Danielle and I consider ourselves to be some of the savvier New Yorkers around. We’ve been on this island long enough to have experienced a good portion of the fabulous eateries, and are still young enough to feel experimental. When we happened upon Organika in the West Village last month, we weren’t quite sure what to expect as it’s sandwiched between a weird stretch of touristy restaurants like Sushi Samba (not that I don’t love fusion sushi from time to time).
We walked in on a sunny, warm afternoon and found a generous amount of outdoor seating perfect for a crisp, fall day. We assumed that we’d be eating something Mediterranean and garlicky (we didn’t have dates that night) since the decor sort of screams out Mediterranean-coastal-village with bottles of olive oil, pastas, and vino lining the walls. But, instead of the normal ho-hum pastas that we expected to eat, Chef Melissa told us about the organic, sustainable, and locally produced foods that make up the menu. We asked her to just send us over whatever the best menu items were…
She sent us a sampling of carpaccio, baked eggplant, a sweet senese salad, lasagna, pizza, and a grilled Sicilian cheese dish. The Carpaccio Di Bresaola consisted of air cured beef, artichoke hearts, rocket, parmigiano reggiano, and truffle oil. Danielle and I fought over the last bites. The meat comes from a Chelsea-area butcher that’s been around for nearly 100 years, and specializes in speciality meats made right here in NYC. All the dishes were consistently good (and easily worth their $12-15 price tags), but the real knock out was the grilled Sicilian cheese dish. Melissa showed us how she selected a fine Sicilian cheese, grilled it, put it atop a bed of greens and drizzled it with a lavender honey that would make anyone’s head spin… I came close to licking my plate.
If you’re in the West Village and looking for a great place for a glass of wine and healthy-meets-hearty dinner, Organika is definitely worth a try. It’s not ideal for big groups because of limited seating, but it’s perfect for a casual Tuesday dinner with a few local friends. And you can feel good about a meal that’s got a tiny carbon footprint.
Organika
89 7th Ave S, New York (Btwn Grove & Barrow St)
