[Photo from Sunday]
Virginia's opened last evening at 647 E. 11th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. (The space was formerly the short-lived Sliders.)
Parters in the new venture are Christian Ramos, former sous chef of Per Se, and Reed Adelson, formerly of Locanda Verde.
Here's some of the info that reps for the restaurant sent us yesterday via email:
The duo first met while working at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and now years later have partnered to debut their first restaurant in NYC.
The cozy 38-seat space is named Virginia’s after their mothers’ coincidental shared name, and features a vibrant and accessible American menu rooted in chef Ramos’ classic training at Per Se and other fine dining establishments. Chef Ramos’ market-driven menu features dishes such as:
• Crispy Sweetbreads with apricot, pea Leaves, and charred lemon
• Seppia a la Plancha with asparagus, green garlic, and togarashi mayonnaise
• Roasted Duck Breast with fermented soybean, plum and breakfast radish
• Stuffed Suckling Pig with marinated fennel, strawberries and sherry vinegar
• Atlantic Striped Bass, saffron, Manila clams, and new crop potatoes
While desserts from sous chef Lauren Calhoun, formerly of Roberta’s and Charlie Trotter’s, include Chocolate Beet Cake with beet cream, shaved Oaxaca chocolate and amaretti; and Raw Honey Panna Cotta with rhubarb compote, pickled rhubarb and rye biscotti.
Here's the menu…
Virginia's
New York magazine has photos of some of the dishes here.
Virginia's is open for dinner from 6-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 6-midnight on Friday-Saturday.
Sounds horrible.
ReplyDeleteUGH! I just wish everyone would get over themselves. I got as far as "pea leaves"...
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment; you may now go to the lightning round!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, suckling pig? I'm willing to join the picket line over that one alone. This menu sound like it's trying too hard for this former ghetto.
If it lasts as long as Sliders, I'll be surprised. It's too precious; nothing on this menu even remotely calls to me to open my wallet. Scuba Diva, with you on the suckling pig.
ReplyDeleteI'm so over the "foodie" trend and all the pretense that goes with it "breakfast radish" anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe prices are pretty reasonable for a nice date restaurant and there's nothing haute about suckling pig. It's also unbelievably delicious if it's done right. The chef's via Per Se. It'll be done right.
ReplyDeleteI don't like what's happening to the neighborhood either, but at these prices, the immigrants making the kind of food many of us would prefer can no longer afford EV rents - res or commercial - so they're opening up and living in Queens.
This sounds like a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. I think that we're missing something focused yet approachable in this part of the East Village. Since when did Suckling Pig or Pea Leaves become pretentious?
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an incredible addition to the neighborhood. It's certainly an improvement from the sports bar that used to house this space. I don't find the menu pretentious in the least. Can't wait to check it out!
ReplyDeleteUncle Pete welcomes you Virginia's. I cannot call anyone douchey until they prove to me otherwise so I will come by for a snack! folks give ppl a chance you may end up liking them :)
ReplyDeleteI ate there last night! It's right across the street from my apartment so wanted to check it out.
ReplyDeleteEverything I ate surprised me, in a good way. (Get the gnocchi!).
It seems like the kinda place you can go and really blow the bank if you want to do it up or have a relatively inexpensive experience by getting some cheaper items/starters/sides and getting a wine carafe for $20.
The suckling pig was perfectly cooked, they threw in some free glasses of wine because I'm a neighbor (that were so good that I ordered a few bottles of the wine today for myself because I liked it so much), and the people had a good, friendly vibe to them.
I'll be back.
We'll give it a chance already. Only if that's the last of the anonymous comments from Virginia's PR dept.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Like slaughtered piglets aren't bad enough, bugger off shills!
ReplyDelete"Everything I ate surprised me." Well, that's interesting. In what way, Virginia?
ReplyDeleteOffensive, really. Go back to Chicago. Who opens up a pretentious restaurant like that in the middle of the projects? Why don't they just put up a sign outside that says "Fuck you long time residents!"
ReplyDelete@ Anon, 1:25 PM:
ReplyDeleteHoney I don't know where you live, but this ain't the projects. I live 2 doors down from this place - there are multiple luxury buildings on this block and it seems that every week there are more and more wealthy bankers (or bankers' 20-something children who are DJs/models/socialites) moving in. So I'd say Virginia's is actually the perfect market for this neighborhood - the menu may sound pretentious but they are offering high quality food at a relatively inexpensive price so they will attract a lot of the younger crowd moving into the hood. As long as the food tastes good I think they will do quite well.
Honey (or Virginia's PR department), I live three blocks away from your offensive restaurant. Less than one block to the east is a whole stretch of city-housing that runs from 14th street down almost down to South Street Seaport. Two blocks north of your stupid restaurant is Campos Plaza housing. Dotting many of the blocks beetween B and the River are smaller city-owned housing units. Your restaurant is basically a pat on the back to all the soul-sucking investment bankers and children of privilege who are destroying the character of this neighborhood. The good news is that the restaurant will be closed within a year like all these types of ventures east of B, because Ben Shaoul and Jared Kushner can't do nothing about the good tenants of NYCHA.
ReplyDelete@Gojira:
ReplyDeleteI believe the term you're looking for is "high quality". If all you want is a generic burger and fries, I can point you to many other places in the East Village.
@Anonymous (1:25pm on May 6):
There's nothing pretentious about Virginia's. The owners are Per Se and Locanda Verde vets —they're the real deal when it comes to culinary talent.
May 6, 2015 at 3:13 PM
ReplyDeleteFirst. Virginia's prices aren't bad for a nice date-type restaurant.
Second. Restaurants with the kind of food and prices on the menu that would appeal to the residents of Campos Plaza and other EV city-owned housing units cannot afford to open here anymore at the outrageous rents landlords are demanding.
Third. It is a problem the City Council needs to address now. Google The Small Business Jobs survival Act for more info. You can also check out #Save NYC.
Ok genius, so what's your answer? Only have shit restaurants within a five block radius of the projects? What about the people that aren't in the projects and may want a nice dinner? Or even people that are the projects but may want to go out to a decent non-expensive restaurant (sorry, it's just not that expensive)? They shouldn't because it will hurt your tender tender feelings? You're pathetic.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (3:13pm on May 6):
ReplyDeleteYou're right that there is a lot of public housing in the neighborhood, however, there is still a sizeable affluent population residing in the East Village that can support a restaurant like Virginia's. As a matter of fact, the area is likely to see more of these type of establishments as high commercial rents push business owners toward the river.
People need to stop eating so much cheese and pig. I swear.
ReplyDeleteVirginia's-it sounds like a brothel and I can't help but think of Virginia hickory smoked ham with cloves.
ReplyDeleteAte here last night. Everything was delicious (get the gnocchi) and the place is lovely. I think it's a great addition to the neighborhood and I hope they succeed!
ReplyDeleteIs Virginia’s closing down? I went last night (a Friday) for dinner with friends at 8 pm. There were only 5 other people in the restaurant, plus 2 employees, and tables in the side room weren’t even set. Such a different vibe from when I usually go and it’s packed and lively. Wondering what’s happening?
ReplyDelete