Exterior of North River; Summer Milk Punch; Questions Later
This weekend my dining companion and I went to dinner at North River for their Pig Feast ($55 per person, not including drinks). The Pig Feast is a set group menu and you would need reserve the pig at least three days in advance. It includes a seasonal salad, a variation of crispy potatoes and another vegetable side dish to balance your pork-centric dinner. Chef Adam Starowicz, a Momofuku Ko and Hearth alum, cooks seasonal and crowd-pleasing dishes that appeal to both the veggie lovers and the meat eaters.
We started with our refreshing cocktails of Summer Milk Punch and Questions Later ($13 each). Despite the fact both drinks look very similar, they are on very different ends of the flavor spectrum. My milk punch was sweet, fruity and refreshing due to the concoction of rum, watermelon, lime while my friend’s Questions was kind of dry and crisp yet it’s a brooding drink (think Manhattan). Both were fantastic drinks suitable for the summer weather.
The two dinner rolls presented to us were delicious. Warm, puffy and had a delicate crust of seasoning, it was delectable especially smeared with the sweet, room temp butter.
Chef Starowicz came out eventually and presented us the stunning crunchy skin roast pork. Despite the fact he told us that we won’t be having the whole thing (since it’s only the two of us), but it’s to show us what the beautiful roll of porky deliciousness we will be having in a couple of minutes.
Our waiter came out with a similar shiny silver tray that’s filled with two thick slices of our roast pig (essentially it’s parts of the pig’s shoulder, de-boned and roasted then deep fried for the skin’s chicharrón-like texture), bowls of roasted carrot salad dabbled with goat cheese and market greens topped with yellow yu choy flowers, and thin, wispy, potato chip-crispy potato latkes. Everything was great (especially the pork) but my friend wished there was a dab of sour cream for the latkes.
We were surprised to be presented with fried pig trotter with a small pool of bright and mildly spicy gojuchang and lime sauce. These small fried nuggets of pig trotter were deliciously silky and tender and the nicely acidic sauce just cut through the fattiness of the meat perfectly.
For dessert, we had slices of housemade banana cream pie with with a lard and bourbon crust to keep within the theme of the pig with a side of thin crisps of almond brittle. The pie was well made maybe a bit too dense for my preference but it was flavorful and not too sweet, which I prefer in my desserts. The brittle was a good touch to add a crunchy and sweet finish.
North River a great neighborhood restaurant that serves very solid modern American fare. The cocktails were excellent. The liked this rustic, Victorian-inspired decor of the place with fantastic service. We even liked the fact you may have a choice of still or sparkling (without extra charge).
To view more photos of this dinner, please CLICK HERE for the set or view the gallery below
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Information:
North River
166 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10009
Phone: (212) 228-1200
Website
