Market Table

Picking a restaurant for my birthday is a lot harder than you think. Momma dukes and Kim were coming into the city to take my to lunch and they left me to pick the restaurant. I consulted my book with tons of restaurants that I want to go to, but I kept doubling back unsure of what I felt like...or what they were in the mood for. I decided to check out Market Table in the West Village. On the corner of Bedford and Carmine, Market Table has the warm neighborhood feel with seasonal, American cuisine by chef Mike Price. It was actually exactly what I wanted.

Market Table was the brainchild of Gabe Stulman and Joey Campanaro (Little Owl), but their partnership soured as Campanaro took over and Stulman went on to open Joseph Leonards and take over Fedora.

We arrived early, so we were able to grab a seat; but when we left the place was mobbed with people trying to get a table. The vibe was cozy and allowed for conversation. The corner spot combined with big windows allowed us to gaze out into the picturesque streets of the West Village. Our server was very nice and did a pretty good job. He didn't really say much other than recommend the duck appetizer over the scallops. The duck confit with a poached egg was a treat, but I'm a sucker for scallop crudo. Even better than the duck was the warm octopus salad which came with fingerlings, chorizo, frisee, and an olive puree.

For entrees, my mom decided to go with one of the chalkboard specials-- a fried oyster sandwich. Her oyster sandwich was quite good, although I prefer oysters raw (thats just me). My mom loved the sandwich! Kim got the chicken salad sandwich which I didn't try, because I was too full from my massive burger. This burger had great flavor from the properly seasoned beef to the carmelized onions and cheddar. Market Tables fries were also pretty good and for some reason I didn't feel as bad eating them.

We ended with Kim's favorite part of the meal-- a chocolate terrine. The chocolate terrine was accompanied by sea salt, caramel popcorn, and pistachios. It was a really good, especially when you had all those flavors on one spoon-full. Overall, I was very happy we decided to go to Market Table. The ambiance was perfect and the food was delicious and reasonably priced. Market Table adds to the list of awesome West Village restaurants!