef were my favorites. I thought the pastry was very good but it wasn't outstanding in the way I had hoped for. I wanted a beautifully flaky crisp crust and this wasn't it. I wonder if the larger empanadas would have a better crust.
For our main, we split a clay pot dinner. I have to say clay pot cooking is a wonderful thing. We chose the Costillas de Cerdo, which are ribs marinated for 24 hours and then braised in their own juices with rice and beans. The pork ribs were crispy and tender and melted in your mouth. The rice and beans in the pot mixed in with the juices were the best bites of the evening.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere (including the super hot fireplace) of a casa fox and the staff was wonderful and friendly. The food was good but I have to admit that I wanted it to be a bit better. I would definitely go back but more for the atmosphere and to give the food another shot. I really hope next time I go back that the food wows me.
Last night, we opted to go Latin America. I have heard wonderful things about A Casa Fox with specific emphasis on their empanadas. Chef Melissa Fox heads up this excellent little space. You have to love a restaurant that feels like you're eating at someone's home. A Casa Fox accomplishes just this with wood banquet tables on the perimeter and small two tops by a homey fireplace. In furtherance of this feat, there is an open kitchen behind a raised counter. To finish it off, the open kitchen design pours out to the diners the most amazing scents as food is prepared.
Karen and I had a wonderful bottle of Torrontes from Argentina that was a dry white wine that went wonderfully with our food. We started with calamari and chorizo in a lemon scented tomato fish broth that came with little toasts and a variety of 6 mini empanada. There were some pieces of calamari that were expertly cooked and melted in your mouth but there were others that were a tad on the chewy side. The chorizo added a wonderful spicy/salty tone and the broth was fabulous. In fact, the broth was so good Karen and I were eating it by the spoonful and dipping our bread in it. We moved on to the empanadas, which included cheese, beef, portbella mushroom, chicken and olives, pork and caramelized onion, and chorizo and manchego. I would have to say they were all very tasty but the pork and caramelized onion and the beef were my favorites. I thought the pastry was very good but it wasn't outstanding in the way I had hoped for. I wanted a beautifully flaky crisp crust and this wasn't it. I wonder if the larger empanadas would have a better crust.
For our main, we split a clay pot dinner. I have to say clay pot cooking is a wonderful thing. We chose the Costillas de Cerdo, which are ribs marinated for 24 hours and then braised in their own juices with rice and beans. The pork ribs were crispy and tender and melted in your mouth. The rice and beans in the pot mixed in with the juices were the best bites of the evening.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere (including the super hot fireplace) of a casa fox and the staff was wonderful and friendly. The food was good but I have to admit that I wanted it to be a bit better. I would definitely go back but more for the atmosphere and to give the food another shot. I really hope next time I go back that the food wows me.
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