A few weekends ago, I finally traveled back to the big apple to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. We went to a rooftop bar and I thought that I would take advantage of this opportunity and get together with a few pikes and have a Pike Reunion Dinner!
I heard a few pikes were in town and that they wanted to all go out to dinner, but of course, they had nothing planned and left it to me to organize...Great. I ended up choosing SD26, a modern italian restaurant that was very close by to the bar we were heading to later. (Location played a huge factor)
I was very excited for dinner and was surprised after walking in to the restaurant! SD26 had a very large space (for nyc, anyway) and the decor and lighting were very intriguing!
What was even cooler was their drink menus- ipads! Aw yeah technology!
After waiting for an hour, (I have begun to realize that pikes are not punctual at all) we finally got to look at the menu and order our dinner (at 9:30). We all got a bunch of different things- I got the Uovo ravioli with truffle butter and a half portion of the gnocchi with chicken liver and brussel sprouts.
Gnocchi with Chicken Liver, Brussels Sprouts and Fried Sage
Sundar's Gnocchi (I have no idea what sauce it's in)
Shellhammer's Lobster Bisque Pasta
I have mixed feelings about this place. First off, I really liked the ambiance and the courteous service (our server was very gracious when the rest of our party showed up over an hour late to our reservation). The food was very good- unique twists on simple dishes. But really, this place is extremely overpriced and the courteous server ended up being very slow in taking our orders and giving us our check.
My gnocchi was awesome. I ended up getting the half portion (which I would say is a lot more worth it than the full portion) and the soft pillowy gnocchi with the crisp brussels sprouts and sage was out of this world. Chicken liver is definitely an acquired taste as half of the table didn't like the flavor, but I love it and couldn't have enough of it! Make sure you like chicken liver before you order this dish though.
My Uovo ravioli was interesting. One very large ravioli with an uncooked yolk on top was such a decadent and rich entree. Although the portion is very tiny, the silky egg yolk running over the soft and creamy ravioli filling was so... sexy. It is also very heavy and incredibly fattening that after you had that one ravioli, you won't want anymore.
Both of my entrees were very unique and the flavors were incredible- it was a very yummy dinner!
At the end of the day, I liked SD26. However, with their prices, I dont think I would return. I would say it would be a good place to try out and would recommend this place to others if they're looking for something new and different, but I wouldn't go there very hungry as the portions are very, very tiny.
Nevertheless, I of course had a great time! How can you not when you're surrounded by brothers?
After a few sips of absinthe with Dorian, usual ridiculousless with Sundar and Shaman, reconnecting with Sean, Shellhammer and Moon, I couldn't believe how long it's been since I've seen them! I need to move to New York....
See you at Carnival, boys!
