Dinner At Colicchio & Sons, Tap Room

C & S (Colicchio & Sons, Tap Room) is situated in the heart of Manhattan's famed Meatpacking District where, for the most part, spaces are ample in size. C&S is no exception. Using a floor to ceiling wine rack as a partition, the restaurant is divided in to two spaces: the more formal Colicchio & Sons dining room – and the Tap Room, which is shares its space with the bar. Uniting each of the two concepts is the breathtaking decor and an atmosphere that screams urban chic and sophistication. Bread service: For a higher end concept – despite the fact that we were dining in the less formal of the two rooms – C&S served one of the single most inedible rolls that I've ever had the misfortune of eating. Dry, brittle, and rock-hard are the kindest adjectives that I can use to describe this god-awful bread. Appetizer: Caramelized Onion Soup with Bacon, Raisins & Stinky Cheese: Do you love French Onion Soup? So do I. If you don't have an aversion to pork, then I highly suggest sampling C&S's unique version of this French classic. In terms of familiarity, the rich, caramelized-onion laden broth doesn't particularly stand out – at least not until you get spoonful containing a smoky chunk of bacon or a plump, sweet white raisin. Dynamite. Entree: TC Burger with Drunk Onions, Pecorino & Chips: While homemade meatballs may be one of my menu non-negotiables, a hamburger is another.In my opinion, diners should use Restaurant Week as the opportunity to taste more formal, indulgent plates. Something they've never tried, perhaps. But, in this case of C&S, I broke my own rule. The burger took precedence over the Braised Lamb Rib or the Surf & Turf.There was something about the way that the TC Burger was described that got my salivary juices flowing. Buttery, toasted brioche bun? Check. Quality-sourced, 1" thick ground beef patty cooked to my liking? Check. A mound of silky, liquored-up, sauteed red onion tangles? Check. Melted pecorino cheese? Check. ...Chips? No check. I was really disappointed to learn that, what I had assumed would be an accompaniment of British "chips" (a.k.a. French fries), where potato chips. Literally, kettle-cooked potato chips. Buzz kill. As much as not having a side of French fries sucked, I must say that the burger more than made up for it. Dessert: Meyer Lemon Merigue Tart with Hibiscus & Blood Orange Sorbet: This sweet treat, quite possibly, may be the best restaurant dessert that I've had in my 7 years of living in NYC. Texturally, there was crunch (crust), soft and creamy (lemon curd), crisp (caramelized meringue top), and chill (sorbet) – in terms of flavor, there were notes of sweet, sour, salt, and savory.