Esca
Located on West 43rd Street at the edge of Manhattan’s Theater District, this Southern Italian restaurant is easy to spot thanks to prominent blue signage that announces “Esca” (Italian for "bait") in bold white letters underneath slender, curved lamps. The Mediterranean-inspired space features weathered hardwoods and ochre walls with built-in shelves laden with wine bottles. The crudo and branzino dishes (sea salt-encrusted whole sea bass) are sterling representatives of Chef Dave Pasternack's pure, simplistic approach to fish and seafood, a philosphy that has earned high praise from publications like the New York Times and New Yorker.
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From Food & Wine , JUL 2011
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From Food & Wine , APR 2011
'The only thing more expensive than a wife is fishing: You need electronics, like a fish finder and GPS. That's how...MORE
From Food & Wine , DEC 2008
Master of the sea Dave Pasternack prepares some of New York City’s best fish dishes....MORE
From the From the May 2008 Food & Wine Go List
This under-the-radar new place on the Fontanka River brings the complex, spicy cuisine of the Caucasus up north. Exotic greens laced with walnuts, stuffed vegetables, smoky grills and an assortment of <em>kufteh</em> (wheat-and-beef meatballs) are prepared from ingredients flown in from Armenia and served on artisanal plates.
We loved: Lamb riblet kebab; stuffed quail wrapped in grape leaves.
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