NYC THROUGH MY EYES

Review: Cherrywood Kitchen in Soho

My friend and I had the pleasure of trying out Cherrywood Kitchen this month, a brand new hot spot from restaurateurs Konstantin Ziring and Vladimir Kuznetsov and Executive Chef Chris Cheung from Jean-Georges and Nobu fame. This place is a great after work spot in the heart of Soho on Spring between Hudson and Greenwich Street that offers New American cuisine.

We started ourselves off with some cocktails, typical mentality for after work.

We tried the Elderflower Champagne, which was crisp and refreshing with the hint of orange bitters. The second choice was the Vodka Cider,which was not complete without a sliced apple wedge floating around in it.

We were served the Ciabatta with Whipped Blue Cheese Cream without even having to ask for it! The freshly baked bread was worth the carbs!

For starters, we ordered the Housemade Refrigerator Pickles with Butter Roasted Peanuts and Lobster Tacos. Don’t be fooled by the name, the refrigerator pickles included additional pickled vegetables that made it seem like a perfect palate cleanser between courses. The butter roasted peanuts were on the spicier side, but were fulfilling as a bar snack. The tacos were on the smaller side, but the flavors made them seem much larger than they were.

We moved on to some small plates and tried the Micro Greens with Pear Vinaigrette and Goat Feta and Braised Bacon Soup with Smoked Cippolini Onions and Radishes. The micro greens end up being a pretty decent portion because of the homemade bread underneath the greens (carb-avoiders beware!), and the flavors surprisingly melded well together. The soup is also a pretty large serving, and the bacon is thick-cut and cooked to perfection.

We were getting pretty full and wanted to save room for dessert, so we decided to share the Seared Duck large plate with Crispy Sweetbreads, Spring Radishes and Cherry Glaze. The combination of flavors was filling and the duck with the cherry glaze was extremely flavorful. We paired that dish with the side of French Fry Ends with Bacon Crumble, which will be a perfect addition once they open for brunch.

We paired our entrée with the Cherrywood Sangria, made with red wine, peach liqueur and seasonal fruit and namesake, the Cherrywood, concocted from Hornitos Tequila, cherry puree, and lime. Both options were sweet, refreshing and paired well with the duck.

For dessert we were urged to try to the homemade ice cream, which was a mixture of Coffee, Hibiscus Tea, and Cherry Ice Cream. The cherry combination was velvety and smooth and might be the best ice cream I've ever had. Considering how much ice cream I have had in my lifetime, that is not to be taken lightly! It was a great note to end the dinner on.

Cherrywood Kitchen is now open for lunch, which is great for all those folks on Hudson that are looking for different lunch options than the food trucks and will be opening for brunch soon. For those that want to try out the restaurant on a budget, the restaurant is also offering a $35 pre-fixe menu that is available Monday through Wednesday. The restaurant also has menus available for cocktail events and parties. And then there is always happy hour!

For more information on the menu, please visit, http://cherrywoodkitchen.com/