New York's Chalk Point Kitchen, A Love Story
Sometimes, you walk into a place and you just get a feeling.
Upon walking into Chalk Point Kitchen, my feeling was, Oh my gosh, it's just like that really quaint little roadside diner I loved near that apple picking place by that lake.
That warm, fuzzy feeling grew, and eventually, my experience unfolded into a full-on love story.
It was, in part, because of the clean, cool texture of the Icelandic cod, the spiciness of the grilled watermelon that was seasoned like a steak, and the surprising sweet and tangy flavors that accompanied the tiger prawns in coconut curry and grilled summer peaches.
It was also thanks to Caesar, our waiter, who brought me a delicious kale mocktail that made me feel less guilty about eating the mac-and-cheese-style creamed corn.
At the end of the meal, after he saw me lolling around in the defeated throws of a food coma, he said, "Oh, are you too full? I know that feeling. I'm going to bring you guys some ginger ale and bitters. It'll do the trick."
How can you not love a man who anticipates your every need....to make room for dessert?
After that homemade concoction, I was able to gorge on a banana split with complete abandon.
A duck taped banquet was the only "red flag" in this relationship, but, to be fair, when you're running five "Farmer, Market, and Purveyor Specials" each and every night—and changing the menu almost every week—you're bound to get so many people that you wear down the seats.
Besides, they even wrote me the next day to let me know it was being patched up, "Three-Day Rule" be damned.
According to owner Matt Levine, on any given day, Michelin-starred executive chef Joe Isidori and Blue Hill alum chef de Cuisine Frederick Schoen-Kiewart might come back from Union Square Green Market with fresh garlic scapes sourced from upstate New York, or get a phone call from their fishmongers in Montauk about an albacore tuna.
When asked about the space's design, Levine responded, "It's comfortable, authentic Farm-House plush. Does that make sense?"
Shhhh. It's love. It doesn't have to make sense.