Matthew Weingarten may seem hip, someone you would rather expect at a tattoo parlor on St. Marks Place, but Matt will challenge your stereotypes in ways you least expect. He is all about sense-of-place and a sense of time, being given consideration prior to his creating his wondrous dishes. It is this that separates him from the most of the world, let alone the foam-obsessed-science laboratories being called restaurants these days. At Inside Park, Matt, the urban hippie as I see him (sorry Matt, this is meant as a compliment. I also say the same about Bill Maher, of whom I am a HUGE fan!), has found a new home, a place as comfortable in being New York as any can, a place that is ecumenical (Rabbi on staff in an Episcopal Church - think high Christianity - intertwined with Judaism. A true NYC melting-pot moment). Matt has a fascinating allegiance to the lost culinary arts. A gift few chefs have today, and even fewer use to their advantage. Matt does, and does easily! Bringing us easy food, that gives comfort, encourages conversations and is reminiscent of old familial traditions. He gives us comfort food for today, connected to the past, never stale, always in the moment. He lives cognizant of his place in the larger picture of the planet. Cooking locally, organically and sustainably, when possible. He does so without any political agenda, it comes naturally to him. And so, you can find Matt using an entire animal in his kitchen. From snout to tail! You find him preserving, canning, aging, pickling and smoking. He is an urban forager and can be found picking Gingko nuts around the city. For him cooking like this is about cooking in tandem with life and people. It is not about being didactic or preachy. It is about never losing his connection to his gift (his culinary talents) of transforming the old and comfortable, into the new and exciting. This can often mean using a very few, but present still, ingredients that may not be local or organic. His attitude too, like his food, is old-world, practical and infectious because of its simplicity.
In his Grass fed Beef Ribeye with market Shell Beans and Delicata Squash fries, you find the talents of an expert chef, and also of one who is attuned to bringing vegetables, grains and legumes to great highs in the world of dining. The Delicata Squash Fries, seemed like onion rings to me, and made me instantly hungry. Matt encouraged me to take a taste, and in a minute, I was in shock and awe. An ardent squash/pumpkin phobe, who is reluctant to eat these prepared by most any chefs, I found his fries addictive, light, crispy and perfectly prepared. Matt has the talent to make a vegetable so attractive, but not always tasty, become so tasty and sinfully addictive. In using good trans-fat free oil and a fiber ridden vegetable, these deep fried comforting bites become healthier (and tastier too) than most fried foods. An instant success! How could I forget the wonderful beans? Luxury to have a chef shell their beans, cook them to perfection and salt them perfectly. I could come eat these in large bowls, just by themselves. Just as I could many of his creations.
Autumn Squash and Roasted Apple Chowder (photographed above), is a wonderful chowder that has none of the heavy residual flavor that sometimes makes one wonder why we have this soup. In this version, one finds beautiful large chunks of roasted vegetables. Green apples and autumn squash have never seemed so sexy and celebrated as they become in this chowder. I loved the flavors. I love the look of the dish. The extra large oyster cracker, home made of course, added a great personality to the dish. It also tasted very good. I felt like the soup had some sweet element to it. Could not figure out what that was. I also tasted some rosemary, but did not see any.
My dinner mate, my dear friend Cynthia, visiting NYC (where she lives and has her home) from her other home in Southern CA, found the Black Kale with Red Onions (pictured above) a dish she would come and pick up and eat any and all the time. I agreed with her instantly and wholeheartedly. PERFECTLY cooked, crunchy, but not raw, silky but not slimy, sweet and bitter with enough seasoned oil to highlight their taste and texture and a beautiful crunch and smoothness given by the house pickled red onions. We could have devoured many bowls of these each, but alas, we had eaten our way through most of the menu already. We will both be back for these greens, and telling others to go to Inside Park to start a new love affair with vegetables, greens and the simple foods that comfort us, especially in times such as these.
The Yellowtail with Sweet Grenada Pepper was excellent and the peppers a great contrast to the texture of the fish. The House Smoked Black Cod was beyond delicious and comforting to Cynthia. She said she could eat it all the time. And wondered if the chef would consider having an extension of the restaurant, that would sell his smoked, pickled and preserved creations. The Wild Striped Bass with the Plum Compote, Mustard Greens and Celery Knob was divine. The mustard greens were AMAZING! This compliment from an Indian, who has gown up in Northern India, and all his youth, eaten large sums of mustard greens all winter long. Matt made the mustard greens as perfectly as he did the Black Kale. The Celery Knob made for wonderful textural contrast and added to the comforting factor of the dish. Who can avoid taking tastes of mashed root veggies? And I had to go back several times, to take little bites of the Plum Compote, for I was worried that if I enjoyed it as carelessly as I wanted to, I would have to beg the chef for more of them. In the crisp fall air, the compote transported me back to our farm, where Charlie will surprise me each time I visit, with beautifully ripe local fruit. At Inside Park, Matt had captured the magical smell and taste of good ripe plums, and shared them easily in partnership with silky beautiful moist fish.
Sausage must be very good or prepared by a chef I trust a great deal, for me to breakdown and take a taste. You know I am vegetarian, but I cheat, and taste very small bites of beautiful animal protein. But to break my rule, I need to know the chef, believe in their cooking and most of all, respect what they do with their food. Cynthia and I could have eaten several servings of the Heirloom Apples that came with our order of Smoked Country Sausage (photograph above). The cabbage was delicious and the aromatics of it a nice complement to perfectly cooked crunch. The sausage was well seasoned, moist and nicely salted. Matt has a way with balancing flavors. He creates great contrasts between sweet, salty, sour, bitter and smoky.
I hope that Katka, Matt's wife, is keeping an eye out for the ladies of the beetroot family. Matt clearly is having a torrid romance with these very earthy creatures. He knows just how much to bathe them, clean them, cook them and trim them. He is able to accentuate their form and flavor even more than one can imagine. Never a beet fan, at his table, through his clever cooking of beets, I have found a new respect and liking for them. The Chiogga Beets with Poppy Cream (right hand-side of the above photograph), are even more beautiful than they look. I understand finally why Matt is smitten by beets, and it is my hope that by next summer, Charlie and I, two beet doubters, will find a new room for beets at our own table. Thanks Matt! On the left side are charred long beans and market sweet potatoes with walnuts and perilla leaves. All from Yuno farms. The beans were delicious and crunchy. The nuts lacquered beautifully and so flavorful. This was not a dish we ordered, but luckily, found gracing our table.
Pastured Chicken (photographed above) sounds so plain and simple, that you might never be excited about it, unless you realize how simplicity like this, is actually refinement at the very best. This is a simple but very delicious dish. The chicken is marinated in lots of oregano. Cynthia and I loved how the skin was crisp like paper, full of flavor and the natural juice of the chicken had given the faro a very tasty nuance. The faro could not have been cooked so beautifully even for the Romans, since I hardly think they had the ability to crispen the chicken so beautifully, and use the drippings from it to such wonderful advantage. The old grain becomes a new sexy garnish in this dish. Cynthia and I would have fought one another for the roasted artichokes, but luckily, we were both rather full since Matt sent out everything on the menu. The chicken was moist and juicy. I must say again, that I have never enjoyed faro as happily as I have both times I have eaten this chicken preparation.
Roasted Maitake Mushrooms (photographed above) with Polenta and Golden Raisins was what Matt made for me, the vegetarian. Of course he added some greens and beans for me onto the plate. Everything about it was wondrous. The sophisticated look, the pairings of textures and the broth made for a vegetarian plate beyond what I am used to. At Inside Park, being vegetarian does not mean punishment. It is a celebration of living and eating. Doctors, nutritionists, food scientists and food lovers alike, would do well by visiting Inside Park and taking a cue from Matt.
Braised Octopus, Black Skillet Peppers and Saffron Potatoes (photographed above) made for a surprisingly good plate of food. Matt has a way with making sauces that belong on the plate they dress and the food they complement. One thinks they are gratuitous but after a taste, or two or three, one realizes they belong, and in full measure. What was even more exciting for me, was the moistness in the octopus meat. Every thin slice of the octopus was silky and juicy. The crunch in the octopus a nice counter to the creamier potatoes. I have never cooked octopus, have tasted it many times. Have always found the meat chewy, and the preparations always lack luster. Everything worked, and for the first time, I ate Octopus that I went out and took a second and third bite of.
Could Pappardelle ever take on superior airs? Yes! Hand Cut Pappardelle, Mountain Style Rabbit Ragu (photographed above), will give you a new appreciation for this modest pasta. Modest even if only by name, or due to less than spectacular preparations that people serve of it. Matt takes this pasta to new heights. I could taste the eggs in the pasta. I know Matt buys his eggs from neighbors of ours in North Country, Jennifer and Michael of Flying Pigs Farm. What was exciting to me was the delicate touch of lemon zest, added certainly at the end, to counter against what seemed like sultry spices flavoring the mountain style rabbit ragu. I could taste several old world spices. Coriander, cinnamon and cloves for sure. Perhaps others? Matt? And I also tasted either cacao or allspice or vanilla. But I could be wrong. The pasta looks chic, tastes amazing and is crafted by hand at Inside Park. It does not get any better.
Caraway Dumplings? What are these? I was suspicious looking at them, about how they might taste. They seemed raw and boring. I could not have been more off kilter. Heritage Breed Pork Chops (photographed above) come with braised onions, even some greens and these delicious caraway dumplings. Matt is using the pigs supplied by Flying Pigs Farm and giving us some amazing tastes and meat. The fat in the heritage pork within the muscle is greater than in other pork one can find in supermarkets. Thus making heritage pork much moister and flavorful. You can experience this yourself upon ordering this pork dish. You will always want to buy heritage pork. The dumplings sop away all the tasty juice and surprise you with their taste and function.
Pickled Vegetable and Melon Salad was amazing. This I had in the summer. Had to throw it in, to show you how Matt creates magic. It was DEEELICIOUS and tasty all at once.
Above, you can see the pickles we received with bread and home-made butter. Here we found ourselves enjoying yellow carrots, rutabaga, celery root, salsify, turnips, leeks, kohlrabi, and beans. I have never been a fan of pickled vegetables, done in any style that is not Indian. Matt has changed my appreciation for pickles as made in the European tradition. His are clean, crisp, not overly sour and perfectly perfumed. What is truly exceptional in his pickles is the clarity of flavor that comes out singing high notes, something never seen in foods of these times. Having been raised by a mother that pickled and preserved, I appreciate his gift and am delighted to have found somewhat of a soul mate. Now I need to learn more about the European craft of preserving and add to my repertoire.
Matt does wonders with meat, vegetables, grains and more. And to match his talent in the dessert department is his very talented partner in crime - pastry chef, Miran Shim. She shares Matt's passion to make old classics into friends of the modern day palates. Old Fashioned Trifle (photographed above), was a dessert I was terrified to try, worried that nothing a pastry chef could do to it, would ever match the fireworks that took place in the version my mother made religiously. Every winter, several times, to much critical acclaim in New Delhi. My mom's trifle is so good, that I, who made pastry well before I made anything savory, have never had the guts to even try capturing its brilliance. So, even though we ordered it, I was ready to be disappointed. Not the case! The chocolate cake was dry both times I have tried the trifle. I was sad to see nothing soak it to moistness. Perhaps Shim wants to use the calories somewhere else? The poached quince made up for that in good measure. And the almond bavarian was lovely too. It looked gorgeous in that balloon glass. Very Chic! Having had her good rendering of this classic dessert, I am now ready to make my version of my childhood favorite dessert.
The Hand Stretched Strudel (photographed above), made with heirloom apples, almonds and cider cream is lovely. I was not sure I would fall in love with this dessert. Have never been much of a fan of strudel. This is beautifully crafted. Very elegantly presented. And luckily, light on cinnamon in comparison to most strudels I have ever had. But still, the cinnamon in strudel, especially the renderings of it in the US, has me perplexed. I am anxious to know what goes through the minds of pastry chefs as they work with cinnamon. Why they choose to use it so freely. And if they taste what they create with it. Many pastry chefs, I am shocked to learn through my travels, do not often eat desserts, or at least not as happily as most of their diners do. I live for desserts, and LOVE desserts. The pastry could not have been crisper, lighter, flakier or more tender. That it is made from scratch, in the pastry annex, is a marvel and a gift beyond any. The cider cream was light and lovely, not too sweet, I wonder if a nice ice cream, with roasted apples or even salty caramel in it, could elevate this brilliant rendering of a strudel into something even more sublime. Why do I complain, when I have found the best version at Inside Park? For I have learned to expect more from those I respect. Forgive me Miran. I will be back to enjoy your renderings, whether you use my unsolicited suggestions or not.
Even before the server had finished giving us his discourse about the Lavender Goat Cheese Souffle (photographed above), I had told him twice, that we wanted it. Funny that my interrupting him twice, never made him stop reciting his practiced lines. He did not stop till he had finished, and even then, he had not caught my YES to his desire to solicit a yes from us in ample time for it to be prepared. I was smitten by this Souffle the first time I had it, and this time, again, I was smitten once over, and compelled into believing that Miran Shim, knows how to make a good Souffle, but most of all, she is not making one simply to have one on her menu. It is not the kind of Souffle that gratuitously graces so many menus today, many times in multiple flavors. Her Souffle is on her menu for a reason. To make a statement. A bold one at that. Here is a Souffle that has a place on any menu. And has the perfect texture, more than perfect sugar, and just the right body and fluff. Luckily, the addition of lavender is not a gimmick, and not a distraction. If it is there, which I believe it is, it is refreshing any barn smells from the goat cheese, and nilling that odor, but not adding any of the floral notes that could have killed this beautiful Souffle if the lavender had been too strong. The concord grapes are a wonderful partner in this sensual indulgence. Everything about them is wondrous. The jelly too has a place in the mix. It is wonderful poured into the Souffle and also enjoyed by itself. I would come back weekly, daily or hourly to have this Souffle. Bravo Miran!
My apologies for the grainy not-so-wonderful photos of the great dishes I enjoyed at Inside Park. They are taken in a NYC restaurant. That is adequately dark to make us all glow that beautiful orange warm glow that reduces our ages by 10 years. As flattering as this dark ambiance is to our look, it is far from flattering to a camera. My iPhone could not do much better in capturing the beauty of the strikingly attractive Pears in Lace Frocks (photographed above). As beautiful as this dessert is, both times I have tried it, I have been sadly left to wonder if I would spend as much time on this dessert, for the resulting pleasure. The pastry is delicious. Perfect really. The Mascarpone cream reminds me of the cream Charlie makes using recipes from Anne Willan. The port wine syrup is nice enough. The pears are where it is at for me. If using fruit for a dessert, I want to taste the fruit. That is always my complaint against most American apple pies. (Cloyingly sweet, too much cinnamon, way too much corn syrup or starch, even more sugar than syrup and fruit and fruit that is cooked too much. Have I said enough?) This dessert is neither too sweet nor killed with cinnamon nor ridden in corn syrup nor starch. It just does not scream pear to me. And that is what has kept me from enjoying it. Perhaps our local pears are not scented enough this season? I want to be in love with this dessert. I am jealous of the patience Miran Shim and her team have, that keeps them designing the beautiful hand-made frocks to cover the pears in. But in end, nothing on this plate, moves me into submitting my famous sweet tooth in awe.
As enchanted as I am with the Souffle, I am also beyond sated and excited by the sheer brilliance of the Mulberry and Pecan Bread Pudding. Miran has a way of making desserts tasty, but with a measured dose of sweetness. Never a fan of bread pudding, I was getting ready to proclaim the Souffle as the only reason to genuflect in front of the very talented pastry chef. And just then, my first taste into the bread pudding, took me into new frontiers of old dessert classics. This was the first bread pudding not made by my mother or I, that moved me into tears. It is SIMPLE, it is far from the norm, and NOTHING like what one expects when thinking bread pudding in America. This is elegant, clean, crusty, crunchy, delicate, light, comforting and celebratory all at once. What makes it even better is that you know it is made with good bread, what you have enjoyed at the same table earlier during the meal. The custard is not sweet, but a great creamy contrast to the austere texture and taste of the bread. The caramel is there, but not screaming. It is there to give you an appreciation for the delicate richness of the not-too-sweet custard. To give enough of a bitter taste onto your palate, that the mildly sweet becomes sweet enough. The pecans too have their own reason to exist on this plate. They are earthy, they are crunchy and meaty, they are lacquered and elegant, but most of all, they take your mind into new places, and old ones, all places where you lose yourself into believing in life, magic and all things wonderful. I could eat this dessert ALL the time, and never lose my love for it. The vanilla ice cream that was sitting on the pudding was plenty and perfectly in place. It belonged here not for being "a la mode", but to give a nice contrast in temperature, and to melt itself into the bread stacked below it, and add enough gooey elements into a not too gooey bread pudding. It is this not-too-gooey and wet and homogenized rendering of an old classic that made it the perfect rendering I have not tasted for years.
The Chocolate Dacquoise (photographed above) is made with toasted hazelnut and served with fresh cream. I am a HUGE fan of chocolate, and yet, not easily moved by chocolate desserts in restaurants. Perhaps it is pricing or difficulty in sourcing, that keeps pastry chefs from using great chocolate in their baking. Most great restaurants, offer chocolate desserts that simply do not prove my stereotypical fears wrong. A huge fan of Dacquoise, I was delighted to hear that Miran Shim had one on her menu. The last time I had a nice one was when Sherry Yard made one in what seemed like minutes at the CIA at Greystone. I am a big fan of Sherry Yard, and I was in love with her dacquoise. This one is great. I would still love my chocolate darker. I wish there was more hazelnut in it and more crunch to it. It has changed for the better since I last had it. And it is as good a chocolate dessert as I have ever had in a restaurant, which is a huge compliment already. I can see many lovers of chocolate desserts claiming this as their favorite ever chocolate epiphany. What was a nice element this time around, was the top chocolate/salt/nut wafer. It added what I had missed when I first ate this dessert. The salt on this wafer gave the dessert some depth and personality. I will love to see how time and the inspirations that move Miran Shim into creative stupor, change this dessert or lead her into creating her next chocolate flirtation.
Miran Shim has found a great place to house her work presence, and entertain her talents and soul in Inside Park. Here, she is working alongside a chef that is like her, an artist not constrained only by their genius in the kitchen. Her desserts entertain the senses at many levels. I found reflections of my own self in her creations. I only wish I were half as talented! It was not a surprise then to learn that she was first a designer. Prior to joining Inside Park, Shim was an award winning animation artist, and owned her own bake shop. She graduated from the French Culinary Institute and is a fan of old world classics. Her complimentary, old-fashioned handmade caramels in various flavors are the perfect touch to the end of any meal. I found myself eating a couple between every course. The Old World Cookie Plate is a great dessert for a group of people to share. What stood out instantly in my opinion were the Rugelach (photographed above) that came in the assortment. Light, not too sweet, moist but far from sticky and delicately spiced, these are the best Rugelach I have ever eaten. How appropriate then to hear from Matt that the recipe came from his grandmother Sally. "I'm touched how she is still making people smile. She was simply wonderful", says Matt, as he tells me about his late grandmother. Miran Shim has done us all proud, by taking this Weingarten family recipe, and giving it her delicate and sincere touch.
Inside Park may be entrenched in history because of its location, but it will quickly become part of the larger aura that is NYC today, because of what Matthew Weingarten brings to it through his life and work. Luckily for us and the city, Matt allows himself to thrive wherever he goes. Perhaps that encourages him to allow his family to leave their own mark in this restaurant that houses his mind, body, soul and talent for the better part of each day. The flowers that grace the dining room, are arrangements created by his wife Katka. In their easy look and homey feel, you get a sense for simple, that is not simplistic. The simple here is chic and comes from an awareness for clutter free living. The moving loop of NYC photographs give the room a great ever changing backdrop. Images that keep NYC alive in your mind through many moments of its existence.
Matthew Weingarten (photographed above), grew up in Maryland. At age 10 (his only other sibling, his sister was then 12 years old), he found himself enjoying a new rule put into place by his parents. They had established as a family that the first person to come back home would start making dinner. The second one back home would lay the table. The third one in would clear the table. And the last one back, would wash and clean the dishes. Matt worked hard to come home first, so he could cook for the family. He tells me that he made many horrible dishes and some good ones. He is honest! His mother would sometimes leave flank steak out for dinner, and he would find himself playing with dressings to use as marinades for it. This is when he first began interacting with food. College took him to Athens, OH, where he went to major in English at Ohio University. He started reading a lot, cooking a lot and even moving into a farm house during senior year. It was at the farm house that he began baking, even trying his hand at bread making. He took a credit class in foraging, study that he certainly must employ to his credit when working with Gingko nuts and other treasures abundant in nature for those in the know. He also began reading old herbal cookbooks. Here he discovered aromatics, pickling and preserving. Lucky for us that his parents accidentally gave him an early understanding of food. And that he found himself in a farm house whilst in college. Today, residing in Brooklyn, ruling the roost at a marvelous restaurant on tony Park Avenue, Matt is at ease foraging and creating sophisticated meals using local and seasonal ingredients. His past gives him respect for today and an ability to shape a future that is at peace with life today and life that he may never see, but hopes to ensure his progeny shall see, if not decimated by the madness of some today. For us, his fans and friends, Inside Park has given us a place to go to, when hungry for great food, simple tastes, rich flavors, earthy pleasures and connections to past and future. Sometimes pickled, sometimes preserved from season to season, at other times smoky and cured, but always honest and addictive.
109 East 50th Street on Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
212-593-3333
On-line Reservations
Wow. Just wow.
Posted by: Jason G. | Monday, October 20, 2008 at 08:01 PM
wow food, wow photos, wow desserts, wow location or what? Thanks for the comment. You are most generous Jason.
Posted by: Suvir | Monday, October 20, 2008 at 09:50 PM