Low Life
I have been dying to go here since they opened in the Fall. I love that there has only been murmurs about it in the industry but everything I have heard was positive. I made a reservation for a party of 3 at 8:15PM. I am always early and 90% of my friends are always late. I got there around 7:45PM and bellied up at the bar. They wouldn't seat me until my complete party was there.
As I ordered a glass of reisling, as it is the winter of reisling (for me), I started sizing up the space. It was huge compared to what I thought it was going to be. I was thinking a tiny little hole in the wall solely based on location. I mean how much space can you get on Stanton between Clinton and Attorney anyway? A lot apparently. The decor was a mix match of random items. It appeared as though 2 guys who know food and wine really well but nothing about interior design put some stuff on the wall, selected a very strange chandeliar and called it a day.
The girl next to me at the bar lives upstairs and said that this was her first time in there to dine. "A little too rich to be my regular haunt." We remenscecned about the neighborhood and how different it is today. She had lived upstairs for 8 years, while I had lived around the corner about 6 years prior. Its amazing to see in such a short period of time how gentrafied a neighborhood can become.
As my friends arrived and we were shown to our table, which was tucked into the corner right in bird's eye view of the pass. The kitchen is the size of 1 bowling alley lane and open with a few bar seats in front for single diners or guests no reservations. It was the perfect spot for us because we were able to see all of the dishes coming out!
The menu is tiny. Literally there are 13 items on the menu. We ordered almost all of them!
http://www.lowlifenyc.com/menu/
We started with:
Borscht, Trout Roe, Raw Cream
The borscht was outstanding. Literally one of my favorite dishes of the entire meal. And yes, it is this tiny. 2 spoonfuls max per person. The pureed beet mixed was earthy mixed with the salty pops of the roe and the cream were next level. You got everything you could want in one bite perfectly done.
Fluke, Hackleback Cavair, Coriander
The coriander was the star here. It was not anything I have tasted before. The bite in your mouth tasted a little like BBQ. Which sounds totally weird I know but that's what came to our minds.
Lamb Tartare, Mint, Shrimp Salt
The crisps that come with this dish are unreal. I have had lamb tartare several times and no one has done this good of a job. It's fresh, bright and savory. The lamb is of very high quality and you can taste it. The crisps have butter and salt on them and once you put the mix of lamb and meat on it....yummy! This was the boys favorite dish of the night. My second favorite!
SIDE NOTE: The bread and butter they give you is ridiculous. You will order another round of it so be prepare to get your carb load on!
Second Course:
Guinea Hen, Bread Sauce, Baby Carrots, Mustard Greens
Not what you would expect when you order guinea hen right! It was broken down, ground up and put back in a casing made of its skin. Doesn't sound as good as it actually was. It was unique. The carrots were cooked perfectly and the sauce everything sat in was rich but not heavy.
Poached Lobster, Tarragon, Salsify
I am not a super fan of lobster due to horrifying memories of having to breakdown what seems like a 1,000 of them one night at a restaurant I worked at in Nantucket. Ever since then, I just can't do it. Literally, just can't. I think they are the cockroach of the sea. Eww!
Hokkaido Pumpkin, Maitake, House Made Tofu
This is winter produce on a plate. Chicories and squash are always delicious in my mouth. The creamy, meaty texture of the pumpkin next to crisp endive can never go wrong. The tofu acted almost like a cheese component to the dish. Which I would never complain about.
Third Course:
Black Bass, Mussels, Matsutake
The skin on this was perfectly puffed. I am not even a super fan of skin on fish. That goes back to a bad experience when I was a kid of when my "aunt" made a whole fish, eye balls and all. My sister and I were not prepared for that moment. We were used to fish sticks with an occasional tuna fish sandwich mixed with Fritos. The bass was simple and cooked perfectly. As were the 3 mussels that came along with it.
Chicken Yakatori, Scallion, Smoked Cabbage
The chicken is the most talked about dish. It's all about the chicken they say. However, the was the least interesting dish to me. It was good but nothing as creative, tasty or special as the rest of the dishes were. It's chicken.
Rib Eye Cap, Bagna Cuada, Nettles
Unfortunately, I was unable to capture an image of this dish because as soon as it hit the table, we devoured it. Photos came as a second though. This is hands down one of the smallest pieces of meat I have ever seen. At $44, I wanted so much more. I see Rib Eye and I am thinking a huge piece of beef. However, this tiny cut of meat was so tender and juicy. It was gone in 2.5 seconds. This cow had to be feed some really good milk and never touched the ground. We were so full at this point but could've easily taken down 22 ounces of this goodness.
Dessert:
Raw Milk, Cranberry Compote, Black Lime
We were so full at this point, we had no desire to eat anything else however...Raw Milk? Black Lime? Come on now. That sounds too interested not to try. It was definitely a palate cleanser and something different. I wouldn't order it again but I am glad I got to taste it. The black lime was weird and I wasn't the biggest of fans compared to the cranberry compote that tasted like Thanksgiving goodness.
I almost forgot to mention there extensive wine list. If you are at all into wine, there selection is way better than Rebelle or Pearl and Ash by far. Now go there soon before it's impossible to get in!
Overall:
Good For: Dates, friends catching up and people who are really into food.
Atmosphere: Minimal but the food makes up for it.
Food: Next level on all fronts.
Noise: 4/10