weinoo Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 We got in very early tonight (right at opening)...far from a gastropub, in the true sense of the word, but it was pretty impressive... Start with these "pigs in a blanket"... Move on to the "pub cheese," which tasted sorta like a really excellent version of cracker barrel... Not to be missed tonight, the Caesar Nigiri... Topped with some of the freshest mackerel I've tasted in a long time. I didn't love the merguez stuffed kumquats (at least not as much as one of my dining companions)... But I did love the Chicken Liver Toast (with extremely crispy chicken skin)... The much lauded Rye Pasta... Was really great. As was this foie dish (don't let your eyes deceive you)... Desserts - foregone...we'd had too much to drink. So we walked on. For those who think they'll "be hungry" after dinner - not to worry. I stopped at Il Laboratorio on the way home. It was the perfect dessert. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 This is a great post, Mitch, and I can really "feel" the restaurant from your pictures. Based on some other pictures I've seen, this looks like it could be very noisy (*) - did you get that sense? (*) But not as noisy as Avec - quite possibly the noisiest restaurant I've ever been to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 Thanks, Don. I didn't find it to be any noisier than any other NYC place but we were sitting way up front and not in the middle of what may have been a noisier part of the restaurant. The food was quite good, as were the cocktails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted May 4, 2013 Author Share Posted May 4, 2013 Another visit last night led me to the conclusion that this is the best new restaurant of the year, every French bistro that has opened notwithstanding. A few dishes that hadn't been tried on the first visit included the pumpernickel crostini with trout roe... The fried boneless quail (which might make me forget about the fried quail at a few Vietnamese restaurants... The pork rib with saffron spaetzle was another winner... Not as crowded as it should have been at 7:30 on a Friday night, but there are a number of new places for all the yelplings to try, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 A couple of additional visits - the food and cocktails continue to impress. I'll stick with my initial assessment that it's the best opening of the year. And it also, for a fine cocktail place that serves food, serves the best food you might eat in a bar (I mean, there's 11 Mad Park and the Nomad and a few others, but this is almost bar food). For instance, a new item on the menu is fish and chips. Perfectly fried fish with a ramp and sweet pea tartar sauce and malt vinegar powder. Simple bar food, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NYDiningGuide Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Wylie Dufresne, known for his experimental cooking at WD-50, brings a simpler touch -- and lower prices -- to Alder. But his instinct to surprise is still there. View the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I wasn't expecting to like Alder (because I thought WD-50 was more interesting than tasty), but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed my dinner. I had the pigs in a blanket and rye pasta (both pictured above) and the cherry cheesecake which was comprised of individual cherries stuffed with cheesecake plus nuggets of cheesecake and piles of graham cracker crumbs. I thought each dish was delicious. I ate at the bar which was less than half full when I arrived a little after 7pm on Sat night. By around 7:30pm, the bar seats were full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 Different than WD-50. Initially, I think that scared people away. I've sat next to many people who were surprised at how much they've liked the food. And there's a shave ice machine at the bar - fun times in this oppressive summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Dedrick Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I don't have a ton to add to what's been said above, but we were at Alder over the fourth of July weekend and had a great experience. I, too, was concerned that the food would be more "interesting" than "good", but that wasn't the case. We loved pretty much everything we had, particularly the rye pasta. Service was excellent. I'd definitely return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Alder is in my regular rotation, at least monthly, sometimes more often. Over the course of the past year, I've probably dined here 20 times, including in the actual restaurant, as opposed to the bar. Food is consistently good to excellent, service is always friendly, the cocktails are excellent, and Wylie is often in the kitchen, especially on nights when wd-50 is closed (as has been announced, wd-50 will close for good in November). It's one of my favorite moderately priced restaurants (yeah, sadly this is the new moderate). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinoo Posted September 26, 2014 Author Share Posted September 26, 2014 Chef John has left the room. The chef de cuisine is Ryan Henderson, who was formerly the sous. I haven't been in a month or two due to circumstances beyond my control, but my guess is the food will still be as good, since Wylie is always hanging around the kitchen. And with wd-50 about to close (end of November), I imagine Wylie will be bugging the staff on a constant basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Chef John has left the room. The chef de cuisine is Ryan Henderson, who was formerly the sous. I haven't been in a month or two due to circumstances beyond my control, but my guess is the food will still be as good, since Wylie is always hanging around the kitchen. I was at Alder 2 weeks ago and enjoyed my snacks. I had the pigs in a blanket, which were as good as the ones I had last year, and the french onion soup rings, which I also really enjoyed. The onion rings had gravy and a little cheese over them, and the rings weren't overly greasy like onion rings can be sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 New York Times article and Wylie Dufresne's July 31, 2015, tweet: Sad to report that after 2.5 great years on 2nd Ave, we've decided to close Alder at the end of August. The search for a new home begins... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 The former Alder space turned into Biang! which is now open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 The former Alder space turned into Biang! which is now open. Both of Wylie Dufresne's restaurants (WD-50 and Alder) are now closed. Does anyone anything about his stated intention to relocate? 06/09/15 - "Wylie Dufresne Will Open A New Restaurant Next Year" by Sierra Tishgart on grubstreet.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now