Abbetts agree on Abigael’s
Like ColumbiaAuds mentioned below, we’re in New York City for Danny and Devora’s wedding. Given our schedules, we weren’t able to sample the city’s many Kosher options until last night, when we hit Abigael’s on Broadway. Sarah and I have been there before, so the true test was from my parents, who haven’t always enjoyed the Boston Kosher experience. To Abigael’s merit, the service, decor, and food passed the muster of non-Kosher palettes with flying colors.
Run-down of our meals: we started with two soup specials. I had the “Italian Lentil Soup”, made with a mixture of vegetables, orzo, and veal sausage. The women had roasted pepper and potato soup. Both were delicious and served in a creative manner: the soup remained in a small metal cup, presumably to keep it very warm, before being poured, at our table, into large soup bowls.
For entrees, we enjoyed Skirt Steak San Pedro (Dad), Yakatori Tasting plate (Mom), Chicken Rouladen (Sarah), and the Boneless Rib Eye Steak (me). While my Rib Eye was cooked perfectly and delicious, my father’s Skirt Steak was a real treat with much more flavor, an exciting presentation (on a grilled nan-style flatbread with three sauces, and slightly sweet, roasted white potatoes). Mom’s Yakatori platter was from the appetizer menu, since she wanted a smaller portion; it was presented elegantly and offered small tastes of skewered chicken, sausage, and beef. I felt the sausage could have been more intense; it almost seemed like a thick-skinned hot dog. Sarah’s Chicken Rouladen was delicious: a large portion of chicken breast stuffed with a sourdough/sausage mixture, sliced, and served alongside roasted vegetables (all of which could have been a bit warmer). My Rib Eye was probably the simplest of the four meals: topped with caramelized onions (a great touch), and served with steak fries.
My father enjoyed his meal with a Baron Herzog California Merlot, which was soft, fruity and with no detectable aftertaste.
We capped our meal with tea, Glenlivet scotch, and Abigael’s wonderful molten chocolate cake. One cake and four spoons was just enough for each of us, and we were all impressed by the quality of the non-dairy dessert. (I hope to find/engineer a similar pareve cake recipe. Stay tuned.)
What I find most magnificent about Abigael’s is its true maturity in the Kosher world. Chef Jeff Nathan isn’t trying to be “not your grandmother’s” this-or-that. He just creates great food, with a heksher. The elegant ambience and astute service are such that religiously-observant patrons don’t have to make excuses, as in other restaurants, for Kosher, but lesser-quality experiences.
Though the Abbetts have New York’s many other Kosher destinations to explore in the future, we’ll certainly return to Abigael’s again and again.