Where I’m eating
I recently returned to Cervo’s, a LES restaurant dedicated to Iberian seafood, for the first time since last summer and I’m happy to report that it’s even better than I remembered. And I remembered it being f*cking awesome.
Here’s the thing: Cervo’s is one of those restaurants that all the cool kids love which generally makes me *not* want to be obsessed with a place. However, there are situations when the hype is real and worth it and that, my friends, is the case with Cervo’s. It is effortlessly cool. The interior feels like a 1970s den/basement (this seems to be a thing right now - Bandits and Ray’s come to mind) which is, like, so uncool that it’s cool. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to get a table outside, you get to have dinner in the middle of a bustling lower east side street which is so thrilling and magnetic and energetic - nothing is more New York than that and it feels really special.
Beyond aesthetics and vibes, Cervo’s most appealing offer is the food. Anyone could enjoy a meal there - it’s objectively delicious and there are plenty of un-intimidating dishes to be had - but Cervo’s also pushes boundaries enough to be unique and interesting (fried shrimp heads are a staple menu item). On a recent visit I had the perfectly smoky spicy mussels escabeche, the tangy and refreshing tuna conserva, sweet and juicy Louisiana white prawns a la plancha, and an absolutely unmissable fried skate wing with new potatoes and banana peppers. I recommend all the above and will be back for more.
Cervo’s: 43 Canal St, New York, NY 10002
What I’m cooking
I’ve made a version of hearty lamb ragu an egregious amount of times during this sweltering hot summer. Are you sick of hearing about lamb ragu? I hope not, because I’m not sick of making it or eating it and what’s more, my Substack is a place for honesty and I simply cannot invent cooler subject matter where it does not exist. To put it plainly: I do not cook FOR Substack; my Substack documents what I ACTUALLY cook. You see what I mean?
*Anyways*
The guy I’ve been seeing for the last couple months is an actor and last week when he booked an exciting role I told him that to celebrate, I’d make him whatever dish he wants. His request? My lamb ragu. Normally, I like to slowly braise a combo of lamb shoulder and lamb stew meat but Whole Foods was out of the shoulder so I used shanks instead and it was incredible. This braise can go either way: you can add crushed tomatoes/red wine and have more of a red sauce situation on your hands OR you can add some heavy cream and grated parm for more of a creamy, herby vibe. I, personally, love to go the creamy route but the actor doesn’t do dairy so we kept it plain (no tomatoes OR cream) and it was perfect. I served the braise over homemade pappardelle so the “sauce” that coated the pasta was more of a broth which reminded me a lot of Spicy Village’s noodle dishes. On a separate night, I ate the leftover braised lamb over some rice (yummmmm) and I also know for a fact that this lamb would go perfectly over some mashed potatoes (literally so cozy).
I’ll be sharing the full recipe soon!
What I’m drinking
I don’t have much to say here except that Benepop, a pet nat coming out of Campania, Italy, is summer in a bottle and I am clinging on to every last drop. It tastes like peaches, nectarines and honeysuckle. Serve it very cold along with some cured meats, tinned fish and crostini - you won’t regret it.
Terra di Briganti, Benepop Vol.1 2019