[Pigging by Wilfrid: December 10, 2010]
Well this place had kind of a stuttered opening. At the beginning of October, I stumbled across what appeared to be a very jolly family and friends at this Avenue C location.
The owners of midtown's underrated modern Austrian, Seäsonal, had nimbly converted a failed Italian restaurant, Mr C's, into what was then billed as Essbar.
Edi & the Wolf.
What's in a name? The explanation is simple if you know that Seäsonal's owners are Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder. If you don't, then goodness knows what it evokes. It reminds me of a didactic childrens' classical work, "Peter and the Wolf." Essbar was straight to the chin in comparison, but it's their choice.
Whatever delayed the opening, the conversion has been nicely done. The once spartan dining room has become a heavily-wooded cabin, heavy with ropes and lights hanging on weighty metal frames. Very wintery, which is just right for now. There's a long communal table down the middle of the space and all is candle-lit. It is nothing like Zum Schneider, the raucous beer bar across the street, but does lean somewhat toward the style of Kafana, the Serbian tavern a block uptown.
The comparisons are not trivial, because Edi & the Wolf can hardly help competing directly with two European casual eating places so nearby. The strip also boasts Arcane, a French-Caribbean restaurant and lounge, and - further up - Royale with its cheeseburgers and the Brazilian Cafecito. What all these places have in common is low prices. Substantial grilled dishes at Kafan average twelve bucks, although you might pay fourteen for an entrée. Arcane usually advertises a special or rabbit or steak for around ten dollars. Zum Schneider will feed you sausages around four bucks a piece, of meaty main courses in the upper teens.
The menu at E&W is not only pricier than these alternatives. It's also shorter; and although it's a step down from the ambition of Seäsonal, it's also a good deal fancier. No wurst here, worst luck.
For the most part, it takes the small plate route trod successfully in the neighborhood by Northern Spy Co and 6th Street Kitchen. But the small plates are small indeed - you need several before you think about sharing. I liked liptauer, a tart cheese spread usually spiked with chopped onions. This is offered alongside herb Gervais cheese, with which I was unfamiliar.
Two little igloos of spreadable stuff arrive on a small black slate. Nobody told me which was which, but one was like liptauer; the other was brown, gooey and a bit sweet. The menu mentioned pumpkinseed oil, and the latter cheese certainly would have made an interesting pumpkin pie filling.
Pork belly is listed with thunderous inevitability, but at least it's an unusual presentation: cured and served in very thin, soft, gossamer slices, like an excellently smoky and fatty bacon. An even lighter plate, if anything, than the pair of soft cheeses. Pickled sardine with apple and walnut is the other small plate, not counting a salad and an offering of pickled vegetables.
So-called sharing plates are listed too, but the one which appealed - baby back ribs - was not available.
As far as main courses go, I took the view that this place should ace schnitzel. I was offered a choice of veal or pork, and preferring Viennese authenticity to dreams of heritage pigs I chose the former. It was pretty good - certainly not greasy. The breading was crisp and firm. Oily potato salad went well with it; I found the copious cucumber salad unnecessary. Nice, but not a life-changing plate.
Cornish hen survives from the original publicity, and schlutkrapfen, a funky mountain cheese ravioli dish is imported from the midtown mothership. Mains are in the $18 to $22 range.
Wines tend Austrian, starting at an attractive $7 price by the glass (although pours were a bit variable). Still, while drinking cheaply you can drop sixty dollars here before tip without eating very much. I hope these guys know their market (they've demonstrated at Seäsonal that they know their food).
When I visited - early days - most diners were friends of the owners or neatly dressed couples who had made a trip. I do wonder whether the regular crowds which parade the avenue will be happy to pay this kind of check between bars. E&W is currently positioning itself to be a destination rather than a neighborhood haunt, a risky strategy.
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