Good. And with a few tweaks, great.
That’s the bottom line from this blogger about the Rusty Mackeral, from the creators of Franks Market and Chef Jack Moran.
· Service—excellent. My party was greeted immediately upon entry, offered drinks and consulted on menu options. I was thrilled with the beer list (Bronx Ale, Ommegang, etc.)
· Food--high quality. The chef is using high quality ingredients arranged with creativity. We had the roasted peppers, codfish croquettes, mussels and octopus. They were very good but too salty. This author loves salt and its notable when I notice the salt content.
· Ambiance—good but not great. The hanging lights glare in your eyes a bit. The music was not particularly soothing. And the a/c was on low, which could be a problem given the proximity of the kitchen to the dining room. Climate control will be really important in this small space.
· Prices--a touch too high for what is clearly a casual dining experience. On the one hand, the prices are high given the quantities of food served. But I would not want the chef to lower quality in order to lower prices. A compromise is in order. The drink prices are definitely too high. In this neighborhood a bottle of Bronx Pale Ale should run about $6 in a restaurant—not $9. I had one but would not order another.
All in all, the RM is a welcome addition to the Heights’ small food scene and brings a high-concept menu to the community. It occupies a welcome middle ground between the comfort food at Saggio and Next Door and the luxury service at New Leaf. I’ll go back soon. And with a few tweaks as noted above, I’ll be a regular.
-Chris Rizzo
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