I’m fine with alfresco dining but not waiting on the street until a table opens up. So I secured a res at The Leroy House, a neighborhood place on the ground floor of a beautiful townhouse that until last year was Harwood on Hudson before that Piora — for me and a friend.
Like other restaurants, they enlarged their dining area well into the street and spaced their tables at least 6 feet apart unlike many other outdoor establishments. I hadn’t seen my friend since quarantine started in March. We were getting together as she was heading into the city so we had lots to catch up on.
We each started with their cocktails. She had The Short Goodbye with gin, lime juice and toasted rosemary; I tried the eponymous one with basil-infused vodka, lime juice, club soda and agave to sweeten. It was a tad too sweet for me ($16, each).
My friend enjoyed her fresh Wellfleet oysters ($2.5 each) commenting that the accompaniments — a cucumber and celery mignonette, fresh horseradish and cocktail sauce — were deliciously fresh. I dipped the lightly dusted and fried calamari ($15) into the spicy harissa aïoli that married well with the tender squid.
The only disappointment was the bland salad of asparagus and corn topped with a poached egg and shaved pecorino cheese all screaming for seasoning. The attentive, professional service more than made up for that. We had shared that and the pan-seared salmon ($32) sitting atop a blend of mushy English peas and sugar snap peas over tomato nage.
I’d recommend.
The Leroy House
West Village
430 Hudson Street
New York
(646) 590-0640
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