NEW Washington Heights eatery the @RustyMackerel #Review
Rusty Mackerel is the creation of a group of Washington Heights natives, Frank McHugh, Bill Rodriguez and James "Mac" Moran. RM is Chef-focused; market driven, wildly creative, focused on new American cuisine in Washington Heights.
Rarely do I have the opportunity to try out different styles of foods uptown let alone Washington Heights where 90%of the food that’s made is Dominican (yum). I also almost never have the chance to have a tasting in my hometown, but now I have a go to spot in Rusty Mackerel.
Let start with what I tried, 1st I had the Cauliflower chop, golden raisin chimichurri. When I tell you that the combination of the chimichurri sauce and crispy cauliflower tasted so good I thought I was eating succulent chicken. Next, was the Spanish octopus with potatoes and romesco sauce. The octopus had a good mix of savory, soft, and various taste notes. Honestly the octopus didn’t stand a chance. The next dish was the chicken, a free bird, with carrots, ramp pesto and buttermilk topping, the chicken was amazing, juicy and everything on the plate was complimentary. Lastly, was the 10oz hanger steak “Bulgogi”, with toasted sesame and onions. The steak was crispy on the top, juicy in the middle, oh how I love a crispy top of the steak. The portions of each meal are not huge but that doesn’t matter, the quality in each dish supersedes the portion size.
Of course I didn’t leave RM without trying a cocktail or two, the RM has a unique way of serving you drinks, first all the drinks on the menu are pre batched, and come in a 8oz glass bottle, 2nd the menu changes seasonally so don’t get used to what you had, they make changes often. I must be honest, the pre batching of cocktails are not to my liking. I like fresh ingredients and made to order drinks. Some of the drinks are too strong and lack a little flavor, but the creativity of the drinks are very interesting. Overall, RM gets a 4 out of 5 from me, especially because of their hospitality, which are top notch and its chef Mac. Mac has to be top 5 coolest chefs of all time, the type of guy you want to have cigars and whisky with and talk about food and drinks all night.
The Rusty Mackerel is located on 209 Pinehurst Avenue, just around the corner from 187th Street. Take the A train to 181st Street station. Exit up the elevator (not the ramp) at 184th Street, walk up 3 blocks to 187th, make a left and Pinehurst is the first street on the left. (212) 928-4888.
