Oh no. There they are. Stupid, stupid high expectations.
Well. No matter. The entire experience proved exceptional. The space, a 30-seat venue in an old textile mill in the Heights, redefines unique. The service is sensational without an ounce of stuffy. Even the bread, which comes straight from the oven in Tycer’s adjoining Kraftsman Bakery, is plentiful and fresh. And the 5-course tasting menu (with a remarkably reasonable $85 price tag) outperforms any meal in the city.
No sooner had we arrived at our table before a tasty veal amuse bouche arrived. Afterwards, the four of us had two orders of the tasting menu, plus several a la carte items.
Textile Tasting Menu:
- Hydroponic bibb lettuce, formage d’Ambert, and an onion strudel
- Bacon tart with quail egg, wilted bitter greens, and aged balsamic
- Kona kampachi on roasted Maitake mushrooms
- Elysian Field Farms lamb, cooked sous vide
- Liquid pumpkin pie in shortcrust with brown butter ice cream
- Assorted bon bons
Every dish was beautifully prepared and presented. Tycer uses only the freshest ingredients available, paying exceptionally close attention to creating a balance in flavor and texture. Portion sizes were ideal; we left fully satisfied, but not overly stuffed. And while Textile may not be a weekly stop on my regular route, I’m going to see that it becomes a quarterly one.
Expectation overdrive? Take a cold shower and make a reservation. Textile can keep up.
Textile - 611 West 22nd (between Shepherd and Lawrence)
The bacon tart with quail egg is every bit as fabulous as it sounds.
The tender, rich, and rare lamb was a definite favorite.
Pastry chef Plinio Sandalio's liquid pumpkin pie (in a shortcrust) made a perfect match for the meal, but is truly perfect in its own right.
