Dining Out, Dinner, Gramercy/Flatiron, Manhattan, RevisitedKerry Alaric CheeseboroFebruary 11, 2014arugula, bourbon, cheese, cherry, coffee, Dining Out, Dinner, fig, figs, Flatiron, goat, goat cheese, Gramercy, Hardings, honey, juice, Manhattan, meatballs, night, orange, pear, pears, pecorino, peel, pine nuts, pinenuts, revisited, salad, sauce, sparkling wine, toast, tomato, tomato sauce, vanilla, veal, vinaigretteComment

A Harding's Night

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THIS WILL BE A POST of personally unique experiences. I have recently taken on the challenge to stop drinking alcohol. As I am famously commitment-phobic, I won't commit to saying that I'm "quitting". I just want to get away from an almost daily habit of doing shots all night and being sick all day. This way I can concentrate more on the things I love, like doing PHUDE stuff. And being able to be out publicly in social environments that (and with people who) engage me enough to not feel a need to booze just to cope.

So, I recently find myself both lucky to have my brand new great friend Reese join me at the excellent Harding's in Gramercy. Me, out in public, in a place that serves booze, with a dynamite young lady who'd be drinking booze. And I'd be doing this all at night, the less-than-optimal time to take non-flash photos on my otherwise very capable iPhone 5. This was going to be a night of many "firsts", but with this being a return to Harding's, I was sure that the space would offer the same welcoming comfort and homey-ness it did on my first visit last fall.

Harding's | Gramercy, NYC

When I arrived a few minutes late to meet Reese—my new friend of only a month—she was just fishing up a small urn of the excellent coffee (something I feel I'll have to learn to start drinking on a regular basis). Yet as she affirmed that my being "dry" that night was not going to deter her from enjoying a libation or two—I told her to "go for it"—she switched up to a "Black Forest", a bartender's-choice cocktail of bourbon, chilled coffee, and maraschino cherry liqueur, with a fresh orange peel.

She looked blissful with each sip, and although I didn't allow myslef to taste it, she did allow me to take a quick whiff of it, layered and slightly smokey with premium bourbon, grounded with rich coffee notes, and brightened with sweet cherry and citrus bouquets, I could tell her "Mmms" and my "Ahhs" that the cocktail was a winner.

As I had planned to meet Reese for only a drink or two, I had just had dinner before I met her. She, on the other hand, was famished, and was excited to find dishes on the Harding's menu than very much met her fancied. She eagerly ordered the fig toast appetizer, a pear and arugula salad, and the veal meatballs entrée, and insisted that an extra set of silverware be brought to me so to share with her as well.

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Pear & Arugula Salad

Veal Meatballs

The kitchen again proves to be producing simple magic. The subtle depth of fig flavor was countered nicely by a pillowy smear of mellowing goat cheese, atop a slightly charred thick slice of crusty toast, all of it drizzled with honey to play against the woodsy herbs. Peppery arugula found a nice foil in salty shaved pecorino cheese, sweet fresh pear slices, and the hint of acid from the sparkling- wine-brightened vinaigrette layered with the added sweet depth of vanilla. Veal meatballs were properly more nuanced in flavor than their more common beef counterparts. Firmer to the bite, yet still deliciously tender and juicy, served expertly with the concentrate yet light, almost rustic sauce of late tomatoes and the aromatics slowly cooked within.

We (she) also ordered the apple crisp, which was adequately nostalgic with the contrast of soft pillowy thick slices of spiced baked apples and a buttery cookie like crumble. But both Reese and I agreed that some of the apple pieces were too large for some bites, especially given that the skins were left on the apple slices, and were not as forgiving, therefore, to bite through.

But overall, I, not surprisingly, had not just another great meal at Harding's, but another great experience. One so enjoyable in food, service, and even company that I didn't even think to need a drink to make it better. One that I could capture in low light with my iPhone camera and gladly and proudly share with you here.

And one that proves that there are new ways to enjoy yourself for all the traditional reasons. It's a room full of comforts. Comfortable seating done with more modern arrangement. Comfort food prepared with more modern aesthetic. Traditional liqueurs presented with modern panache. And all with seeming great ease. (As often as people see the "flagship" decoration of the American flag, it often takes several visits to realize that the stripes are rotated into unconventional direction.)

Which all showcases what may be most unique about Harding's. That it provides a easy new way to have a good ol' time.

Harding's | Gramercy, NYC

Bun Apple Tea!

KACNYC

Kerry Alaric Cheeseboro