What’s Under That Bun?
Good question! I’ve been exploring some of the iconic restaurants New York City – and one of the most iconic of them all is the legendary Minetta Tavern!
When I looked up a list of the most difficult restaurant reservations in Manhattan, Minetta Tavern was high on the list – even after 85 years! Yes, this is one of the city’s oldest restaurants….here is how it is described:
“A Celeb-magnet hot-ticket tavern with upper-end French bistro fare & reimagined vintage decor.”
When a reservation popped up at the last minute, we grabbed it – and since my wife Alex’s sister Lauren was in town, we took her with us!
A little more about the restaurant:
“Founded at the height of the prohibition era, The Minetta Tavern became a popular speakeasy for many literary legends, most notably Joe Gould, who frequented the pub so often that he was said to receive his mail there.”
Joe Gould managed boxers like James J. Braddock, dubbed “The Cinderella Man,” who in 1935 upset Max Baer to become the world heavyweight champion.
The restaurant opened in 1937 in the Greenwich Village, and it has hosted notables such as Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O’Neill, E.E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas, among others – and the walls are filled with drawing and characters of many of their famous guests.
Now, when a restaurant is a hip celeb hangout – and impossible to get into, I was nervous: if they are that popular, would they be stuffy and off-putting?
I started to ponder things like this: were we only able to get a reservation because Lady Gaga had a toothache?
Time to find out!
Cheers To Minetta Tavern’s Staff!
So, let’s get right to it – as one of the hottest, most difficult reservations in town, were the people at Minetta Tavern stuffy? NO!
It was exactly the opposite: from the front desk team to our Waiter, everyone was incredibly friendly and engaging – it was literally like hanging out with friends for a meal…they were so nice and fully engaged!
Once settled in with a glass of wine, we ordered our food….want to see what I started with?
Behold The Roasted Bone Marrow Over Grilled Baguette!
Not many restaurants serve bone marrow, and some people aren’t fans…well, if you are one of those then you are missing out on a taste treat, and no one makes it more deliciously than Minetta!
There were three meaty, roasted bones on the plate, and when you scooped out the marrow and set it atop the crusty bread, it was a bite of heaven:
That is a very filling appetizer, but since we shared it we were ready to keep going.
Time for the main dishes:
Alex and Lauren shared a beautiful roasted Halibut topped with pancetta, served over smashed pea puree and whole peas – they also shared the Minetta Burger, which comes with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions.
As you can see, the cheddar was very “melty” on the right side – lettuce pickle and tomato were alongside and a pile of French fries as well.
My menu choice was also a burger, but a very famous one in New York – their special “Black Label” Burger!
Minetta Tavern’s Iconic “Black Label” Burger!
That’s right, it’s one of their legendary dishes – a burger!
It’s called the “black label burger” because it’s a mix of prime dry-aged beef cuts, served only with caramelized onion, and a pickle and tomato slice on the side…and of course pommes frites!
The carmelized onions were rich and silky and the beef: it was sublime! Both Alex and Lauren said they could really taste the difference between their burger, which they loved, and the intense umami feel of mine!
Clearly, the meat was dry-aged, with that depth of flavor, a hint of smokiness, and a rich mouth feel were sublime…I ordered it medium rare and here’s how it looked when I cut it in half:
Perfect.
Look at the juice oozing from the pink center..it was perfectly cooked, and while the other burger came with cheese if requested, the Waiter told me the flavor of this meat didn’t need anything else – and he was right….
Even though we had French fries served with our burgers, Alex is a “lover of potatoes” so we ordered one last side dish as well:
A VERY cheesy side of creamy mashed potatoes completed the meal. Here’s just how cheesy good it was:
If you listen to the clip, you will hear Alex talk about our Paris potato adventure…more on that in a moment.
We ordered a great Burgundian wine from Bouchard Pere et Fils…a winery that Alex and I had toured earlier this summer!
Bravo to Minetta Tavern: terrific food, a very engaged and delightful staff, a mind-blowing burger and those creamy potatoes….oh my!
As you heard her say in the potato video, Alex and I searched out the best potatoes in Paris, and look at this picture I took there:
They could be from the same restaurant!
We also had them in a tower and covered with caviar as well – click here to see our delicious culinary adventure in Paris:
Our exploration of New York’s great restaurants is just beginning but we’ve already had some incredible adventures:
This one was truly “crab-tabular!”
Click here to see how many different preparations come from this crab at Wu’s Wonton King!
We also had a very memorable gospel choir brunch thanks to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s terrific “Red Rooster” restaurant in Harlem..here’s a listen:
You can see what we ate and some more great performance as well by clicking on mys tory here:
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Categories: Exotic Travel, Food, food blog, Food Review, Hamburgers, Memoirs, New York, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
I would’ve loved the bone marrow appetizer.
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Thanks for the comment! It was indeed! There really aren’t many restaurants that serve it right now.
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True, they are hard to find. Unfortunately, I stopped making it at home because I am batting my husband’s cholesterol.
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Hi John, this certainly looks and sounds like a great place to eat. An interesting menu too.
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It is, Robbie and it has so much history hanging on the walls as well! Thanks for commenting as always!
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What good luck that you got a reservation. Clearly, this is a great restaurant. The burger must be to die for. I wish I were brave enough to eat bone marrow. Thank you, John!
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A very mouth watering review. Thanks, John! The price range is acceptable, as you nowadays can pay this for streetfood. Even here in Germany. Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you for the comment! Yes, it was very reasonable especially based on what some high end restaurants charge in NYC!
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John, my mouth is watering. Thanks for well-written review. What’s the chance of getting into Raos?
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John, the above comment was from me, Bernadette
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Thanks Bernadette! What made the meal even better was that, although an iconic “impossible to get into” restaurant, they were so friendly and fun it made all the food even better!
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Bernadette, it’s literally impossible to get into Rao’s in New York…the tables are “owned” by people who never give them up. There is, however, one in Hollywood, and they replicate the 12 table NY restaurant but also have a massive dining room in addition, so I eat there – which I am doing next week!
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That looks like a very up-market New York experience, John, and i am guessing it has prices to match? . I would have had the same burger as you, albeit cooked longer. I don’t like any ‘rare’ minced beef. As for the bone marrow, my jury is still out. We tend to give marrowbones to dogs here, so I would think of that as ‘Ollie’s dinner’. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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HA! Well Pete prices really weren’t bad! Main courses in the $20-$30 range which is low for New York…there were of course ones that went for more but pretty reasonable! I will remember to put prices in my reviews as that is useful information!
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That’s much, much less than I expected, John. It is not unusual to pay £20-25 a head for a main course in a good restaurant around Beetley, and much more in London, naturally.
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