Back Room Affairs at Ed's Chowder House

Chef Ed Brown's back room dinners are a joyous affair. Climb a flight of stairs encircling a story-high, glass, chandelier and paintings of ships battling ocean waves, digitized aquariums and multiple rooms of families, couples and other diners feasting on seafood and you could only be in Ed's Chowder House. We were there to celebrate my mother's birthday dinner, closed off by sliding doors in a back room, sitting at circular tables to be shared with strangers. My mom always loves to use the expression, "strangers are friends we havn't met yet," and by the 5th course and multiple glasses of wine the cliche could be no less true. Each table seats seven and as soon as you sit down a glass of Verve Cliquot is poured into a glass for you to loosen up and enjoy with various hors d'oeuvres.

A white porcelain spoon sporting halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with miniscule cubes of mozarella and croutons in olive oil enabled consumption of its contents in one quick inhale, it's flavors a cascade down your throat. Served instead of bread was a basket of Gougeres filled with warm foie gras, which paired with the champagne, allowed the full fat taste to combine with the sweet flavor of the bubbly.

A quick slurp of a naked cowboy oyster, with a spicy watermelon ice dolloped on the saline meat was a nice start before the Confit of Wild Ivory King salmon. The salmon's marbly surface was so moist that the flesh seemed to melt away from my knife before I would even cut. It just cut like buttah! The mound of Ameircan caviar on top added a subtle saltiness that was all it needed to be flavorful.

(paired with Gruner Veltliner, Austria '08)

Next up, this little guy showed up on his island of fresh corn surrounded by a red pepper sauce. The warm colors of the dish made the taste even more enjoyable.

(paired with Chenin Blanc, Clos de la Plante Marin, France '08)

A forkful of sweet corn with a crunchy leg of crab drenched in a sauce, definitely made this one of my favorites. Another diner at our table picked up on the subtle smokiness in the pepper sauce and knew that it had to be Pimenton (a Spanish paprika). Overall a delightful dish.

Next was an unusual pairing of Berkshire pork belly braised in albarino wine, with baby clams, and sweet garlic. I was skeptical of the clam and pork pairing, but the fatty meat was calling for the salty flavor and tanginess of parsley.

(paired with Albarino, La Cana, Spain '08)

Sitting in a pool of garlicky butter and its own juices, the pork's texture was almost like the smooth texture of seafood. The fats texture was too slimy for me and at one point I wasn't sure if I was eating a clam or pork, but the buttery parsley flavor won me over easy.

To break away from the seafood theme, chef served us a simple meat course next. Atop a smashed hill of potatoes oozing in olive oil was a perfectly pink loin of Colorado lamb.

(paired with Bordeaux, France '06)

Mint pesto brushed on one side with half a roasted squash paired well with the meat, but the pesto and a few pine nuts really brought out the roasted flavor in the meat. The meat itself was dense but not tough and a nice break from all that seafood.

For dessert, a simple cherry clafoutis. Each forkful was a battle to save the cherries entrenched in the dough. Vanilla custard could not save the rubbery pastry that clung to the glass dish for dear life, but by the end of the meal after good conversation flowing easily between strangers, and a full stomach, dessert was not an issue.

Ed's Chowder House

4 West 63rd

New York, NY 10023