The dainty East Village restaurant The Toucan And The Lion, which opened last month on East 6th Street, is the love child of girlfriend-boyfriend team Tabitha Tan and Craig Dagata, a friendly young couple acting out their dream of running a restaurant together. (The space was formerly occupied by Cajun eatery Mara's Homemade, which closed because of bike lanes and the Gulf oil spill.) Toucan's envisioned as a sort of gourmet but casual gastropub with an Asian twist, emphasizing fastidious cocktails made with house-made vermouth, fresh juices, and seasonal ingredients. The cocktail menu, made by Michael Cecconi (Back Forty), features such cleverly-named drinks as the Thai Fighter, which packs a sweet punch with Ezra Brooks bourbon, Thai basil leaves, lime, and yuzu.
Tan and Dagat invited us to check the place out last week, and the standout on the dinner menu was definitely the Drunken Manila Clams. Priced at $16, this one isn't exactly cheap, but you'll send that bowl back clean. Chef Justin Fertitta sends them out in a delicious broth made with lime leaf, Thai chili, lemongrass, and young ginger, served with a side of toasted Bao buns. Ask for an extra order of those light and fluffy treats; they're ideal for soaking up whatever's left in the bowl and addictive. We also highly recommend the Kaffir Lime Pie, which isn't technically on the menu but ought to be. Pictured here, the "pie" is deconstructed into a sort of custard, with the graham cracker cookie crust nestled on the bottom of the dish like buried treasure.
We're guessing Toucan will really come into its own in the spring, when they can throw all the windows open—the interior is mod and somewhat austere, which might not be what you want in the dead of winter. But terrarium "grow lamps" scattered throughout the restaurant bring some liveliness to the design, and there's enough heat in Fertitta's menu to warm you up.
The Toucan & The Lion // 342 East 6th Street // 212 375-8989
