In The Neighborhood...

...is Redhead, a restaurant delivering instant invitation of warmth in a cozy atmosphere. Lovely for dinners on a whim with one or two close friends. Or sometimes, better yet, alone in the company of strangers. Below, a few snapshots of some of my favourite dishes at this hospitable East Village newcomer. Check Ed's article on Serious Eats for a full review.

Buttermilk fried chicken, crisp and on the salty side (that's a good thing! :) with meat so moist, the juices positively drip down your wrists. The entree comes with a wedge of warm cornbread - made complete with generous pats of butter, and a light pecan salad. On previous visits the salad featured Tristar strawberries, but none were seen on this time around. No matters, it was still delicious.

I'd be delighted to call two or three orders of the one-eyed Caesar my dinner. With a taste rivaling that of its appearance, the salad demands a double take for the one-eyed Susan alone, a perfectly cooked egg nestled within brioche and scatterings of crisp capers.

The market risotto, savoury light and satisfying, owes rhythm to daily Greenmarket offerings - I found a bounty of crimini mushrooms and fennel in yesterday's meal.

Lauren was quite pleased with the artic char on our visit a few weeks past...

...and while we both agreed that while the rich Anson Mills antebellum grits were indeed a work of art (with a shimmering pool of slow melting butter dolloped over the surface just seconds before ), it did a terrible number on our arteries.

But ooh, it would be terribly difficult to ignore Erica's offering of those same grits coupled with low country shrimp and sausages.

For dessert? Figgy pudding and salted caramel hobos answer calls of comfort, but I'm quite delighted with the excellent Chocolate-Oat Cookie that accompanies the check.

The Redhead
349 E 13th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 533-6212