By Emma Barhydt
The Cottage has brought a new vibe to Greenwich Avenue through its inventive and interesting food. So often when new restaurants come to Greenwich I feel a little twinge of dread. Is this going to be the same thing I can eat and five other restaurants on The Ave? My expectations were blown out of the water by Chef Brian Lewis.
Chef Lewis is dedicated to using great ingredients at the right time, so their menu is constantly being updated with new dishes coming or going with the seasons. Couple that with their 15 dish appetizer menu and you will never get bored eating here.
I started off my experience with the Maple Bacon & Eggs; soft farm eggs served in the shells with candied bacon and robiola inside with perfectly crispy toast sticks on the side. This is the most fun way I’ve had eggs probably ever. It’s the full brunch experience in one beautiful little package. Pillowy soft and slightly sweet eggs mix with the crunch of the candied bacon and toast to provide a perfect balance in textures. No one flavor overwhelms the dish either. The first flavor is perfectly done egg, followed by the sweet and saltiness of the candied bacon, finished out by a subtle cheese flavor. A must have for brunch or anyone into breakfast for dinner (which should be everyone).
After the Maple Bacon & Eggs I didn’t think it could get better, and then I had the Wagyu Brisket Bao Buns. Served “create your own” style with napa kimchi, ink aioli, duck fat potato tempura, not only are the Brisket Bao Buns delicious, they’re customizable. This dish is served with all of its components separate so you have the ability to create the perfect bao bun, whatever that means to you. The wagyu is perfectly cooked, tender on the inside with a nice crust on the outside. The bao buns themselves are pillowy and soft, and not too sweet. The kimchi has a great flavor while retaining some of the crunch of the cabbage. The ink aioli is so interesting and gives an unexpected and hard to place flavor to this dish that is so unbelievably delicious. As for the potato tempura… I didn’t know you could make potatoes that good.
Next, I had the Miso Black Cod Crepe served with a shiitake marmalade and ember aioli on a buckwheat crepe. This dish was unexpected, it had components that I had never heard of before, and it was utterly delicious. The cod was cooked well, and had a great flavor. The shiitake marmalade was interesting, marmalade isn’t exactly where I’m used to eating my mushrooms but it added so much to the dish. The crepe was good, a standard buckwheat crepe. The ember aioli though… that impressed me. I’d never had something like that before and it was just so full of flavor. It had a subtle smokiness while still being sweet and not overwhelming. It was the perfect addition and really brought all the other flavors in the dish together.
Finally I had their Wild Fluke Crudo served with sicilian orange, baby fennel, and serrano chilis. This dish was the perfect finale. It was sharp, it was sweet, it was light, it was like I was eating the feeling of summer. The fluke melted in my mouth, it was airy and light with a subtle sweetness. The oranges burst in your mouth like gushers, the fennel had a good crunch and the chilis rounded out the flavors on this dish perfectly. It was a very simple dish so anything off would have stood out immensely but everything wrapped up into a perfect end-of-summer package.
For those who love to get a ton of appetizers for the table or those who are entree oriented, The Cottage has what you’re looking for. Chef Lewis’ grasp on balancing flavors and textures is a work of art. I’ve never had more interesting or unique dishes in town; this is the breath of fresh air that Greenwich needed on the Avenue.
The Cottage is open Tuesday to Friday for Lunch, 11:30am-2:30pm, and Dinner, 5:00pm-close; Saturday for Dinner; and Sunday for Brunch, 11:30am-2:30pm, and Dinner, 5:00pm-9:30pm.
