Foodie Digest

Even though you’d think I’d have learned not to go to restaurants the first week they are open, I still do. And sometimes I am treated to a very pleasant surprise.

54 Mint  is one of those surprises. It’s a great cute space with exposed brick and a long dining bar. There are a few small tables that often turn into a community table (a table that would seat 6 would turn into tables for two groups, for example). And there’s some frenetic energy going on there (more on that later).

oh? and the NY part? The chefs/owners bring a great pedigree from a variety of New York restaurants. I first read about this place in my faithfully subscribed to and read Tablehopper newsletter. And now when I re-read it I wonder if it was dry cured beef or pork and if my meat sauce was beef or pork. Things to discover on my next trip to 54 Mint.

We definitely experienced some new restaurant dysfunction, but the proof is in the food and the quality of the meal here was fabulous. Here’s a rundown of the meal (and experience).

We walk into the restaurant and think ooh, this space is cool. We get smiles from the staff and I wander over to the host area. The server/host/everything person seems a bit crazed and says to me — several times over the next 10 minutes or so — I see you there I’m not ignoring you really, I see you. Eventually I someone else jumps in and we’re given 2 seats around the corner of the bar. Perfect for conversation but close enough for us to see into the kitchen. Still, -1 for the greeting/seating experience.

Lucky for me, I am sitting below huge blocks of smoked and cured meats. Which of course encourages me to order them. As soon as we sit we are welcomed and offered drinks while olives are delivered to our area. We order a glass of wine (for me) and a beer (for him). Again, there’s a small lapse in time before one of the owners (I think) jokes with us about our server/bartender/food preparer not being attentive enough to us, and then takes our order. Which is:

salumeria plate Really, like I could sit below this and not order it? It was tempting to get the aged pecorino or parmigiana, but we stuck with meat over cheese. This plate had (I think) 3 slices each of:

• proscuitto (really, what can be said. It was shaved thin, tasty, and would make a great sandwich).
• salami something or other (dry aged, tasty, thin round with a thick slice)
• spiced chorizo like salami (smoky, my favorite, thin round with a thick slice)
• cured beef (his favorite. again, shaved thin.

ratatoulle sicilian style. This was incredibly tender and sweet with roasted peppers, pine nuts and raisins. Served with toasts and eventually with a basket of bread. The bread was generous and rustic and served warm.

gnocchi house made with a meat sauce. The sauce in this dish remained piping hot for the night. The gnocchi were delicate and light; the sauce a hearty complement. 

porchetta or pork belly goodness. This came with mashed potatoes laced with cheese? crack? something addictive. One of the best preparations of this dish I’d ever had.

Service to this point was friendly and attentive. Our plates and silverware were exchanged between courses but I had to request a water refill.

And then. The reminder that this restaurant was only 3 days old. We waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. We thought about dessert. Then thought against dessert after an hour. Eventually we asked about dessert. For the evening they had panna cotta, peach crostada and chocolate cake. Our owner/server person raved about the chocolate cake. Said if we ordered it and didn’t like it he (Claudio I believe) would pay for it. We smiled and ordered the peach crostada.

Out came our crostada with a slice of chocolate cake. So we tried it. It was good. If you were a rich chocolate cake person you might think it was the best chocolate cake you’d ever had. I don’t know — go try it and tell me.

Of course we wait again to get our check (and wait. and wait. and wait. and then remind them) and eventually pay.

Given that we were sitting at the bar and got our food quickly, it’d be surprising to have this meal last over an hour. We were there at least 2 and much of the time was spent waiting.

But.. would I go back again? In a heart beat. This is clearly the best prepared italian food in our neighborhood, and some of the best I’ve had in the city. They don’t take reservations so I’d expect to wait, tho hopefully some of the extra waiting around will get better over time. I will say the staff was charming and friendly and seemed to truly enjoy being there.

Overall thumbs: Up. The location, food and attitude will bring me back.

Tastiness rating: High. House made pastas and expertly prepared pork belly will bring me back.

Service rating: Mixed. Very friendly, professional and competent but highly distracted.

I’ve loved southwestern food since I lived in Denver. The smokiness of red chile and the great flavors of the green. Always a decision I can’t make so I inevitably get my dishes in Santa Fe served christmas style — the red and green chile served side by side.

On my recent trip I was traveling with a mixed group of dining tastes.. Some like it hot (me!) and some did not (mom). Our first dinner was at Santacafe which was tasty and accommodating to the non-spicy eaters. Of course, it left me hungry for my chile!

Enter breakfast at Guadalupe cafe. I had the huevos rancheros and my sister had the casey enchiladas. To say we enjoyed our dishes is an understatement; we returned the next day and ordered the exact same thing!

My dish:

blue corn tortillas with cheese, covered with beans and eggs to order (over had to me) topped with — you guessed it — red and green chile. The red was perfectly smokey; the green was flavorful. I admit the next day I came back and had red only and regretted it. I love the combo of the two.

The service was adequate; people were friendly and on Saturday there was no wait. Sunday (Mother’s day) had about a 15 minute wait. Not bad. 

The casey enchiladas were filled with egg and chorizo. I didn’t get to taste them but again, so good they were ordered the next day.

We ate dinner at Tomasita’s (disappointment!) I wished we’d gone back to Guadalupe Cafe for dinner too. If I’m in Santa Fe again, I know I’ll be heading here again.