Location: 401 East 76th Street between 1st and York Ave
Cuisine: Traditional British Pub Fare
Items: 1 appetizer, 1 toast, 1 pie, 2 Entrees, 1 dessert 2 cocktails, 1 beer
Cost: $125 with 20%tip
Best Dish: It is hard to pick the best item since everything was delicious. If you are a meat and potatoes kind of person get the lamb chops or the meat pie with creamy mashed potatoes, yum!
Overall: A relaxed comfortable pub with great food and an attentive staff. It is everything a grown-up night out should be!
I didn’t make it to London’s fashion week this year, but that didn’t stop me from having a meal at a great British Pub. NYC is an international foodie heaven and I was treated to a full English meal at authentic Pub, Jones Wood Foundry. The pub-style eatery is home to the only authentic pub signage in the whole city. A genuine pub sign is made for a pub by a brewery and features the brewery’s insignia. We are told that this is an English tradition, now how’s that for British realness? From the outside, the space appears tiny until you are welcomed into the warm inviting dining area. The space is adorned with wood and comfy seating. This isn’t a frat boy pub it is a refined place with cloth napkins and a comfortable atmosphere. There are no wide screen televisions or loud music here so prepare to actually engage with whomever you are dining with, so invite someone you can have great conversations with! The minute we met our server Daniel he made sure we were well taken care of. Within 5 minutes of our arrival, we were given out waters and our first drink order was taken.
Though this pub is known for its selection of ales, we made it a cocktail kind of night. My companion tried the classic champagne cocktail and I sampled the “Kina’s Ritual”. The ritual was a refreshing cool beverage, it started sweet but has a slightly bitter after-note much like a glass of fresh grapefruit juice.
Not only was Dan helpful, but his knowledge of the menu was also superb and he gave us a few awesome selections we simply had to try. We started out with a round of appetizers. I chose the Potted Crab from the “toast” menu. Toast as we have come to understand it is a popular favorite and light snack choice for the chef. A variety of toasted bread is served with different meat, spreads, and cheeses. The potted crab is like a light crab salad with tender morsels of lump crab meat.
My companion chose the Goat Cheese and Smoked Duck Tatin. A tatin is a savory tart, usually filled with meat vegetables and or cheese. The tatin here is served with tapenade and frisée drizzled in a light dressing. The tender bits of meat were sensational with the creamy cheese.
You cannot venture into a traditional pub without sampling the meat pies. We settled on the lamb and rosemary pie. It was bursting with juicy chunks of warm lamb and savory sauce. We may never eat frozen pot pie again.
Despite our nearly bursting guts we happily ventured on into entrees. I chose a familiar pub staple haddock and chips. If the British are known by any dish at all it is fish and chips. The battered fish and house-made tartar sauce were an excellent pairing for the fresh cut fries. Don’t expect gooey ketchup here, the chips are served the way her Majesty intended, with premium malt vinegar! Like salt and vinegar potato chips.
My partner had the lamb chops with shoestring potatoes and greens. The thick succulent chops are served medium with mint sauce and currant jelly. This is a meat lovers meal!
We ended our culinary journey with the Apple Frangipane tart topped with figgy pudding ice cream. Most tarts are made with granny smiths to add some notes of sour but the apple of choice here is the Fuji apple which has a sweeter flavor. The sweeter apple didn’t overpower the dish and it was lightly sweet after dinner treat. The figgy pudding ice cream is one of the chef’s favorite, and rightly so, it was divine!
Jones Wood Foundry is not only a place for great drinks it is a place for good times, great food and welcoming atmosphere. You may not be able to visit London every week but you can certainly drop by the foundry for a pint, some bangers and don’t forget the mash!
2 comments
Definitely stop by for a taste. Tell them John Simon Daily sent you 🙂
Yummmmmmmmmm! That looks delicious! Meat Pie & the potted crab is something that peaked my interest
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