In a city that is over-saturated with bars and restaurants, it’s often difficult to stand out, especially on a busy thoroughfare like Bleecker Street. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a bar in Greenwich Village, and most establishments need to don multiple personas in order to maintain a steady flow of clientele.
The Anthony is such a place. The red leather banquettes, dim lighting, and black and white photos of 70’s rock stars emanate a sultry ambiance, apropos for a Saturday night jaunt, but the evolving menu seeks to lasso a dinner crowd of the pre-10pm sect.
While I maintain that The Anthony is best served by sticking to its clubby identity, if you wanted to have a late night meal before segueing into a wild Saturday, you could do a lot worse elsewhere on Bleecker street.
Here’s what we ate:
Crispy Duck and Waffles
A twist on the Southern classic, the duck cracklings made for a great garnish on the waffle, but the gamey flavor of the duck overpowered the waffle, and made me pine for the water fowl’s poultry sister, chicken.
Roast Corn Salad
This was spectacular. Grilled corn is scraped off the cob into a bowl and massaged with cotija cheese, and luckily there is a plentiful helping of arugula so that it still feels like you’re eating a salad.
Pork Belly and Watermelon
I would have loved a touch more acid in this dish to balance out the fatty pork belly and the crisp, bright watermelon, but this one gets points for innovation. Resembling a sushi roll, crispy pork belly is layered on top of thick squares of watermelon.
Salmon
Miso beurre blanc give this mild fish pizazz, and pea shoots and fennel added just the right amount of greenery to remind you it’s spring. Great option for a “healthier” entrée that isn’t boring.
Burger
This was outstanding. The beef was super tender, and the cream spinach in place of cheese/lettuce/tomato was an exceptional choice, one that enhanced the richness of the burger. I was blown away.
