Thursday, January 8, 2009

Waterfront Ale House


not your average ale house

Most people don’t notice this seemingly hole in the wall pub style building and those that do notice, might not be inclined to go there for a meal based on it’s décor; However, I couldn’t be happier that we fell into this neighborhood joint. Everything on the menu was home style cooking – which is exactly what you want the morning after new years. Especially if you attended Josh Bronstein and his SUPER cool girlfriend and awesome roommate’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Pulled Pig Sandwich

The pork came on a hamburger bun, stuffed to the brim with juicy meat that melted in your mouth. The meat was bursting with a smoky-southern flavor and the sauces and spices were perfectly on point. It was a succulent sandwich and the sauce was not too sticky or too tangy. The side of plain waffle fries bored me and did nothing for the plate. If you are a fan of pulled pork or even if you’re not, try this sandwich; you might surprise yourself.

Hickory Smoked Turkey

Served open face with thick slices of farm house cheddar cheese and a jalapeno jelly (slaw) this dish had no flaws when I ordered it. I was so excited for this dish, because I knew the potential it had and the flavor combinations sounded incredible (to me at least). Unfortunately, it had been sitting back in the kitchen a little while and got cold when the waitress finally brought it out. It tasted great and the flavors went very well together, but it just wasn’t as hot as I would have liked. Later in the day, I heated up my leftovers (standing next to the microwave watching the cheese re-melt) and gave it another shot. The cheddar contrasted nicely with the kick from the jalapeño jelly. It was even better the second time around.

Waterfront offers a price fix lunch/brunch special for $10.95 which includes their soup of the day. The soup of day on New Years Day happened to be Carrot Ginger, which, surprisingly, was actually really good. Other menu items on my radar for next time are the Nachos with Venison Chili and the Santa Fe Chicken Wrap (Recommendation of Liz Jordan- J Spot Official Shout out). The food is reasonably priced, the portions are plentiful and the list of options is like no other pub I have been to. I definitely recommend Waterfront for your next hangover cure.

Restaurant Review Rating Scale

Total Points Available

Food

8

10

Service

7

10

Ambiance

7.5

10

Bang for the Buck

9

10

Overall

8.5

10

40

50

540 2nd Avenue (Corner of 30th St.)
(212) 696-4104

http://www.waterfrontalehouse.com/html/MenuManhattan.htm