Gravy, a new Southern-cuisine restaurant in the Flatiron district, draws its inspiration from the cookery of Charleston, New Orleans and Savannah. With a group of five of us — two who hailed from the South
— we were able to experience lots Gravy had to offer.
We began with their Table Shares – substantial portions of nibbles. We tried — and I’d recommend — the Black Eyed Pea Hummus ($10) with olive oil, smoked pimenton and homemade preserved lemon.
Our other share was a cheesy hot spinach-crab dip ($15). Both shares were served with crispy 
baguette chips.
Appetizers I’d recommended include crawfish gumbo fritters ($14) — three deep-fried, panko-breaded, arborio rice balls filled with a Louisiana crawfish — served with roasted tomato aioli; panko-coated, deep-fried green tomatoes ($12), served on a bed of goat cheese, topped with shaved
fennel, grapefruit and orange, then drizzled with citrus vinaigrette; and, a — my favorite — fresh lobster ($17) mixed with a spicy mayo, sandwiched between panko-coated fried chayote (mirliton) squash on a bed of marinated arugula. The squash was bland (actually tasteless), but nicely complemented by the spicy lobster and the plate’s
smear of pureed lemony arugula and spinach.
Okay apps include a sweet spinach salad ($13) with tomato raisins (de-hyrated cherry tomatoes), candied pecans and grilled red peppers; and, two blackened jumbo shrimp ($14) with tasso ham, corn and mushroom succotash.
The Sullivan Island Bog ($26) is “the chef’s love letter to the south” being part jambalaya with its red rice, andouille and seafood.
The bog “speaks to the personality of our restaurant,” explained general manager Alexandra Sulu, “as we’re a meeting of minds, southern cultures and flavors… with our own 
spin.”
Skip the steak special, an 8-ounce deckle cut from the rib eye perfectly cooked temperature wise, but screaming for seasoning. But that tasteless steak sat atop a flavorful bed of shaved Brussels sprouts slaw. Do try the seared scallops ($24) with honey grits and a toasted corn relish.
I also recommend their Grits Three Ways — honey, cheesy and porky — for the table ($8/16) and roasted Brussels sprouts ($9). Skip the crackling corn until it’s corn season again ($9).
Chef-owner Michael Vignola is from NYC and has been a chef at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House NYC; Strip House; and Le Bernardin. When you go, I recommend all things southern at Gravy, as that’s they do best.
Forgot to mention, we sampled a trio desserts: apple pie, pecan pie and a decadent chocolate mud pie that’s a combo of chocolate fudge, chocolate brownie and ganache. The latter is for sure for chocolate lovers. All are served with dollops of whipped cream.
– bonnie
Follow @BonnieBOTB
Gravy
32 E 21st St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 600-2105
gravyny.com
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