The Fat Radish: A Cool Spot for a Summer Night

We’re always looking for new places to take our city kids to dinner; it’s the sure way to get them to spend some time with the “old folks”. A recent recommendation for The Fat Radish turned out to be a “worth the detour” spot. It may be out of the way for some of us Scarsdalians but I suspect the Lower East Side is familiar territory to many of your offspring. And the good news is that there’s plenty of local parking. Of course you can enjoy the restaurant on your own, but be warned, it’s easier to hide behind your cool 20-somethings so you don’t stick out like sore thumbs!

From the minute you walk in, the restaurant is appealing. You’re welcomed by a smiling hostess and if your whole party has not arrived you’re ushered to a tasteful long wood bar to wait. The restaurant has beautiful country wood tables, more open spaces than you expect to see in NYC and high ceilings with a vaulted skylight . 
Once the drink list is presented you can choose among a variety of wonderful wines from around the world or pick one of the creative cocktails. I had my first taste of aperol which was mixed with Prosecco and lime in the cocktail of the day. It was light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer night. And things just got better from there.

Fat Radish is a restaurant that specializes in locally sourced food, something a lot of places are doing, but not always well. Shortly after we sat down our waiter brought a plate of namesake radishes that were tossed in olive oil and sea salt, slightly bitter, but a good nibble. Menu starters include some appealing salads with lots of local vegetables; in fact sources for most of the items were listed on the back (farms, creameries, vineyards, etc). There was a sweet pea pie that looked delicious and someone recommended a selection called grilled cheese and pickles but we kept to the lighter items including a wonderful beet salad and another selection that was loaded with greens and tomatoes. Other choices for our next visit included a kale Caesar salad, handmade pasta and Vermont quail. This is definitely a spot where you could dine well with a couple of small plates.

While the appetizers seemed more extensive and interesting than the mains, there were enough fish and meat options to appeal to us all. I had the striped bass that was fresh, if not exciting. The vegetarian special with wheat berries got good reviews and the lamb was rare and tasty. We ordered a reasonably priced wine (about $40) and enjoyed the food and ambience. The restaurant was crowded so service was a little slow but our waitress was conscientious. We skipped dessert but there was a very tempting berry something and a variety of cookies that called out to us for next time!

The check for three with tax and tip (including drinks and wine) was about $200. Appetizers range from $8-$16 and entrees from $16-$28.

The Fat Radish
17 Orchard Street
New York, N.Y 10002
212-300-4053

http://thefatradishnyc.com/

Front Café: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 4 pm
Restaurant: Monday – Friday 5:30 pm – 12 am
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm, 5:30 pm – 12 am
Sunday: 11 am – 4pm, 5:30 pm – 10 pm