Little Park, 85 West Broadway | 212.220.4110

Little Park brought its A game. This is another homerun from the team behind Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Lafayette and Bar Primi. While we were figuring out whether Baohaus is an underground German cock-fighting ring or a Taiwanese steamed bun sandwich shop, Andrew Carmellini was surpassing Keith McNally on the food establishment takeover of New York City.

Something like 80% of restaurants in this city fail within 5 years. Clearly some people are on top of their game and keep throwing up triple doubles. And how are they able to do it? It’s all about being true to what you’re selling.

First and foremost your food has to be on point. There’s not much wiggle room around this one. Shitty food = angry yelpers. On a side note, Yelp is too democratic to be precise. I trust some people’s opinion on food more than others. I witnessed a buddy pull the ‘5 second rule’ on a slice…from the floor…of the subway…in winter. He shouldn’t sway my eating decisions. He’ll eat anything anywhere. Gross. Little Park plays the ‘little plates’ game where everything is meant to be shared. You don’t have to share but sharing does let you try more things. Plate sizes are made for two people. Don’t try for more. There’s not enough food and if you like something you’ll probably jock punch anyone who puts their fork within a couple of inches of the plate. And that’s not polite dinner behavior. Everyone does brussels sprouts but these were super crispy standouts with a tinge of sweetness coming from the apple and smoked parsnip. The black kale ravioli reinvigorated my previously tired eyes on kale dishes. Man, do I like vegetables. Something about getting fresh, well cooked vegetables just makes you feel like you’re getting flavors right from the Earth. But don’t sleep on the fire-roasted meats. The dry-aged duck was crispy, fatty, and meaty all at the same time. The spatchcock chicken comes juicy yet crunchy (on the exterior) and thanks for removing the bones because sometimes I like being lazy like that. No dish missed. So try a dish you wouldn’t normally order. Get the beetroot tartare if you’re a meat eater or if you shy from duck (weird) then order it. Prove to yourself that the food you previously didn’t like is still something you don’t like. Usually we try something once and if it’s bad we don’t eat it again. Just don’t go trying that with the bodega sushi. You’ll end up as the next ‘suspected ebola case’ on the Channel 9 news.

Little Park gets the ambiance. The restaurant decor mixes natural materials with a modern interpretation. You enter into an environment reflecting what’s on the plate. There’s no confusion; clean, well-lit, forward thinking. Prices are very reasonable. And that’s what brings it all home for me. I’m happily paying for an experience that doesn’t play around with what it is. Check the wine list. You’ll find something great in there. This place will be booked out. The Times got to it. It’s going to be a tough reservation. It’s worth it.

Ambiance: A

Food: A

Overall: A

Price: $110/person (inclusive of tax/tip); note that half was alcohol

Recommended Meal: Crispy brussel sprouts, black kale ravioli, dry-aged duck & kebab, spatchcock chicken (pick anything really)

Reservations: Highly recommended

Hours: M-F 7am-11am (breakfast), 11:30am-3pm; M-Sun 5:30pm-11pm

Photo via Little Park

Read the original on: Taste The Style