Apiary – New York, NY
August 12th, 2009
I first learned about Chef Scott Bryan through reading and watching Anthony Bourdain’s books and shows. What caught my attention was that
Bourdain revealed that other chefs were talking about and eating the food of Chef Bryan at his restaurant Veritas in New York. Its one thing for a
restaurant to be popular, but it’s a whole other level of success when you’re also popular among Chefs. Shortly after hearing about Chef Bryan my
wife treated me to dinner at Veritas for my birthday, that was over 4 years ago and the memory of the meal still is strong in my mind.
Unfortunately for New Yorkers Bryan left his post at Veritas to pursue another opportunity in Virginia.
After years of waiting Chef Bryan is back in New York at Apiary. I think this is the first time I’m followed a chef as you would a baseball player who
moves from team to team. In addition to receiving three stars from the New York Times while at Veritas Scott Bryan was also named a Food & Wine
Best New Chef back in 1996. So the fact that he’s back is kind of a big deal.
Apiary is a vibrant restaurant in the East Village. It’s a more casual setting then Veritas was which in my opinion allows the food to be the real
star. The dining room was alive with an energetic Friday night crowd. We sat in the front of the restaurant near the bar but never felt cramped.
The menu is very focused with about ten appetizers and eight entrée’s. I made an unusual choice for me to start my meal. I selected the Artichoke
and Baby Arugula salad, not a usual choice for me. However it was one of the most soul satisfying salads I’ve ever had. Usually “soul satisfying”
would be reserved for a comfort food like mac and cheese but this salad really did have that effect. The artichoke was sliced thing and maintained
some bite and firmness. The lemon dressing provided the perfect acidic balance. It really was a great way to start the meal.
Chef Bryan is very focused on using local ingredients and that is true of the wine list as well. It included several New York State wines from Long
Island, the Finger Lakes and the Hudson Valley. Millbrook Vineyards & Winery in Millbrook NY was the lone Hudson Valley representative. I’d love
to tell you that I kept it local but I went with a Nero d’Avola. If you haven’t tried it, it’s one of my favorites. I also think it’s easy to pick out from a
wine list. The name is kind of unique even if you don’t remember the exact pronunciation. Nero d’Avola is a red wine grape from Sicily.
The selection of the wine had a lot to do with my main course which was Braised Rabbit Papardelle. I have only tried rabbit once and that was when
I was traveling through Italy. That time it was served in larger pieces and although it was good I didn’t entice me to make rabbit a regular part of
my diet. The papardelle is what really got my attention. It’s a wide ribbon pasta that is traditionally considered rustic or country style. The wide
pasta really integrates well with the other components of the dish. And when you have homemade papardelle like they serve at Apiary it’s
something special. The rabbit blew my mind with how good it was. I really wasn’t expecting to love this dish as much as I did. The meat was
tender, shredded and packed with favor as a result of the braising. The broth and aromatic vegetables all worked together to become a complete
dish. Chef Bryan knows how he wants the dish to taste and executes it to perfection.
We got a reservation on a Friday night without any trouble but the place was packed. I imagine in very short time grabbing a table will not be so
easy. After years of waiting it was more than worth it. Apiary ranks as one of my favorite meals in New York and it will be a place I recommend to
friends whenever asked.
August 12th, 2009
I first learned about Chef Scott Bryan through reading and watching Anthony Bourdain’s books and shows. What caught my attention was that
Bourdain revealed that other chefs were talking about and eating the food of Chef Bryan at his restaurant Veritas in New York. Its one thing for a
restaurant to be popular, but it’s a whole other level of success when you’re also popular among Chefs. Shortly after hearing about Chef Bryan my
wife treated me to dinner at Veritas for my birthday, that was over 4 years ago and the memory of the meal still is strong in my mind.
Unfortunately for New Yorkers Bryan left his post at Veritas to pursue another opportunity in Virginia.
After years of waiting Chef Bryan is back in New York at Apiary. I think this is the first time I’m followed a chef as you would a baseball player who
moves from team to team. In addition to receiving three stars from the New York Times while at Veritas Scott Bryan was also named a Food & Wine
Best New Chef back in 1996. So the fact that he’s back is kind of a big deal.
Apiary is a vibrant restaurant in the East Village. It’s a more casual setting then Veritas was which in my opinion allows the food to be the real
star. The dining room was alive with an energetic Friday night crowd. We sat in the front of the restaurant near the bar but never felt cramped.
The menu is very focused with about ten appetizers and eight entrée’s. I made an unusual choice for me to start my meal. I selected the Artichoke
and Baby Arugula salad, not a usual choice for me. However it was one of the most soul satisfying salads I’ve ever had. Usually “soul satisfying”
would be reserved for a comfort food like mac and cheese but this salad really did have that effect. The artichoke was sliced thing and maintained
some bite and firmness. The lemon dressing provided the perfect acidic balance. It really was a great way to start the meal.
Chef Bryan is very focused on using local ingredients and that is true of the wine list as well. It included several New York State wines from Long
Island, the Finger Lakes and the Hudson Valley. Millbrook Vineyards & Winery in Millbrook NY was the lone Hudson Valley representative. I’d love
to tell you that I kept it local but I went with a Nero d’Avola. If you haven’t tried it, it’s one of my favorites. I also think it’s easy to pick out from a
wine list. The name is kind of unique even if you don’t remember the exact pronunciation. Nero d’Avola is a red wine grape from Sicily.
The selection of the wine had a lot to do with my main course which was Braised Rabbit Papardelle. I have only tried rabbit once and that was when
I was traveling through Italy. That time it was served in larger pieces and although it was good I didn’t entice me to make rabbit a regular part of
my diet. The papardelle is what really got my attention. It’s a wide ribbon pasta that is traditionally considered rustic or country style. The wide
pasta really integrates well with the other components of the dish. And when you have homemade papardelle like they serve at Apiary it’s
something special. The rabbit blew my mind with how good it was. I really wasn’t expecting to love this dish as much as I did. The meat was
tender, shredded and packed with favor as a result of the braising. The broth and aromatic vegetables all worked together to become a complete
dish. Chef Bryan knows how he wants the dish to taste and executes it to perfection.
We got a reservation on a Friday night without any trouble but the place was packed. I imagine in very short time grabbing a table will not be so
easy. After years of waiting it was more than worth it. Apiary ranks as one of my favorite meals in New York and it will be a place I recommend to
friends whenever asked.
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