Many foods have gotten the solo treatment at restaurants—macaroni, peanut butter, doughnuts—but I imagine if Europeans were going to spin this trend, it’d be like Tartinery, an industrial chic Nolita spot that serves varieties of—you guessed it—tartines (among a few other things).
My boyfriend and I had been wanting to try it since moving to the ‘hood, but the annoying tourist trap that is the San Gennaro Festival blocked out Mulberry Street, and we weren’t about to let a sweaty, smoky fest ruin a peaceful dining experience.
When we finally got to try it this week, turns out, it wasn’t as quiet as I expected. Besides a super loud birthday party we could hear from downstairs (remind me not to squeal loudly in public), the music was kind of loud. Fitting for a Friday or Saturday night, but maybe not the best option for a relaxing weeknight meal. (Yes I know, I’m a grandma.)
It didn’t help that we were starving, the downstairs was occupied by said party and there were only four tables upstairs. Not wanting to eat at the bar, we decided to wait…40 minutes…on a Tuesday! Oh New York.
What’s in it for you: Ratatouille tartine (eggplant, zucchini, tomato, parsley and basil); crottin tartine (goat cheese, frisse, thyme, honey, olive oil); ouefs brouilles tartine (scrambled egg and chive); artichaud salad (frisse, arugula, artichoke, fennel, roasted cherry tomatoes)
What’s in it for them: Rosbif tartine (cold roast beef, herb mayo, oven-baked tomatoes); Croque Monsieur (cooked ham chiffonade, gruyere cheese, bechamel); club tartine (turkey, Brie, bacon tomato, iceberg, herb mayo); prawn risotto; chicken paillard with mixed greens
Like I said, we were both starving, so we started by sharing an appetizer. I didn’t love most of them, but I was intrigued to try the gazpacho. It had the best tangy flavor–perfect for waking up a sleepy Archana.
The predictable tartine for me would be the veggie-packed Ratatouille, but feeling slightly European that night, I wanted something minimal, something that showcased just a few ingredients, so I went with the Mozza, multigrain bread topped with mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive oil:
My boyfriend went with the poulet roti, a tartine topped with farm chicken, herb mayo, shaved fennel and olive oil. But as you can see, it was unfortunately more chicken than probably anyone would’ve liked:
We capped the meal with a cafe latte and their fondant au chocolat, which is basically molten chocolate cake…and to die for:
(Let’s go in for a closer look shall we?)
Oh, that’s the stuff.
Tartinery
209 Mulberry St. (between Spring and Kenmare)
212.300.5838
6 to Spring St.
J to Bowery