Location: 1606 1st Avenue New York NY 10028
Cuisine: Gastropub
Items: 4 cocktails, 3 appetizers, 3 entrees
Best Dish: We thoroughly enjoyed everything we tasted but the burger stands out as a major favorite. The crispy fries that accompany the burger are some of the best in the city. The Gruyere croquettes are also a must-have. These little orbs are the best cheese-filled gourmet tater tots.
Overall: A quaint comfortable space with amazing food and a talented mixologist on staff.
Just one avenue over from the controversial 2nd avenue construction project lies a lovely gastropub designed for sharing a fun evening with your favorite people. The Pitch & Fork is home to amazing seasonal cuisine and locally sourced edibles. The space is fairly new and rapidly growing a faithful following of foodies and cocktail enthusiasts. We wandered into the space on a Tuesday evening around 6:30 pm. Though our table was ready we decided to start our meal at the bar so we could get up close and personal with their young bartender. Though young in years this man has a true talent for creating on the spot masterpieces. I simply requested something fruity with a rum-based and was presented with a delicious citrus punch scented ever so lightly with jasmine.
After our cocktails, we were lead over to our table to begin our feast. We hadn’t spent much time at the bar but a few minutes makes a big difference. The once empty space was filling up fast with hungry patrons. On a cold Tuesday the evening, the space was surprisingly lively with groups of friends happy couples and friendly co-workers. We began our meal with the Gruyere croquettes. These perfectly round orbs are comprised of potato and gooey Gruyere cheese. The croquettes are served with a chilled horse radish creme fraiche. As appetizers go this is one of our favorites. It is a combination of all of the best guilty pleasures; soft buttery potato, melted cheese all fried up in a tasty little ball.
Next, we sampled the St. Louis Ribs. As meat lovers, this was a major treat. Ribs are rarely provided as an appetizer and we were so glad we ordered them. The meat was fall off the bone tender and the BBQ sauce lightly sweet with a hint of smokiness.
The devils on horseback were highly recommended. The devils are blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in thick smoky bacon. This one-bite wonders really revved up our appetites.
For our last appetizer, we went with the Scotch egg. Scotch eggs are typically a soft boiled egg wrapped in sausage then fried. At The Pitch & Fork, they coated the egg in salted cod instead making this a much lighter appetizer than expected.
Our first entree was the roasted chicken. The chicken arrived with tasty well seasoned crisp skin and tender juicy flesh. The bird is served with grilled asparagus, maitake mushrooms and mashed potatoes floating in a sea of tasty chicken au jus.
Next, we had the pan-seared salmon. I am usually not a salmon fan but this was delicious. The fish was devoid of the overly fishy taste I usually associated with salmon and the exterior was seared beautifully.
Our last plate of the evening was the P&F Burger. This is one massive hunk of beef. At our server’s suggestion, we topped our burger with a fried egg. We cut the burger in half and were delighted to see the yolk running all over. This isn’t your basic burger this is a major beef event. Even cut in half this burger needs both of your hands. The meat was juicy and thick. The bun was soft and buttery. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, truly addictive.
A gastropub by definition is a bar that serves well-prepared food. While most bars may offer simple things like fries and hot wings a gastropub offers steak and potatoes, restaurant-quality meals. The Pitch & Fork is a great representative of this category as it provides amazing cocktails prepared lovingly by their mixologist as well as a sumptuous meal prepared by a talented chef. As a pub, it probably not the best space for a family meal with your young children, but it is a great space to meet up with the 21 and overcrowd. When you go there feel free to order anything off the menu we didn’t have a single dish we didn’t like. The burger is highly recommended as well as the Gruyere croquettes. If you order the scotch egg request a little of the horseradish creme fraiche, it can be a little dry. Lastly don’t be afraid to order a specialty cocktail from mixologist Todd Griffith, he makes his own custom syrups has great taste and loves a challenge!