In the restaurant world, terminology like "organic," "local," and "seasonal" have become so commonplace they can be easy to ignore. But, when Market Table – which offers all three of these – opened on Carmine Street (at Bedford) in the West Village last September, they highlighted a new buzzword: market. With an emphasis on bringing food from the market directly to the table, the restaurant simultaneously offers a capacious (and beautiful) dining room headed by chef Mikey Price (formerly of Mermaid Inn), which is adjacent to a general-store like grocery stocked with olive oils, fresh breads, assorted condiments, dried goods, and a deli case full of gravlax, fresh herbs, cheeses, and sauces and stocks. Price is partner to Chef Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman of the nearby Little Owl, of which we're also big fans.
When Gothamist and a dining companion stopped by for dinner on a recent evening, we noted the dining room to be spacious, but intimate, loud, but convivial, and the space was perfectly lit for a date, with the light from nearby businesses pouring in through the restaurant's giant glass windows. Inside, the market-side emits an appetizing glow from beyond the dining room, and Chef Price occupies an open kitchen behind the shop's offerings.
After peeking at our neighbors' tables, we started with with a bottle of Bonny Doon Cigare Volente, one of dozens of red wines categorized by vineyard or location off an extensive list of spirits. To accompany, we'd happily recommend starting with a plate of the crispy calamari with white anchovy, lemon, and chili mayo that was light, fresh, and rightly both crunchy and chewy. To compliment, the fennel & apple salad, shredded fennel mixed with pickled onions and topped with slices of apple and parmesan was refreshing with sweet and citrus-y hints.
Entree options are limited to seven on a menu that changes seasonally, but not daily. Vegetarian options are sparse; meat and fish eaters will be more at ease. Gothamist's dining companion opted for the braised lamb shank, a hunky portion of braised meat still on the bone, served with wilted greens, and, most memorably, a cheesy, billowy gouda gratin, an excellent stand-in for more traditional mashed potatoes. We wavered between the two fish dishes; one, a grilled arctic char, and the other – our final pick – a flaky sauteed codfish with brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and onions. While moist and tender, it was understated next to the lamb dish.
After dinner, skip the coffee – ours was lukewarm – and go straight to the sweets. Dessert options number around a half dozen, and while not the star of the show, offer a satisfyingly sweet finish. We took our waitress's advice and ordered the polka dot cheesecake, a luscious vanilla foundation studded with large chocolate bursts.
Market Table offers delicious in-house dining and tasty take-home basics for those who want to walk out with the ingredients that made up their meal. At lunchtime the dining room is bright and airy, and the lunch-only burger ($12), a contender for New York's best, is the star. At dinnertime, the room is abuzz with energy, people in intimate conversation only stopping to cut into their steaks.
Market Table is located at 54 Carmine Street, 212.255.2100 and open for lunch and dinner, M-F and for dinner on the weekends.
