While the East Village currently thrives on next level pork and ramen noodles, the West Village has become the epicenter for downtown NYC’s New American explosion. It feels like every week a new spot opens to rave reviews and an immediately packed house. 10 Downing is the latest of well received restaurants in this hood, and is conveniently situated on a diagonal corner just south of the melting pot that is West 4th St. The space that houses 10 Downing is fantastic, and features an open, triangular dining room with a separate bar area, plus a solid fifteen tables for outdoor seating. The walls are completely covered in fun, colorful artwork and lined with black and white PR shots of random celebrities, including some well known fictional characters (shout to Paddington Bear). Overall, the vibe is great and the restaurant has a nice downtown feel to it. In addition to dinner, it’s the kind of place I’d come to just hang out and have a drink. We rolled in on a Thursday evening without a reservation and were seated within 10 minutes, even with people lined up two deep at the bar. I feel that. The service was great, but overall, the food was a little underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my meal very much, I just didn’t think the food we ordered met the great expectations I had going in. That being said, I really liked the space, the scene, and the vibe at 10 Downing, and will definitely be going back again. Hopefully they have the short rib on the menu next time because I’ve heard it’s RIDICULOUS.
Food Rundown:
Alaskan Crispy Shrimp
They told us three times that this was one of the most popular dishes on the menu and that you can eat the whole thing. My pops is the shrimp king and cleaned this plate with a smile.
Almond Crusted Soft Shell Crab
This was a seasonal special on the menu when we went. This specific version of the clawed sand-critter was a nice way to start things off. My one complaint is that there were too many spices vying for the attention of my taste buds, and the mix of flavors overwhelmed the crab a little bit. I kind of felt like Jeff from Top Chef made this.
Marinated Brussels Sprouts
Served with bagna cauda, pickled onions, poached egg, and parmesan, these sprouts are the chronic greens. I’d read about them everywhere and being a huge fan of brussels sprouts, couldn’t wait to dig in. I was not disappointed. I loved the mix of sprouts with poached egg and pickled onions. Well done 10 Downing.
Bacon Wrapped Rabbit with Three Garnishes
“Bacon wrapped” will get me every time. We got a little crazy here with the rabbit. It’s not something I’d normally order and something I won’t ever be ordering again. The rabbit was served cold and looked like a chunk of ground pet food wrapped in raw bacon. It was pretty gross. For the more adventurous type, this might be right up your alley, but for me, it was completely inedible. 10 Downing definitely gets a little cute with their menu at times, and for a more traditional eater like me, this was a little much.
Day Boat Scallops
Three nicely sized scallops that were good, but not out of this world. I’ve come to expect perfection in the scallop game these days, so anything less than ‘melting in your mouth’ can be disappointing. Regardless, they were solid.
Artic Char
This was the best dish of the meal. The char was fresh, well flavored, and extremely tasty.
