Wallsé

[oakapple]

If I remember correctly - someone told me that they had dinner at the bar there and really enjoyed it, but I could be mistaken.  Do you remember if people were eating at the bar.

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I did not take note of whether people were eating at the Bar, but it looked like a heavy scrum of people primarily drinking.

[madziast]

you can definitely eat at the bar if there is room, i've done it numerous times. wallse has been one of my favorite restaurants and i'm glad to see the food is still getting raves. makes me want to go back - i'm on a self-imposed sabbatical after my last visit when a friend and i were not treated very politely by the chef's wife/host, who was actually inexplicably inhospitable. we wanted to eat at the bar and had no reservations. were told that nothing would open for a VERY long time. since i had gone there w/o reservations before and usually it didn't take long, i was quite surprised. decided to wait it out as the bartender encouraged us to stay and brought lots of olives, nuts and other snacks.

i would highly recommend the Nockerl for a light dessert - light as air, not too sweet, just delicious! it's made with whipped egg whites and

also, the palatschinken with smoked trout, apple and horseradish are outstanding and soups are always divine.

savory food at cafe sabarsky is tricky - they don't have a proper kitchen there so food is brought from the restaurant. sometimes it's cold and bland, even my beloved palatschinken...

oakapple - what did you think about wine prices? i love the all-austrian wine list but the wines are pretty expensive

[oakapple]

oakapple - what did you think about wine prices?  i love the all-austrian wine list but the wines are pretty expensive

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I ordered by the glass, as my companion was not drinking, so I didn't check out the bottles. Their by-the-glass prices were in line with comparable restaurants, or perhaps even a dollar or so less expensive.

[gaf]

Roots and Wings New York City Entry #67

Wallsé is Aquavit on Strudel. Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner takes Austria as his inspiration, just as Aquavit is Stockholm on the Hudson. Labeling Wallsé Austrian as precise as suggesting that Tabla is a Delhi deli. New York takes indigenous cuisines, reaches for a mixer, and turns on the juice. The outcome is recognizable, if cracked. At its best, the mash is sublime.

Wallsé, in the heart of the West Village, serves nicely as a poster child for post-fusion cuisine. Whereas once restaurants competed to see how many continents could be contained on a plate, chefs are now drawing on their heritage and on their international training. They show their roots and wings.

The Wallsé space is as pleasing as any upper-middle restaurant. The two rooms are filled with contemporary art (works by Julian Schnabel and Alfred Olin, among others), pieces that set off the white brick walls and black carpeting. If the room was once minimalist, today it bounces and sizzles with color and drips.

Perhaps it is Germanic clockwork, but the staff rushed us through dinner. Our appetizers arrived moments after the order went in, and the time between appetizer and entree was barely sufficient to lay down our forks. No amuse for us. We had the impression that our 7:00 table was to be turned over by 9:00. If two seatings are required, early reservations should be scheduled at 6:30 and later ones set for 9:30. The crowd at the bar suggested that the late shift might have applauded our exit. Restaurant clocks should always measure soft time.

I began with Spicy Lobster Soup with Lobster Ravioli. The dish was admirable, but not orgasmic. It didn't tingle. The liquid had nice heat, but the spicing was too heavy on the salt. The soup had a roughness that didn't detract from the pleasure of its dense lobster, but served as a marker that this was not David Bouley's kitchen. The ravioli was pure lobster and laudable, although its purity was overwhelmed by the competing spice. It was an commendable broth, a step from distinguished.

Crispy Cod Strudel with Braised Leeks and Black Truffle Sauce is a marriage of the Outer Banks and the Inner Ring. Let no one castigate cod in the hands of Chef Gutenbrunner. Cod, when cooked properly, is ocean essence. Forget salmon, swordfish, or trout. Cod is Fish. And this was a beautiful piece, framed with delicacy by the braised leeks. Given this headstart, I was disappointed with the strudel. The top was properly crisp, but the pastry base was thin and soggy. The black truffle sauce must have existed in the chef's imagination, because it was absent on the diner's plate. Perhaps he used an atomizer. With work, this could be a classic dish.

Dessert began with a scoop of marzipan sorbet. This is not a misprint. Not gelato. Sorbet. I admired that the pastry chef Pierre Reboule (if he is still the dessert chef, he is not listed on the website) was willing forgo a heavy sugar base. This was iced almond, not sticky toffee.

The startling and remarkable Green Apple and Celery Sorbet with Horseradish, Sea Salt, and Olive Oil was triumphant. Having recently eaten dessert flavored with sea salt and olive oil at Otto, what seemed a curiosity is fast becoming a trend. Of all the dishes that shouldn't work, this combine ranks high. Yet, the sweet, hot, salty, and bitter ingredients not only collaborated, but fused. This choral cuisine will long vibrate on my tongue. I tremble at the chef's inspiration.

As we were leaving my companion and I agreed that despite the bum's rush and despite a few culinary infelicities, Wallsé is a restaurant to which we would return. The room is striking and the menu is filled with surprises that we have only began to explore. New Yorkers are blessed by restaurant workers converging here from the World Beyond. Chefs and dishwashers deserve our gratitude for their mettle, showing pluck to provide for Gotham's table.

Wallsé

344 West 11th Street

Manhattan (West Village)

212-352-2300

My Webpage: Vealcheeks

[plattetude]

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Any recent visits? Current menu highlights/lowlights? Heading there this weekend....

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Christopher