The (Urban) Legend of Commerce
Former speakeasy on Commerce Street plays it straight with its name and gets original with its cuisine.
Laurel Cummings
February 12, 2008
The doors of 50 Commerce Street opened yet again on Thursday, February 7th, this time under the nothing-to-hide name Commerce. This marks the latest chapter in a nearly century-old story of a restaurant that’s been reincarnated more times than Siddhartha (but with a much better appetite).
It all started in the Pre-Prohibition days of 1911, when a cheeky little speakeasy called Blue Mill began serving up forbidden whiskey sours and much-needed debauchery at the corner of Commerce and Bedford Street. Rumor has it the daring (West) Villagers so loved their little haunt, they built secret underground tunnels under the kitchen through which to run their beloved rum while showgirls danced the Charleston and show offs played poker above.
Blue Mill closed its ragtime doors, only to be reborn as Grange Hall in the mid-‘90s. The great hall closed and then reopened as a rechristened Blue Mill that plunged faster than the Crash of ’29. Cut to: the newly anointed Commerce.
The naughty tingle of law breaking may be gone, but the old school bar and décor remain strictly ’20s tavern, with a rowdy crowd of local patrons to match. Exec chef and owner Harold Moore and chef de cuisine Snir Eng-Sela offer up a bevy of delightfully nouveau American dishes, with a roasted sweet potato tortelloni (cousin to the tortellini) with hazelnuts and pomegranate tasty enough to make you tap your feet to any ragtime beat.
The creative tastes continue with the menu’s “Market Specials.” Fricassee of escargot with parsley and sweet garlic is topped with a poached egg and Serrano ham puts a boldly modern spin of an nage-old classic. The “Things to Share” portion of the entrée selections goes beyond the usual porterhouse offerings. With four hearty choices for two or more, the rumored favorite is whole roasted chicken with potato puree and black truffle foie gras bread stuffing so keen you’ll forgive the 40 minute roast time. Order your wine when you sit down and reminisce about the good old days when bootlegging was more common than boots with leggings.
QUICK BITES:
Cuisine: Nouveau American
Vibe: Bustling/Boisterous with banter galore – as long as you don’t mind shouting over your apps to be heard.
Occasion: Dinner/drinks with friends when you’re craving a little nostalgia for the Roaring ‘20’s – so what if you weren’t technically alive for the real thing?
Damage: $130 for apps for two and one “Thing to Share,” two glasses of wine, plus tax and tip.
Reservations: Recommended
Not to Be Missed: Roasted sweet potato tortelloni with hazelnuts, pomegranate and beurre noisette, $15
Commerce 50 Commerce Street (at Bedford St.) Downtown Manhattan/West Village (212) 524-2301
Posted by jessica2046 on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 05.33 pm
such a cool vibe here! great review, thanks for the tip--the history of this place is so interesting