112 Feastery

After waiting patiently for several months I finally went to the 112 Eatery. There may not be a place in all of the Metro as hyped as this cool culinary haven, and on my trip, it lived up to all of it. The ambiance of the place was very cool. Simplistic decor, cool tunes (they played Interpol, which is alright by me!) and nice soft lighting.

The meal was nothing short of a feast. I think we were making up for lost time by ordering as much as we did, but one of the cool things about their menus is that you can get half orders of a lot of the items, and many of the plates are portioned (and priced) so that you can enjoy several items - Amen.

We started our meal off with a glass of wine and quickly attacked the salty, spicy and sweet roasted almonds and the delicious olives that were placed on our table when we arrived. Soon after some nice fresh bread arrived and although I did grab a piece, I knew I had ordered more then I could eat, so I tried to only nibble.

After nibbling a bit and sipping some wine our lamb chop starter came out. This was no typical dish. We received 3 perfectly seared lamb chops, accented with a nice little frosting of lemon zest and gently resting in a pool of lush goat's milk yogurt. The yogurt was mixed with a fresh and aromatic pesto and the bold yogurt was much more intense and flavorful then a traditional yogurt sauce. I appreciated the extra excitement it provided, but could see how it may be a bit strong for others. Regardless the lamb was cooked perfectly and the salty, rich meat got a good jolt from the nice accompanying sauce. We picked the bones clean and started to focus on our main course and sides.

Before the lamb arrived we analyzed the menu ravenously as we knew there were so many good things to order! The lamb sugo looked great, I had heard wonderful things about the pork, and who wouldn't be intrigued by something as rich as a pasta dish with foie gras meatballs. Everyone told me the burger was great and I was craving something bold with a bit of heat, so I figured the Bacon, Egg and harissa sandwich would fit the bill too, so we settled on both. We decided to order some fries on the side, and also ordered the gnocchi to round out a nice comforting meal for a rainy and cool evening (112 Eatery seems to excel in comfort foods, so we decided not to fight it).

The food came out and the kitchen staff was nice enough to split the sandwiches since we told the waitress we were sharing. The service was really first rate, and I appreciate the attention from the kitchen. If you are looking for a mean burger, then look no further then the 112 Eatery. It was simply delicious. The burger itself was a mixture of ground beef with egg, onions and a good dose of sweet, lemony thyme. It was masterfly cooked and had a lush layer of melted brie on top of it. The burger rested well on a perfectly grilled english muffin. It was cute, and I devoured it like it was the last morsel of food left on earth. It was completely satisfying and the bursts of thyme really gave it a surprisingly welcome kick.

The bacon egg and harissa sandwich was totally on point. I love eggs on sandwiches and the cilantro accompaniment on top of the egg was really interesting and totally worked. The thick smoky bacon was the perfect companion to the rich, and equally smoky harissa. The 112 Eatery essentially took 2 very basic dishes and crafted a few variations that not only made them outstanding, but imaginative and flavorful.

While I was enjoying my sandwiches I also managed to take down a few of the perfectly crispy and salty fries. They were pretty darn good, (They're just 'taters after all) but the hero of that plate was the rich and decadent tarragon aioli that gave them a leg up on your typical bistro fry. The gnocchi, was artfully cooked with a little bit of crunch from the pan frying, yet was still as soft as my favorite pillow on the inside. The perfectly cooked buds were simply adorned with parmesan reggiano, and in combination with the buttery sauce, was a bit too salty for my tastes. It really didn't matter though, because I simply sat there and admired my other dishes as if it was the first time I had ever tasted a burger or a dressed up BLT. Simply put, the 112 Eatery takes simple dishes and crafts them carefully in an effort to master meals, that are anything but mundane.

I'll be back at 112. It's the perfect date spot, or place to swing into on a cold, blustery night for a bit of comfort food (go late or have a reservation though). Many people claim it's a great place to grab a snack after a night of drinking in the near by bars, but you'll never catch my practicing such sacrilege. The 112 Eatery deserves your tummy's full undivided attention, and it will get nothing less then that from this perpetually hungry individual.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy