Slideshow

A First Look at Almond, Now Serving Budget Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

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Last night, Jason Weiner (brother of congressman Anthony) and his partner, Eric Lemonides, opened an outpost of their Hamptons restaurant, Almond, in the former Borough Food and Drink space. We celebrated by ordering what has to be the most absurdly decadent plate of macaroni and cheese we’ve had in a while. Chef Weiner tells us it’s a carryover from the Hamptons spot, and he found the recipe in a Bocouse book (it calls for béarnaise sauce, penne, Gruyère, Parmesan, shaved prosciutto, and sliced summer truffles he buys at a reasonable $160 per pound, so the dish ends up being half as expensive as the Waverly Inn’s is). Weiner also snagged a recipe for a marrow-and-cardoon gratin from that book, and his escarole salad was taken from a mom-and-pop place in Bologna. True to his roots cooking in Vegas (for Michael Mina), Weiner isn’t trying to win any Beard Awards with his hearty comfort food — “I don’t consider our food chef-driven,” he admits. “It’s more technique- and ingredient-driven.” Part of that technique will involve using the place’s dual-temperature cast-iron and stone hearth (a holdover from the DiSpirito days) to prepare dishes such as a skate-wing casserole (park at the bar in front of this beast if you’re coming in from the cold). And charcuterie will emerge from the curing room in the coming weeks. And now, the menu.

Soups and Salads
Lentil Soup (beef shank, sorrel, marrow crostini) - $11
Frisee aux Lardon (poached egg, sherry vinaigrette, smoked bacon) - $10
Arugula, Beets & Roquefort (candied walnuts) - $12
Field Greens & Picked Herbs (warm chevre, Dijon vinaigrette) - $10
Salad of Escarole & Mint (pistachio citronette, shaved pecorino toscano) - $11

Appetizers
Foie Gras Mousse (fig jam) - $13
Duck Confit (creamy lentils, Banyuls vinegar) - $12
Salt Cod Croquettes (saffron aioli) - 10
Select Cheeses (dried fruit, walnuts, grilled bread) - $14
Steamed Black Mussels (shallots, white wine, parsley) $9/$15
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs (potato-bacon galette, horseradish) - $12/$24
Vol-au-Vent (frog legs, mushrooms, escargot) - $13

Steak Frites
Marinated Hangar Steak - $22
13 oz. Aged N.Y. Strip - $29
Wagyu Flatiron - $27
(shallots, marrow, sauce bordelaise or au poivre or crumbled Roquefort)

Entrees
Skate Wing (lemon-parsley crust, caramelized fennel, garlic chips) - $21
Daube of Lamb Belly (marjoram, orange, baby carrots, saffron quadrucci) - $23
Roast Chicken (hand crushed potatoes, natural sauce) - $18
Sea Scallops & Braised Pork Shank (polenta ravioli, caramelized onion jus)
Breast of Veal ‘Milanese’ (cauliflower-caper beurre noisette) - $22
Cavatelli (shrimp sausage, rapini, bottarga) - $19
Arctic Char (savoy cabbage, pearl onions, house cured pancetta, apples, red wine) - $22
“Le Grand Macaroni & Cheese” (prosciutto, chopped truffles) - $18
Hamburger “Deluxe” - $15

Plats du Jour
Sunday Osso Buco
Monday Poussin au Vin
Tuesday Lobster
Wednesday Shrimp Scampi
Thursday Roasted Whole Fish
Friday Rack of Lamb
Saturday Cote de Veau

Croques Gratin - $15
Madame
“Apparu”
Monsieur
Provencal

Sides - $7
Roast Garlic Crushed Potatoes
French Fries & Gravy
Glazed Baby Carrots
Macaroni & Cheese
Haricot Vert
Lentils du Puy
Marrow Cardoon Gratin
French Fries
Pickled Cauliflower
Braised Lettuce
Sautéed greens
Polenta Ravioli
Cheese Fries

Almond, 12 E. 22nd St., nr. Broadway; 212-228-7557, almondnyc.com

A First Look at Almond, Now Serving Budget Truffle Macaroni and Cheese