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Last night, Peter Serpico, of soon-to-open Serpico, cooked dinner at Southwark with pal Nick Macri. It was very, very good.
"I have a feeling Serpico's only shown us the tip of his iceberg."
Last night, Peter Serpico, of soon-to-open Serpico, cooked dinner at Southwark with pal Nick Macri. It was very, very good.
The dinner was Serp's second since moving here a year ago. The first went down just recently, a collaborative thing with fellow Starr employ, Chris Painter, at Il Pittore. There was a heavy price tag and a media frenzy and even a reporter from big-timer Bon Appetit who unwittingly kicked up controversy with his subsequent interview with the ex-New York chef.
Last night was the exact opposite of that, with an affordable menu, relaxed service, leisurely pacing and an industry crowd (Hi, Foodsyoucaneat!) that wandered along the tables chatting between courses. It felt more like a cocktail party than a dinner hosted by the city's most anticipated new chef.
Not all the food was mind-blowing (very-Southwark clams with herbs and fennel, tender lamb ribs with too-shy notes of lemongrass) but a lot of it was. Crispy eel croquettes cracked open to reveal creamy, brandade-like interiors with hints of apple and lime. Juicy, mustard-oiled Brussels sprout slaw perched on toasted bread smeared with Macri's amazing nduja. And thanks to Serpico's velvety steamed egg custard, I'll be drizzling all huevos with brown butter from here on out. (I'll leave off the odd cauliflower mushroom, which sat atop the custard in firm, distracting, tripe-like tangles.)
The meal saw some inspired pairings: Caramelized carrots and hot coppa? More, please. Grassy braised snails and roasted chicken. The surf and turf of 2013. For dessert, pretzels invaded an almond-milk panna cotta dusted with shortbread crumbles, with apple shingles stacked on the side. I dipped a slice after slice of fruit into the panna cotta like a kid after school with a peanut butter cup, then ate the remainder with a greedy spoon.
If this was any indication what Serpico will be like, I'm excited. But I'd like to see even more, more exciting combinations, more unusual ingredients (or everyday ingredients deployed in interesting ways), more progressive plating and cooking. Two other reformed New Yorkers, Eli Kulp and Greg Vernick, have set a very high bar, but I have a feeling Serpico's only shown us the tip of his iceberg.
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