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Chef George Mendes Opens Aldea

Hugh Merwin

Published May 13, 2009

Modified May 13, 2009

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Hugh Merwin

Published May 13, 2009

Modified May 13, 2009

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It's been two years in the making, and now chef-owner George Mendes has finally opened Aldea, a kind of Mediterranean-modern restaurant near Union Square. Specifically, Mendes created Aldea's menu in tribute to his Portuguese heritage, and its menu features presunto, for example, a cured ham akin to Jamón Serrano. Another appetizer is a plate of sardines with raisins macerated in Madeira and served with bitter almond milk. Appetizers (see the full menu after the jump) are all priced at $9 and under, and no entrée costs more than $27, with most in the $19-$22 range.

Aldea has 68-seats on two dining levels and there's a 6-seat Atelier-style chef's counter that offers a full view of the completely open kitchen. Above, four hundred acrylic tubes hang from the ceiling like overturned graduated cylinders from a chemistry class. It is the type of spot where the maschinenmensch from Fritz Lang's Metropolis might spend a quiet Tuesday night with a mystery novel, the charred octopus starter, and a cocktail made from gin and some SAE 10W-30. The food at Aldea promises to be far less greasy.

Mendes is something of a chef's chef, and like his friend Paul Liebrandt, he's clocked some serious time plating food in a molecular way that's showing up in his food these days in a minimal, refined way. Mendes also worked for David Bouley, Alain Passard, and Martin Berasategui. He was the chef de cusine at Tocqueville and the chef at Le Zoo, the restaurant that once inhabited the space that has since become The Spotted Pig. Below, the full opening menu.

Aldea // 31 West 17th Street // (212) 675-7223

Aldea
Spring Market Menu

PETISCOS (small bites)

KNOLLCREST FARM EGG 7
bacalao, black olive, potato

BEAU SOLEIL OYSTERS 8
three oysters, three preparations

CHICKEN TENDERLOIN SKEWERS 6
smoked sea salt, shitake, perilla glaze

RAZOR CLAMS 9
a la planxa, ginger, bayleaf

RICK’S CATSKILL MT. RAMPS 7
crisped pig ears, apple, cumin yogurt

CHARCUTERIE

DUCK HAM 8
house-cured, membrillo

PRESUNTO 6
dry-cured Portuguese ham

BENTON’S COUNTRY HAM 11
hickory-smoked

FOIE GRAS TERRINE 15
fig degustation

JAMÓN SERRANO 9

APPETIZERS

SPRING VEGETABLE CONSOMME 10.
mushroom “ravioli”, morels, peas, favas

SARDINES 11.
Madeira raisins, bitter almond milk, citrus

SHRIMP ALHINHO 15.
garlic, coriander, pimenton, pressed jus

BABY CALAMARI 10.
coconut-curry, squid ink, herb puree

SEA URCHIN TOAST 14.
cauliflower, seaweed, mustard greens

JARDIN 11.
Spring lettuces, baby vegetables, flowers,
aged country cheese, Port vinaigrette

MEAT

BEV EGGELSTON’S PORK SHOULDER 19
littleneck clams, nugget potatoes, Spring vegetable pickles

ALL-NATURAL CHICKEN 21
foie gras stuffing, braised lettuce, tomato confit
black garlic tuile

WAGYU HANGER STEAK 26
egg sunny side-up, onion-bone marrow marmalade, potato-oxtail terrine

ARROZ DE PATO 20
duck confit, chorizo, olive, duck cracklins’

FISH AND SHELLFISH

HOUSE-CURED SALT-COD 21
ramps, morels, melon-serrano jus

ESCOLAR 22
fresh chickpeas, market vegetables, Arbois wine

DIVER SCALLOPS 27
farro risotto, cucumber, orange

WILD STRIPED BASS 26
crab caldeirada, tomato, saffron

Tagged

aldea

aldea restaurant

bouley

george mendes

paul liebrandt

toqueville

Hugh Merwin

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