Whitehall

Hurricane Irene Sandy is rolling through NYC right about now...what did you do to prepare for Frankenstorm?  Since I couldn't even get into any of the three grocery stores in the Union Square area yesterday, I'm making do with some popcorn and diet ginger ale from Duane Reade and a huge ball of fresh mozzarella cheese from East Village Cheese Shop.

My rations for the hurricane: popcorn, ginger ale, and a big ball of fresh mozz

I couldn't resist having one last meal, though, so last night I stopped by Whitehall in the West Village for a Hurricane Welcome dinner!

Front of Whitehall - look for "No. 19" on the awning

The name is not prominently displayed in the front of the restaurant so if you are a bit lost, look for "No. 19" on the awning.  The front room has a long bar area on the left and tables on the right side of the room.  If you keep walking to the back, there is another dining area with exposed brick walls.  Both areas are warmly lit and feature chalkboards detailing the specials of the day.

Front area of Whitehall

Back dining area

Love the large chalkboards listing the day's spec

As I take my seat, first order of business is the take a look at the cocktail list.  I looooove a great cocktail!  And when they come, they are served in huge glasses!

Whitehall's cocktail menu - find it here

Tall and tasty cocktails

Looking at the menu, I love how much variety is offered on the menu.  More importantly, there are so many fish options!  Excellent!!!

Menu

To start, we shared the Crab & Linguine Pasta and the Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid.  Sadly, the Crab & Linguine pasta was flavorless.  I think there was some kind of butter dressing on the pasta, but it was tasteless and worst of all, this came out lukewarm.  If you come, pass on this dish.

The Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid was tasty though - seasoned well, slightly spicy, and paired with a curried mayonnaise.  I liked!

Starters - Crab & Linguine Pasta and Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid

The stars of our show, however, were our main entrees.  Both my dining compadre and I ordered a fish dish: Pan Roasted Grouper for my dining compadre and the Steamed Market Fish for me.

The Steamed Market Fish was a white fish (I can't remember which fish it was called, but it was tasty!) steamed to perfection in a sesame ginger soy broth.  The fish was perfectly flaky and tender and the flavor was steamed into the fish.  Topped with a couple pieces of fresh ginger, this was an excellent excellent excellent dish.

Also super tasty was the Pan Roasted Grouper.  This fish was seasoned perfectly and roasted just right - crispy on the outside and perfectly done on the inside.  Loved how light yet flavorful this dish was!

We also shared a side of the Boozy Brussels Sprouts.  The brussels sprouts are cooked with some kind of alcohol (I wasn't pay attention when she described it - cognac maybe?) and then tossed with a fresh mustard-seed dressing.  This was a large portion!

Steamed Market Fish - excellent!

Pan Roasted Grouper and side of Boozy Brussels Sprouts

While I wasn't too into the appetizers, our two fish dishes and side of brussels sprouts were to die for.  The great atmophere, inventive cocktails, and excellent entrees have me ready for more!  Give this a try and let me know what you think.

Piggy says Yes!

Whitehall 
19 Greenwich Ave (btwn Charles and 10th St) 
212-675-7261

Thanks for reading - Piggy KK