New York City's Harold's Meat + 3 Offers Countless Combinations
On first glance, the menu at Harold's Meat + 3 can be a little intimidating. Defying the strategic science behind the typical menu design most restaurants use to catch your eye, it's essentially one big list divided into three columns: mains, sides, and sauces.
Fortunately, the space, which is housed inside of the brand new Arlo Hotel, is calm, relaxed, and fun, the kind of place you can spend a couple of lazy hours making your way through a fun selection of entrees, sides, and cocktails (tip: if you're more of a mocktail person, ask for hibiscus flower, orange bitters, and lime; or, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro and ginger beer).
Prime rib is literally wheeled out into the spotlight with a side selection of salts in varieties such as truffle and red wine, sticky veal meatballs arrive naked save for their glaze-like sauce, and Thai pork ribs are just the right harmony of sweet and salty.
But it's the sides that are—well, a sideshow, in the best possible sense of the word.
Japanese sweet potatoes are a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth combination of sweet and savory. Then there's the twice-baked avocado, the baked artichokes (think baked clams, but with an artichoke heart), and a corn on the cob that's dusted with just enough grainy, cheesy goodness.
Chef Harold Moore, whose previous restaurant, Commerce, was a West Village staple for ten years, says his new venture is "much more family friendly" in its offerings, which also include deviled eggs and fried chicken, adding that there's nothing quite like it in the neighborhood right now.
"You don't have to be in the mood for anything in particular," he said. "You can come on a regular basis and constantly change things up, whether it's very American one day, a little Asian the next."
If you're in the mood for brunch, you can have it seven days a week from 7am to 4pm, with additional menu items like avocado toast and a "protein waffle."
"The concept allows for people to just have what they want, without compromise. For me, it's great because I can just cook whatever is inspiring me. I'm excited about it," he said.
So are we.