Estela: Refined Sophistication in Bistro Form
Over the last five years, Estela has been established as one of the trendiest restaurants in New York City, especially since the infamous Obama date night back in 2014. It has also gained its own loyalists, including the folks at London's Restaurant magazine who consistently name Estela as one of the best restaurants in the world. Last year (2018), they were ranked #83 in between New York's Per Se (#81) and Le Coucou (#85).
Needless to say, my standards had been continuously rising throughout the years before my visit. I would describe Estela's cuisine as American with playful Mediterranean flares. The menu changes frequently. But, you'll usually see a menu that favors seafood and vegetable ingredients.
The restaurant's ambiance is comparable to that of a hip (but busy) cafe. Try not to be shocked that your seating is at close quarters to the other patrons. It's not that bad but you can definitely hear all the conversations around you. There's not a lot of privacy here. Perhaps it might be better to request bar/counter seating for a bit more intimacy.
When ordering, the strategy is to order a few dishes to share with the rest of your party. I recommend ordering two to four dishes per person as the plates are on the small side. My favorite dish was the Lamb Ribs with Honey and Chermoula (a North African / Mediterranean relish). I also heard good things about the beef tartare, burrata, endives, and ricotta dumplings.
I had an uncomfortable experience with the Mackerel (scroll to the bottom of the post for more details). Other than that, I thought some of the dishes were nearly revolutionary. Maybe I came on a bad day but some of the dishes were poorly executed. Given my bad experience with the service and the fish, I don't think I can get myself to visit again anytime soon. But, I do intend to return for a redemption meal.
The dining area is a bit cramped. On a crowded night, I could see this place being quite loud. But it's still nice, I can still appreciate the cafe vibes.
The white marble to bar/counter seating is not pictured but they seem to be the most comfortable seats in the whole restaurant.
To start, I ordered the Toast with Lardo and Jam. What is Lardo? It's more than just fat. It's a type of salumi (Italian Cold Cut) that is made by curing strips of fatback with herbs and spices. Fatback is a cut of meat described as "hard fat". You may be familiar with fatback as it is a key ingredient used to make sausages. It's prized for its ability to give sausages a rich flavor and explosive texture.
At Estela, the lardo is thinly sliced and paired with some jam. It's a great appetizer. The lardo has a surprisingly pronounced pork flavor. I liked the flavor of this dish but the toast was almost totally burnt. Why didn't they just remake the toast...? [$11 USD]
Next, I ordered a small plate of cherry tomatoes with dried shrimp shavings on top. I love eating anything with dried baby shrimp. In South Asian cuisines, this ingredient is well-known for its insane umami flavor.
This was very nice. I liked this one. I never really thought about having dried shrimp shavings with cherry tomatoes. [$14 USD]
The Lamb Ribs are a must-order. The plate came with five pieces. Each piece was made to be medium rare / rare. But, no joke, the meat was absurdly tender. One of the best textured lamb dishes I've had in a while. The lamb seemed cured/smoked. I have no idea how this was prepared but I'm totally enthralled.
It was seasoned with honey. On the bottom, you can see a little bit of the chermoula, which is a Mediterranean / North African relish. It's usually made with cumin seeds, garlic cloves, cilantro, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne peppers, and olive oil. [$21 USD]
Finally, the last dish was the Grilled Mackerel. This was really beautiful. I liked all the little accoutrements that can be used to dress the mackerel. My personal favorite was in the little bowl of what looks like butter. I was super into it. I couldn't really tell what the orange oil was. It tasted a bit like fish oil but I couldn't tell if my mind was playing tricks on me.
The first mackerel was cooked perfectly. I liked the flavor of that nicely charred skin. The meat inside was moist and full of rich meat.
When I started to attack the second Mackerel, the meat inside was still bloody - like fairly bloody. I've never seen that before. I asked the waitress and she dismissed my concerns by saying that's how the fish was supposed to be cooked. I was a bit confused because the first fish was nothing at all like that. So, either way, the first fish was either overcooked or the second fish was undercooked. I didn't really understand her reasoning. Estela, if you're reading this, can you explain???
I didn't finish the fish and I actually lost my appetite. I paid and left shortly after. [$26 USD]