Molly T.
Yelp
Leave it to me to find the one fine dining operation to open amidst COVID. Despite having not dined out in almost five months, I continue to scour all relevant food sites to keep an eye out for good things to come. These days it's all about staying optimistic, anyways. So when I saw that Wicked Jane was due to hit the scene, I took notice immediately. It was supposed to open in early April but was of course thwarted by the pandemic. While the original concept of the restaurant was tasting-only with a gargantuan wine list, the current product is much-adapted to this new reality we live in. While I hope they can ultimately return to what they had originally planned, the outdoor dining experience here is absolutely one to be sought out. If our dinner here was any indication of the skill in the kitchen here, the higher-end iteration of Wicked Jane is sure to be even more fabulous.
A short note here: I think pre-COVID, this would have been a four- or 4.5-star review. However, given that we here COVID-adjusted x, y, and z everything these days, I think I can spare an extra half a star for Wicked Jane. It *just* opened and it's already turning heads, it deserves the praise.
We made a reservation here for 8:30pm on a Saturday night. Part of why I chose Wicked Jane was the location: it's removed from the more heavily-trafficked spots in the West Village and while it still feels communal and joyful, I wasn't as afraid of crowding/social distancing regulations being broken here. The tables are spread out well and there's far less foot traffic on 8th street than a street like W 4th or MacDougal. Plus, when we went here, 8th street was closed to cars -- not sure how long this will be the case but a nice plus!
Before I get into the food, I must commend the service. Our waiter was gracious and attentive and everything we ordered came out quickly. My only gripe was that menus were not accessible via QR codes or through similar avenues like many places are doing -- we just go normal paper menus like the pre-COVID days. Perhaps they will make the switch soon.
Alright let's start with drinks. Sad to say they only have three drinks on the menu, but given what we tried, I gather the arsenal here is powerful. Can't remember the names but the first we one tried was a vodka/grapefruit number and the second was a shaken gin drink served in a coup. Both fantastic. They also made us a negroni and that was superb too.
Food is upscale American, wonderfully fresh, creative and super flavorful. It's small-plates style here which is our fav. We sampled just about the entire menu so we got try a nice range of preparations. They're big on their purées/sauces/emulsions here, so if you're not a fan, keep on moving. That said, it wasn't overdone or overwhelming, executed solidly to enhance the flavor profile of each dish. Eats, below:
Mussel Salad (out of the shell) w/ Cucumber, Radish, Cilantro: A
Perfect starter. Light a fresh, bathing in cucumber/cilantro silky goodness.
Beet and Sweet Potato Salad (Special): A
I hope this becomes a permanent fixture on the menu because it was fantastic. Colorful and tasty, letting the roots do their thing and shine.
Beef Tartare w/ Potato Cheddar Purée, Pickled Onions, Mustard: A-
A little heavy-handed on the mustard but I didn't mind too much. The Pureé was fun, felt sort of Willy Wonka-esque, like a loaded baked potato in the form of foam.
Roasted Broccoli and Hen of the Woods Salad with Onion Dressing: A
Rich, earthy, delightful. The bf thought we were receiving actual hen and was puzzled to find that the broccoli's sidekick was none other than mushrooms. But he loved it all the same.
Monkfish w/ Cauliflower Purée, Roasted Cauliflower, Bouillabaisse Sauce: A+
Star of the night for me. Fish was melt-in-your mouth good, the sauce was sublime, rich but not heavy, brilliant use of flavors.
Duck Breast w/ Red Cabbage, Turnip, Fig-Red Wine Emulsion: A+
Another big winner, the bf's favorite. Always good to pair some sweetness with duck and the emulsion here was fabulous. The turnip on its own would have been a little sad but paired with the rest, still complemented the dish nicely.