sign above pawn shop
I sit here, so full I can’t move, as a result of a supposed “tapas” restaurant that should be light enough for models and socialites alike. I guess the secret is to not overdo it, but Beauty & Essex offers way too many interesting, appealing small plates that it becomes impossible to commence the process of elimination.
Through pawn shop, past bar
The entrance of the restaurant is the most puzzling thing about it – the entryway, which on its own is probably a $3K+ rental, is a pawn shop branded with a movie-theater style billboard of the restaurant’s name exposed to the street. Through the backdoor of the store resides the mysterious three story space, which is significantly more lighted and spacious than its sister restaurant, Stanton Social. The ambience is similar to that of Buddakan – sleek and sophisticated design, house music humming in the background, high ceilings, and wall to wall tables. Despite the massive dining area, the waiters and 10-person bus-boy crew aren’t shy about over-zealously rushing the dining process to expedite table-turning. Within 5 minutes of ordering, our three appetizers were served, and mid way through finishing, our entrees slyly appeared on our table. The pump-up music did nothing to help calm our pace. After minutes, we resorted to verbal agression and repeatedly asked for our next course to be delayed (which I’ve also, incidentally, done at Stanton Social), which resulted in refusing our last dish, allowing it to rest under a heating lamp, and eating it warm when we were finally ready.
In spite of the service hiccups, I left the restaurant feeling totally impressed by the food. I’m a sucker for any place like Stanton Social – small plates don’t have to be restricted to Spanish food, and its execution of varied miniature multi-ethnic mains is spot on. Comically, these so-called “small plates” are actually substantial portion sizes for most people, but their nomenclature incentivizes over-ordering in order to justify the meal as an event. It’s a clever ploy for the restaurant, really, as we ended up 7 dishes-deep when we could have easily been full off of 4. If you want to limit yourself to a few options, but have more than 2-3 people, the restaurant will graciously accommodate and add an additional item (and additional charge) to equalize the servings.
Before ordering we were given a caesar salad bite, which literally tasted like every component of the classic, crouton included, in one fell swoop. I’ve had these at Stanton Social before, so was a little disappointed at the repetition, but they were tasty nonetheless.
Caesar salad bites
Considering the wide range of options, my friend Maggie and I fortunately had no qualms about our order, and we selected a crostini from the “Jewels on Toast” section to start – whipped ricotta with grilled pears, honey, basil and chili. The whipped ricotta was perfectly smooth and paired well with the sweet fruit, but the crostini’s crust had been cut off for what I’m guessing aesthetic reasons – a shame as the crust-eater in most of my relationships. We both agreed that the pears were too harsh in their artificial sweetness, and would have better complemented the delicate cheese if thinly sliced as opposed to finely diced. Regardless, as a whole it was a unique twist on the ricotta toast that has popped up on every restaurant menu (thanks to Locanda) and a great starter to share.
ricotta crostini
The surprising star of the night was the kale and apple salad with pecans, pancetta, and shaved goat cheese. The portion was hugely generous, and the crisp, fresh radicchio rounded out the sweetness of the candied pecans and nutty goat cheese.
apple kale salad
We soon dived into our hot mains with the oven braised chicken meatballs. The chicken meatballs were overwhelmed with filler and breading, but I was won over nonetheless by the unavoidable scent of truffle oil and the accompanying sheep’s milk ricotta. We even dared to ask for a side of bread to soak up the extra cheese – though it took two attempts, the additional bread and ricotta combo was definitely worth the effort.
Our next course, the beer battered lobster tacos with red cabbage and avocado crema, definitely emerged as our favorite. Served with a small wedge of lime and extra cream, it was a fresh, easy, two-bite tapa, and well rounded despite the diverse combination of flavors. And though definitely appetizer sized, the delicate lobster was satisfyingly the star of the show and generous by most standards.
lobster tacos
By the time our grilled salmon with sunchoke puree and cous cous came out, we were ready for a break, but I made every effort to give it a fair try. It was cooked exactly right – seared on the outside, soft and slightly pink in the middle. The basil oil masked the flavor and dense texture of the cous cous, but all together, the dish was balanced and would have been a perfectly-sized main course after one of the appetizers on the first page.
salmon with cous cous
After making the journey to the bottom of the Lower East Side, I couldn’t say no to dessert. So much for day one of my company-wide cleanse! Disregarding my fullness, we ordered two to sample. When a dessert menu has more than one chocolate option, I’m bound to order at least one for the table to give a fair assessment of whether the restaurant has a solid chocolate awareness. They definitely proved themselves. The Devil’s Food Layered Cake came with a mascarpone filling and a dense chocolate ganache frosting that was out of this world. It was perfectly moist, and with a large scoop of milk ice cream, easily sharable among four. The butterscotch pot de creme, served in a glass sealable jam jar, came with a toasted coconut chantilly that added a sophisticated, smokey flavor to the sweet and creamy pudding, which was levered by a thin layer of dark chocolate. Sadly, the chocolate was hardly noticeable, but the pudding and toasted coconut provided a sufficiently satisfying, original dessert combination.
chocolate finale
If you’re unable to stop by Beauty and Essex for a meal, then come by for a drink at the bare minimum. Their cocktail list includes at least 3 vodka based options, which made my time perusing and choosing quite entertaining. I started with a delicious Masterly Touch with vodka, lemon-thyme nectar, and campari pearls, and was so content that I decided to explore further what the bartender had to offer. My next drink, entitled Earl the Pearl, resembled a subtler version of a long island iced tea with vodka, earl grey tea, lemon, and mint syrup. I would have been easily pleased with any of the cocktails on the menu, mainly because of their delicate sweetness and inventive ingredients, and I’m excited to go back when I have an opportunity to realize my full cocktail potential on a Saturday night.
I’m adding Beauty & Essex to my list of favorite group dinner spots. It’s perfect for the out of towners seeking what they believe to be a big apple restaurant because it screams New York scene – trendy, sophisticated and modern, inventive cuisine and cocktails, misleading storefront leading to disguised wondrous dining room, the city’s epicenter for bars and boutiques. Once it works out the kinks in service ebb and flow, it’s bound to battle Stanton Social on my list of weekend dinner prospects.
Grade: A- (dessert always helps win me over)
Location: 146 Essex Street btwn Stanton and Rivington
Website: http://www.beautyandessex.com
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