DINNER ON LUDLOW
Location:
95 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002
So a few months ago, Gilt City had a promotion for Dinner on Ludlow for 4 people for $120. I had also received a 20% off promo code from them as well, which made the deal even better at $96. We would have to pay tax (on the full price) & tip (20%) at the restaurant. I bought the deal with the intention to take hubby out for his upcoming birthday, along with 2 of his friends.
Reservations were easy even though they mention you need to make them a month in advance. There was no need. Upon getting to the restaurant on a Sunday night, we had noticed there was a huge line outside. People were waiting to get in. It dawned on me that the 2 floors above was their lounge aptly named The DL. There was a huge party going on, it was actually pretty fun people watching. We saw some characters in Manhattan. The music was loud, but they turned it down before the 7pm dinner service began.
The Executive chef is John Keller, who has worked in many of the top restaurants in NYC. Dinner on Ludlow brings to the Lower East Side (L.E.S.) classic comfort food with a focus on keeping it simple.
They have chandeliers for décor, which makes it look more high-class, but it wasn’t a fancy snobby place. The waiters were all really friendly & helpful. We enjoyed the service here.
The Family-Style Chef’s Menu for 4 came with the following:
4 appetizers , 4 entrees, 5 sides, 2 desserts & 2 bottles of wine
We ordered a red & a white for the table, but only got through the white. We had the Mirabello Pinot Grigio & Marques de Caceres Rioja. I can’t comment on the wine because I don’t really like to drink (I know, that should be a sin)!
The chef gave us complimentary Cheese Puffs in a cute wire basket . They taste like the cheese-it crackers. They were small with a flakey crust & a slightly soft cheesy inside
I can only fully comment on mine & Hubby’s food. I took a nibble from my friend’s dishes, but not enough to make an in-depth assessment..
Oxtail & Onion Soup – Classic Onion Soup, Braised Oxtail & Gruyere Gratin
Kale Caesar (salad appetizers are 1/2 order) – Tuscan & Red Kale, Caesar Dressing, Olive Oil Croutons
Bacon & Egg Salad (1/2 order) – Pork Belly Confit, Fried Egg, Frisee & Truffle Vinaigrette
Mixed the egg yolk into the salad. The pork belly was slightly crispy on the outside & tender on the inside. The dish was amazingly light considering there was yolk & pork belly. It wasn’t a stand-out appetizer, but it was good.
Spring Pea Risotto – Spring Pea, Lemon Thyme & Pecorino Romano
Hubby really loved the al dente risotto. It was creamy & cheesy, but wasn’t overwhelming. It was cooked perfectly & with care.
Penne – Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus, Tomato & Pecorino Romano
Maybe the chef ran out of penne, but this dish had a different pasta in it, but it still worked well. You can smell the truffle oil from this dish. The flavors were light, which worked well.
Whole Roasted Sea Bass (hubby) – Fresh Herbs, Lemon & Tuscan Olive Oil
Hubby thoroughly enjoyed the tender meat on the fish, minus the bones. He hates bones, but this was a whole fish that came to the table. It filled the hubby up & we still had leftovers afterwards.
Arctic Char (me) – Spring Peas, Braised Carrots, Ramps & Lemon Oregano Sauce
The lemon oregano sauce worked really well over the veggies. The arctic char had a crispy top. Again, this wasn’t an outstanding dish, but it was good. I ate everything off the plate.
Tuna Tartar – Cucumber, Avocado, Grapefruit, Ginger Oil & Crispy Wontons
Broccoli w/ Garlic – simple side.
Chilled Asparagus w/ Garlic, Ginger & Sesame – we loved the clean flavors from the asparagus.
Garlic & Spring Squash – these were sautéed with garlic & onions. Tasty, but simple.
Truffle Mac & Cheese – This was some creamy goodness. These a slight crunch from the bread crumbs on top. The mac & cheese was heavenly. The truffle oil was fragrant but not overpowering. I can eat this all day, but then I would be really fat, so I will indulge once in a blue moon. But, this has got to be the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had thus far.
Sugar & Spice Donuts – Chocolate Dipping Sauce & Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
You take the warm donut hole, drizzle a little chocolate over it & add a bit of the ice cream on top & consume it all in one bite. It was lovely. The flavors are worked so well together.
White Chocolate Panacotta – Caramel, Fresh Berries, Hazelnut Tuile & Chantilly Cream
This was devoured in nearly 20 seconds. I had to fight the 2 boys from finishing it off before I even had one bite. The panacotta was silky smooth. The hazelnut tuile tasted like a French wafer, light with a hint of sweetness. This was a wonderful dessert to end the night.
We even snuck upstairs just to take a peek at the lounge on the 2nd floor. It was just a small, dark room with some people dancing. I would take this as a make-out room. The top floor was a rooftop type area but enclosed in greenhouse type glass. There were palm trees & a water fountain. The space was bigger & perfect for just hanging out with friends over drinks.
Overall, everyone enjoyed the meal & thought everything was well-prepared & delicious. We would definitely come back here to try the other offerings. The total cost including tax & tip was $163 for 4 people (~$41 per person). The total bill would have been to $297 without my coupon. What a significant savings! We left completely full & even had to doggy-bag 2 boxes of food, along with the bottle of red. What a great meal. Btw, I had the Truffle Mac & Cheese for lunch the next day & it was just as good as the night before. *Slurp*
. They come in a range of colors. Interestingly enough, they even come in blue, green, yellow & black! I am so not daring enough to rock those colors on my lips, but more power to the people who can. They come in a tube like a lip gloss would & you would squeeze a little out to get a bright lipstick-like color, or use even less as a lip stain. You can also use it as a blush as well. The reds are really nice. They retail for $18-$25.
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– used as my base coat to help my nails get stronger. Here’s the 
– you’ll use this every day for a few weeks for brittle nails to get stronger.
munkie VS the world 