Fabrick: Burke's Latest Is Perfect Partner For Archer Hotel
Right from the start, the Archer Hotel on West 38th Street in New York is all about the details. Once I checked in, the staff called me by name every time I passed the front desk. Complimentary bottled water and handmade salted caramels were waiting in my room upon arrival, and when the staff found out they are a favorite of mine, I got a late night delivery of said treats every night.
This is not your basic "mint-on-the-pillow-at-night" kind of place either. Turn down service each night always included some sort of homemade lollie or gourmet sweet, the décor is luxuriously chic, and the service is beyond impeccable. The rooftop is home to a bar with a stunning view of the Empire State Building. To top it all off, famed chef and restaurateur David Burke has opened his latest endeavor— fabrick restaurant—on the first floor of Archer. It opened during the first week of June, and it offers inventive, sumptuous food that demands you come with friends so you can try it all.
Sharing plates is the name of the game at fabrick, and they have an impressive variety to enjoy. Even though I was dining with a group of eight, we still didn't manage to try them all, but we sure did our darnedest.
We ordered the soba noddle nori roll & snow pea salad with togarashi lotus chips and tomato miso vinaigrette; duck sticks on a salt brick with breast, testicle, and sausage; fabrick's club burger with cheddar, bacon, primhouse mayo, housemade pickles, and fries; red snapper ceviche with grapefruit and plantain chips; smoked salmon flatbread; and the grilled whole branzino with confit spring onion, meyer lemon, and roasted tomato.
Needless to say, everything was delicious, although the duck sticks and ceviche were particular stand-outs. I had to talk myself into eating the duck testicle, which was basically like it eating sweetbreads. I'm glad I did, as it was tasty. But the duck sausage was divine—I would have happily eaten an entire skewer of just that.
The ceviche was bright and fresh, as ceviche should be. It was sliced like sashimi, which was a lovely touch, and the grapefruit added a welcome citrus bang. Although the plates at fabrick are for sharing, truth be told, I would have been happy to gobble up the entire dish myself.
The drink menu made my head spin too, even before I started tasting from it. I completely fell for the antica Manhattan with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Antica carpano, maple syrup, angostura bitters, and a brandied cherry. I also quite fancied the blackberry lime rickey with Beluga vodka, blackberry, agave, and lime, topped off with prosecco.
Somehow we managed to save room for dessert. We couldn't help but order David Burke's signature cheesecake lollipop tree with bubble gum whipped cream and berries. It's an adorable presentation, and tastes even better than it looks. I'm generally not even a cheesecake fan, but these pops are so rich and flavorful that I forgot I don't like cheesecake while I ate them. We also indulged in the caramelized peach melba donuts with raspberry filling and nutmeg whipped cream. Think donuts all grown up—warm, sweet, tart, soft, and crisp.
Archer feels like New York: clever, chic, modern, and deliciously understated in so many ways, and fabrick just adds to the appeal. Only those in the know will lay their heads at Archer and indulge their palette at fabric, and now you're one of the luckily informed.