"Sitting on an old wooden chair in Acru’s tavern-like back room, eating some round bread inspired by Boston brown (the kind that comes in a can), you could easily picture the nation’s founding fathers making war plans over mugs of ale at the next table over. But instead, that slice of abruzzi rye—equally inspired by damper bread from the Australian bush—is accompanied by a savory sabayon. A bowl of grains, monkfish liver, and rehydrated carrots sits on the side. And instead of a frock coat and breeches, the server hovering over you wears a custom chore coat and pours glasses of fine French wine. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte While you can order a la carte in the Macdougal Street-facing bar area, Acru is from a former sous chef at Atomix and it’s primarily a tasting menu restaurant. But the tasting menu—which starts at $95, consists of five or six courses, and allows for a hefty steak supplement along the way—blurs the lines between the traditional parade of tiny experiments, and a heartier bistro-style prix fixe. And it hits a sweet spot for a special but not-too-stuffy date night, or a spendy catch-up with a really good friend. Yes, you’ll start with a bite of potato draped with scallop and topped with uni. But there’s also tile fish with lardo and chicken skin, lamb with jus, lush, onion-y mashed potato, and more seasonally-changing food that feels very appropriate to the cozy brick room and wooden tables set with ornate, vintage silverware. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte A server might, with complete seriousness, tell you to enjoy your smoked hay ice cream (the “haytime” bar is a play on the Aussie Golden Gaytime brand, a nod to the chef’s Tasmanian roots). But for a tasting menu, Acru is a pretty low-key experience, and one we could imagine returning to often. Dabble in at least a glass or two of wine while you're there—the pairing options start at $75. Just keep in mind that once you start adding drinks and supplements, it’s easy to rack up a bill. Food Rundown photo credit: Kate Previte Scalloped Potato This isn’t your Tasty video hasselback potato hack, but a pun in dish form. Fluffy fried potato is draped with a thin layer of actual scallop, then crowned with creamy yellow uni. The scallop itself gets a bit lost here, but it’s a nice introductory bite. photo credit: Kate Previte Beetroot With Caviar This two-bite $18 add-on is worth forgoing that second or third cocktail, if that’s the math you’re doing. Tangy and sweet rehydrated beets are barbecued, skewered on a silver toothpick, and covered in a slug of caviar. One of our favorite things here. photo credit: Kate Previte Acorn Squash Though not bad, this autumnal dish feels like a little more trouble than it’s worth. The acorn squash is prepared three ways: dehydrated, roasted, and turned into a lukewarm broth. photo credit: Kate Previte Golden Tilefish The plate to look forward to. Perfectly grilled golden tile fish with crisp, bubbled skin is draped with lardo, served on top of chicken skin cracklings and a sauce of chrysanthemum greens. Does it need both the lardo and chicken skin? Probably not, but who cares. It’s an indulgent few bites that shows off the kitchen’s technical skills, and it tastes great. photo credit: Kate Previte Damper + Carrot Every so often, a server interrupts the buzz of conversation to say something like “This dish is inspired by the chef’s love of American hot sauce.” Poured tableside, that hot sauce-inspired broth (which isn’t very spicy), is made of carrots and adds a nice acidity to a bowl of grains, some ribbons of squid, monkfish liver custard, and XO sauce. The real star is the accompanying damper bread—that springy, nutty Boston/bush crossover carb. photo credit: Kate Previte Lamb The tasting’s final savory course is lamb two ways. Neither the rosy rare loin, nor the pressed and grilled belly would be out of place at a backyard barbecue. They feel totally appropriate on a fancy tasting menu too—though the portion size means the flavors can get a bit repetitive. photo credit: Sonal Shah Aged Dairy Cow We’ve greatly enjoyed (and taken home a significant portion of) this roughly 15oz steak from a retired dairy cow. It’s chopped and arranged in three sections: charred, smoky crust, a rare, lean center, and a thick border of fatty chunks. The meat is as flavorful as aged cheese, and we’ll probably be ordering it at the bar again some day. photo credit: Kate Previte Dessert Acru shines at dessert. You’ll get three of them, all together, and you’ll wish you had space for more. The ice cream bar tastes like roasted cereal, the spicebush pavlova is bright and rich in all the right places, and the fig leaf lamington cake is wonderfully coconutty and chewy." - Will Hartman
