Upon entering Pudding Stone, favorably located in the crest of the West Village, not only did the weather beg for such a chic, open-air dining experience, but my coin purse was happily chiming to this wine bar’s student-friendly pricing.
The decor of the restaurant is trendy, yet not obnoxious: One interior wall is brick, cleverly pocked with hollows where candles flicker, and the opposing wall is adorned with four Marilyn Monroe prints by Warhol. The electro pop music in the background weaves both the ornamentation of the restaurant and the commotion of street together. Along with indoor tables and stools at the classy bar near the far end of the establishment, sidewalk seating is also available. I chose to sit by the open windows, which on an unusually warm April night, offered a gentle breeze, completing the relaxed dining scene.
For my appetizer, I ordered the crab cakes with lemon remoulade. A couple of years ago my mother and I attempted to make our own from scratch, but unlike Pudding Stone’s perfect combination of crispy outside and moistly flaky inside, our homemade creations were just a little burnt. Pudding Stone’s perfect crab cakes sat atop a crisp house salad embellished with sliced mango and partnered with a dollop of tangy tartar sauce. Although only one cake sat on my plate, I could have easily devoured three more.
Now even though Pudding Stone is known for their impressive wine list, I decided to save that for the entrée. Instead, I chose to have a bottle of Colomba to compliment my appetizer. A white ale brewed with spices, it was a nice alternative to the darker, more bitter stouts I typically have; it was a lighter, sweeter breed.
I have long come to the realization that I am, to the highest possible degree of the title, an utter salmon junkie. With this acknowledged, choosing my next plate was simple: wild Alaskan salmon with eggplant puree. When asked what temperature I wanted it, I went with medium so as to keep the fine balance of raw and overdone in check. My dish was presented with a healthy dose of freshly steamed asparagus, a splash of eggplant puree to cradled the fish, a side of hot sauce for extra flare, and a lemon wedge for that oh so necessary zing.
I’ve had a lot of salmon in my 22 glutinous years of life, and I can sincerely say that Pudding Stone prepared my dish without flaw. Its tender, slightly- salted meat made my mouth water before even my first taste. Its accompanying puree was light and tangy. I was afraid it would overpower the flavor of the salmon, but it was divinely complementary. To be honest, I could have foregone the dab of hot sauce on my plate. Its spice reduced the taste of the salmon, but it provided a variety, so I went along with it. That and c’mon, who doesn’t love hot sauce?
Not ordering a glass of wine at Pudding Stone is like going to Hawaii and skipping the beach — you’re missing the best part. At first the wine list was a bit intimidating, but my waiter was very helpful and gave me a few sound suggestions. I ended up choosing an Ella’s Blend grenache, a French red wine. The grenache, a widely-planted wine grape, gave it exceptional body and a sweet fruitiness, which, paired with the salmon, made for an all around delicious meal.
No dinner is complete without dessert, and I had been dreaming of crème brûlée throughout the entire meal. Crème brûlée, French for “burnt cream,” is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of caramelized sugar. While I waiting for my dish (which I should mention arrived in five minutes flat), I replayed a decadent scene from my all-time favorite French movie “Amelie,” in which the main character gains a little too much pleasure from cracking the surface of her homemade crème brûlées. I was hoping that my dessert would be just as ripe. Happily, it was. The surface was perfectly crisp. Breaking through the sweet shell, reaching the creamy bottom of warm custard, and feeling the opposing textures in my mouth, was, in one word, heavenly.
I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Pudding Stone. With a relaxed ambiance and plenty of wine (nudge, nudge), it is ideal for a snug, romantic date that won’t leave you broke.
-Angela M, Student Maximus Blogger
Baruch ‘09
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