Room for Two at Market Table
Because when we're not busy shilling our interns, we like a good meal.
Laurel Cummings
November 08, 2007
First En Japanese Brasserie taught us what all those waifish vegan girls had been saying for so long: tofu is actually good. Then the Lewis Carrol-esque minds at Tailor took us through the culinary looking glass with that wacky sweet vs. salty motif. And just when we thought we had gotten wise to the new wave of N.Y.C. novelty restaurants, Mermaid Inn’s Mickey Price opens Market Table, a new restaurant hybrid—market/table, get it? —on the W. Vil, promising to meet both our date-night needs and Iron Chef delusions at once.
On the corner of Bedford and Carmine in the former Shopsins space, Market Table is the love child of Price and Little Owl duo Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman. One side is an old-school gourmet market offering everything from freshly baked whole grain muffins to dried white figs. The other side is an intimate date spot—all dark wood tables, flickering candlelight, and ultra-modern wall-wide pull-down windows.
The kitchen’s slant is Nouveau American. Price’s seafood bent can be seen in the jumbo lump crabcake sandwich (he hails from Maryland), with seasoned fries and tomato-caper rémoulade. Diver scallops come with heirloom tomato and creamy cucumber, zested up by a careful wrap of seasoned bacon. Pan roasted chicken also gets a tasty makeover, served atop creamed sweet potato sides with a creative bump courtesy of hazelnut vinaigrette seasoning. The market-fresh oyster special was what really won me over, dipped in a tangy lime sauce that highlighted the natural sea-salt flavors.
If it all sounds a bit gimmicky, somehow Price and company make it work. And if you need some gourmet almond butter to go with that red-pepper jelly, it’s only one room away.
QUICK BITES
Cuisine: Nouveau American
Vibe: Chill, with plenty of dark wood and low lighting
Occasion: Low-key Sunday night out when you’re burned out from a weekend of debauchery
Damage: $130 for entrees and apps for two plus two sides, including tax and tip
Reservations: Recommended
Not to Be Missed: Beau Soleil Oysters, $2.25 each
54 Carmine St. (Bedford St.) 212-255-2100 markettablenyc.com West Village
Posted by pbipp@aim.org on Fri Nov 9, 2007 at 10.37 pm
Bingo! Stopped by for a few bites and it was so great! Thanks for the good advice
Posted by JuliaMerriman on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 07.45 pm
Great article! witty and very well said. thanks for the tip
Posted by jessica2046 on Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 05.19 pm
love this place! this review is right on. also loved the crabcake-good suggestion.
Posted by Teddy2Tone2nite on Mon Dec 3, 2007 at 04.05 pm
nothing but overwrought, masturbatory posturing intended to make insecure hipsters feel as if they’re part of some imagined elite beau monde.
JUST KIDDING!
GREAT RESTAURANT SPOT ON! TRY THE CREPES!