Redhead

[Daisy]

The fried green tomatoes are sooooo good. Cormeal-crusted, crisp, juicy. Green goddess (currently with peas,asparagus, bits of pickled red onion) and one eyed Caesar salads excellent as always. It was quite busy last night, so good for them.

[Cathy]

The Green Goddess is my favorite salad.

[Daisy]

Decidedly mixed experience here last night, although I think I fared best of our party of three. My watermelon with smoked salt and lime appetizer was four fat and gorgeous triangular slices and the seasoning perfectly pointed up the fruit's sweet, crisp succulence. Lobster salad was very nice if a bit teeny but then it was only $12. A perfect, icy vesper made a good start. The killer fried green tomatoes are not offered as a side anymore but instead only come with the steak. Which was pronounced good but was on the small side. But not as small as the monkfish which was so miniscule that had I been told it was filleted goldfish I'd have believed it. A very stingy portion indeed. And the monkfish eater was also treated to some slightly wilted lettuce in his one-eyed Caesar although he said it was still good. Chocolate pudding was intensely fudgy but too sweet, but 'too sweet' is not a a new criticism of Redhead's desserts coming from me.

 

We headed to a party on Avenue C after dinner, and perhaps it was the warm, steamy weather encouraging them, but wandering the East Village last night was like attending a rat carnival. They were all over and at one point we actually crossed the street to avoid a group we spotted gamboling further down the block. Eeek.

[Suzanne F]

I think we're going to give it another try tonight before we see Orlando as CSC. Maybe this time I will like the fried chicken better. (Yeah, I know, I'm a heretic.)

[Rail Paul]

I think we're going to give it another try tonight before we see Orlando as CSC. Maybe this time I will like the fried chicken better. (Yeah, I know, I'm a heretic.)

 

 

we almost saw Orlando last week. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts

[Cathy]

I think we're going to give it another try tonight before we see Orlando as CSC. Maybe this time I will like the fried chicken better. (Yeah, I know, I'm a heretic.)

 

 

If the kale salad is on the menu, order it.

[macrosan]

I'm going to be in town next week and I'm planning to introduce a couple of friends to a real fried chicken dinner If we're a three, will I need to book and/or what is a good time to walk in, say on Wednesday or Thursday?

[Steve R.]

I'm going to be in town next week and I'm planning to introduce a couple of friends to a real fried chicken dinner If we're a three, will I need to book and/or what is a good time to walk in, say on Wednesday or Thursday?

 

If you dont mind eating early, 6pm or 6:30pm is usually a nice time to get seated there, although I dont think mid weeks are usually too crowded a little later on. I'm pretty sure that he wont take a reservation for that size party but it doesnt hurt to call Rob or Greg and let 'em know that you're part of the Mouthfuls troublemakers. If you mention Cathy's name it's better than mentioning mine, although they like Ginny as well.

 

The chicken was very nice last week and I expect it will be so next week. One eyed caesar salad is a good starting point.

[Suzanne F]

When I was just looking at their website, it said reservations only for parties of five or more, and only before 6:30 pm.

 

As for the rest of your question, I defer to others more familiar with the house. ETA: such as Steve R.

[macrosan]

Thanks, Steve and Suzanne That's exactly what I need to know.

[Suzanne F]

If they have the braised rabbit get it. Just. Get. It.

 

Other than my Ginger Snap tasting like iced tea with a mere hint of peach schnapps instead of rum and ginger and citrus it was a terrific meal, and I am finally a true believer. Thank you, Cathy, the kale salad was heavy on the lemon, heavy on the fruit, light on the walnuts (not my favorite nut), and altogether delicious, with tender young kale. Roasted tomato soup was creamy, tomatoey, and just bacony enough.

 

Whatever objections I had to the fried chicken before, they were all wiped away. This was crisp, salty, peppery, and juicy. Very clever that the breast is boneless, so it cooks sufficiently while remaining moist, unlike the bone-in versions that are cooked to desert dryness by the time the meat at the bones is done. And of course the leg can take the longer cooking and still be moist. A little more inherent flavor to the chicken itself would have helped, but everything else worked, so why quibble? And yes, the corn muffin is a touch too sweet, but it had great corn -- and butter -- flavor. Nice salad with it, too. I never thought I'd like the spinach-strawberry thing, but they made it work.

 

But that rabbit. Oh, that rabbit. Forgive me, Alan Richman, but it was indeed succulent. Some parts rolled around greens (with both bite and flavor!), another part just a large chunk of meat, almost no bones, a fragrant white wine sauce, and sweet potato spatzle (not, as the server first announced, spatzle AND sweet potatoes ) as tasty and toothsome as they were unusual. Paul was in heaven with it.

 

And after Daisy's complaint of too-sweet desserts, I was worried about the caramel cake with peaches, bourbon, and butter pecan ice cream. But I needn't have been. Sweet, of course, but not unbearably, esp. with the current peaches that are tending again toward tartness.

 

All in all, an excellent meal. I guess maybe my previous visit was an aberration.

[Daisy]

I had a taste of that rabbit last night and thought it was pretty damn good. Stuffing the saddle with greens a clever(and tasty) way to keep it from drying out too much. And the spaetzle was terrific.

 

My one-eyed caesar was my best ever. Ricotta dumplings were nicely textured but had been pan-fried and were the tiniest bit overcooked. The creamy, peppery, paper-thin zucchini and summer squash served with the dumplings was spot-on.

 

We ordered a lot and were sent a dish of shrimp and grits on the house, and while we agreed everything was quite good the food definitely skewed slightly towards the salty last night.

 

The chocolate espresso cookies dusted with sea salt made a nice breakfast this morning.

[Cathy]

Yes, the rabbit and spaetzle are yummy, and the kale salad is still delicious. That is definitely one of the best chocolate cookies ever.

 

I love the house-made potato chips and butter-braised onion dip, but the former need to be a bit sturdier or the latter a bit looser: it's difficult to dip without losing a chip.

[Stone]

I'm beginning to sense a bit of Ssambar-like grade inflation going on here.

[Suzanne F]

I was just so surprised, since my initial visit was pretty bad.

 

BTW: we passed Ssambar on the way to Redhead and I considered stopping in there instead since it was mostly empty. But I can't give up ALL my prejudices at one time.