The Write Ingredients

Perilla.

We're both fans of Bravo's show, Top Chef. Or at least I am, and Husband watches with me because it's on. So our trip to New York wouldn't have been complete with at least trying to get into Harold Dieterle's new restaurant. Harold, as you all should know, was the season one winner of Top Chef.

I called to make a reservation our first night, and the only opening was 11:15pm. Hello. I'm asleep by then. Even in New York. Guess I'm getting old. And it was already 7pm, so I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. But the next day, as we wandered through the Village, we spied Jones Street and took a left. Jones street is only one block long and a single lane. Toward the north end, on the left, was a tiny storefront (remember, space is tight in NYC), with the number 9 on the awning.

They were serving Brunch, which didn't suit our cravings, but we were able to get in at 530 that same day. I was only 1230, so we had 5 hours to kill before dinner. So we went shopping.

But five hours later, with our feet properly sore, we sank into a warm, inviting atmosphere. The tables are a beautiful natural looking wood (sorry, I'm not a wood expert), with strong vertical lines. The walls are a mellow shade of tan and the whole environment was cheery, without being obnoxious. There are two large, curved booths in the center of the room, which were regal, and truly the place to be seated. Personally, I enjoyed our table toward the back because I could smell everything that was happening in the kitchen.

Service got off to a slow start, but once we ordered everything was prompt and nicely timed. I don't normally drink hard liquor, but the signature cocktail (9 jones street), with a mix of vodka, mint, ginger and lemon, converted me. And it was good. The ginger and mint combined nicely together with just a hint of bubbles.

We weren't too hungry when we walked in, primarily because we had grabbed lunch at Bar Pitti just hours earlier, but somehow we made room for a full meal.


Husband started with the Peekytoe Crab Salad avocado, mango & ginger dressing. It was light and clean, with a hint of avocado and citrus.

I started with the signature Spicy Duck Meatballs with okinawa yam gnocchi, water spinach, quail egg. The meatballs were tender and packed full of flavor. The egg cooked in the warm broth, just like the chefs on TV promise they will.

Moving on, Husband chose the dish we'd both been thinking of all day: Black Truffle Ravioli. I could smell the truffles from the kitchen as they prepared his dish. It was rich, but not heavy. And was obviously a favorite, because nearly every plate coming out of the kitchen contained it.

I, not being hungry, ordered the Blackened Grouper served with sweet potatoes, purple yams and black bean puree. I found the fish to be a bit tough, but well prepared. The puree was loaded with flavor, and when a bite contained all the elements of the dish, the combination really couldn't be beat.

And then we were full. Until our waiter brought the dessert menu. Honestly, I had no intention of ordering anything. But the first item listed, was a Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart with candied dates & peppermint ice cream. It's hard to say no to that. So we didn't. I ordered it with two spoons and a glass of wine. Husband ordered another Belvedere Martini (we weren't driving, were we?).

A few minutes later, heaven swept out of the kitchen and landed on our table. The dish was beautiful. But not enough to keep me away from it. The tart had a perfect, uniform crust. The dark chocolate cake was smooth and there was liquid caramel hiding beneath its surface. The ice cream was the real deal. Nothing like the green peppermint ice cream we grew up with, this contained real mint. probably from a plant on someone's deck upstairs. We fought over the last bite and were finally, in a strange way, full.

I would go back. I'd order something with truffles, or maybe just a few desserts. Next time I'm in New York.....