17 Mar Smoked, Charred, Raw and Chilled at Maysville NY

I traveled to New York for a big Italian wine conference in the heart of this brutal winter. After canceled and delayed flights, I finally landed in NYC. An entire week in NY sounded great but I was committed to a conference all week (yes, filled with drinking wine) and little free time. But, with one night free, I ventured out into the cold to meet up with friends for dinner. With so many restaurants to choose from in New York, I am lucky to have a local foodie friend who always has a list of places to try. This doesn’t mean that we will be going to the newest restaurant. This means that we will be going somewhere that is bound to have delicious food and that I would never have found on my own. On this outing, we went to Maysville in the Flat Iron district. This isn’t just a restaurant, it is a whiskey bar as well. Maysville is actually a Kentucky port town that is the birthplace of bourbon.   Maysville has an extraordinary whiskey list that consists of over 150 American Whiskeys. Even better, the whiskeys, which come from distilleries across the country, are all available in both 1 and 2 ounce tastes. On a cold night, a little taste, or two, was in order. The wine list is also rather impressive, featuring boutique producers from around the world. We opted for Olga Raffault 2010 Chinon Les Picasses. Chinon is an area in the Loire Valley and the grape is Cabernet Franc. The medium-bodied red wine had floral, raspberry and red current notes and was light and fruity enough to pair with the fish dishes but also stand up to the meatier dishes. As we perused the menu that specializes in smoked & charred food and raw & chilled seafood, we enjoyed little cornbread bites that were fresh out of the oven. You have got to love a restaurant that offer oysters 3 ways on their menu – raw, roasted and crispy! We ordered the Hay Roasted Oysters with Salsify and Pickled Shallots. The oysters, which have been cooked on burning hay so that they are just between raw and cooked, are served on smoking hay. The oysters have an earthy smokiness that was brightened by the pickled shallots. We also ordered the Crispy Oysters with cured pork and lemon. I was surprised that neither the batter nor the cured pork overwhelmed the oyster. The cured pork added a nice saltiness to the crispy oyster. Crispy Grits with country ham and bourbon aioli were crispy little bites filled with smooth, creamy grits. The Grilled Flatbread was covered with brussels sprouts, buttermilk and sheep’s milk cheese, as well as crispy pig ear that was hidden under everything. The flatbread could handle everything piled on top. But, it was a bit easier to eat with the aid of a fork to pick up the loose brussels sprouts. We were intrigued by the Charcoal Grilled Beef Carpaccio with stracciatella, cauliflower and crispy shallots. After all, carpacciois typically raw but this one had a light charcoal grill on the outside. The tender Duck Confit was served with collard greens, creamy grits, maitake mushrooms, smoked duck broth and a poached egg. Roasted Squash with blue cheese, charred red onion and pumpkin seeds is a hearty, flavorful vegetarian dish. The handmade Braised Beef Filled Pasta is both delicate and rich with roasted cauliflower, sage and sheep’s milk cheese. Smoked, charred, braised, roasted or raw, the food at Maysville is full of flavor and ready to be paired with any of the 150 whiskeys on the menu. Maysville 17 W. 26th Street, Between 6th Ave. & Broadway, NY, NY 10010