Squid Ink & Cuttlefish Croquettes, Coriander & Citrus Aiolis
crispy on the outside, creamy, rich, and savory on the inside - these croquetas are addictive.
There's a culinary invasion from Spain conquering New York City one croqueta at a time and my taste buds have happily surrendered. Manzanilla Spanish Brasserie is the latest restaurant with a celebrated chef from Spain to claim their piece of the Big Apple and the buzz has been intense. A partnership between Chef Dani Garcia (he's been awarded 2 Michelin stars for his restaurant Calima in Marbella) and Yann De Rochfort
(the owner of NYC's popular Boqueria restaurants), Manzanilla is
spacious and elegant with striking chevron floors, dramatic high
ceilings, luxurious banquettes, and an open kitchen.
And,
the food? Well, I popped in for lunch today with a friend and had a
delicious meal. Manzanilla's food is playful without being frivolous -
flavor reigns supreme. I look forward to going back and trying more
items on the menu. Until then, here are a few of my favorite
dishes from today.
Kale Salad
kale, black olive dressing, valdeón blue cheese, poached quail eggs, puffed wheat, almonds
This salad has a lot going on but it all worked. The textures and flavors played off each other beautifully - savory, sweet, crunchy, and lush.
Artichoke
slow poached egg, glazed baby artichokes, iberico pork lardo
The humble artichoke reaches new heights in this rich dish.
Iberico Pork "Secreto"
slow cooked iberico skirt steak, spicy chorizo, caramelized onions, spicy mayo, piparra
I don't care how many calories this sandwich has - it was AMAZING. Thin and juicy slices of meat, the heat of the chorizo, the crunch and zing of the piparra peppers, the richness of the mayo = sandwich perfection!
Manzanilla is located at 345 Park Avenue South. For more information, visit their website.
