Last Saturday I went out to dinner at
Aspen - a ski-lodge themed restaurant in Flatiron. It was a neat-looking spot with a nice bar area and a huge fireplace-type setup in the middle of the room. First off was wine. We had thought about getting a Montepulciano, but the waiter convinced us to try the Tempranillo. It was, in fact, a fantastic wine.
I will definitely be looking for it in wine stores. We started by splitting an appetizer and a side. The Bison Sliders (with moked cheddar, bacon and “our gonzo sauce" - oh, and gherkins!),
and their mac and cheese with parmesan, smoked cheddar & gouda.
Yuuuuuum to both! The sliders were medium-rare and deliciously flavored. I could have eaten a plate of them. The mac and cheese was a good, solid rendition. I think it's hard to go wrong with classically delicious combinations. I will always order mac and cheese.
For a main course, we both ordered the special - a hangar steak served with an onion tart and with a parmesan crisp on top.
I ordered mine medium-rare, and found some slices to be a little bit too rare, but overall I thought it was a tender and delicious dish. The crispy parmesan on top was a tasty and tangy addition to the sweet/saltiness of the meat. There was no room for dessert (in fact, I couldn't finish my main!) but the options were enticing enough to encourage a second visit. I'd definitely recommend Aspen.
Aspen is located at 30 West 22nd Street
212.645.5040
and the Momofuku Ramen ($15).
This place is pricey. But the ramen is worth EVERY bite. The ramen has a 3 pork combo and a poached egg. Oh the pork. The best way to describe David Chang's pork is melty. It is so deliciously tender and soft, it just melts in your mouth. I will gladly shell out the money just to have that pork in my mouth. Fantastical. Next time I want to try their cannoli cream ice cream!
