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New "Farmhouse Bistro" Calliope Opens Its Many Doors In East Village
By
John Del Signore
Published May 31, 2012
Modified May 31, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 31, 2012
Modified May 31, 2012
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That place on the corner of Second Avenue and East Fourth Street, formerly occupied by Belcourt, is now Calliope, a "farmhouse bistro" from Eric Korsh, the former executive chef at the Waverly Inn, and his wife Ginevra Iverson, a former cook at Prune. It's an inviting little restaurant that's actually not that little—with the outdoor seating, Calliope can accommodate 100 customers at once—but it still feels intimate, even with all the french doors flung open. And there are lots of doors: both exterior walls of the restaurant can be completely opened to let the refreshing evening breezes filter through (on evenings when there are refreshing breezes).
With the exception of a new bar and the addition of a communal table, Calliope doesn't look all that different from its predecessor. "We’re keeping the bones of the place" Korsh told the Times in January. "They’re very good." Last night we met with Korsh and tried some of the menu (below). The husband and wife team previously ran a popular northern Californian restaurant called Eloise, which Korsh says was "in the middle of nowhere. But we killed almost immediately. We were packed night after night. Then in the month after Lehman Brothers fell apart we went from 120 covers a night to 20-30." Eventually Eloise closed, but northern California's loss is Second Avenue's gain.
Calliope's menu mixes French and Italian influences, and Korsh says he drew inspiration from the popular Le Comptoir in Paris. Try the Spicy marinated mackerel with avocado and black sesame ($10), which isn't too spicy and boasts a winning combination of textures and flavors, with black sesame clinging to big chunks of chopped avocado. The warm octopus salad with fingerling potatoes, white anchovy and celery ($14) is equally fresh and tasty (last night the octopus was served at that perfect balance between firm and juicy), and the traditional Provencal tomato tart with savory & olives ($10) comes out thin so it's not too filling, and generously garnished with olives and greens.
For entrees, there's also a 21-day dry-aged strip steak (sourced from Pino's Prime Meats on Sullivan Street) served sizzling in a cast iron pot ($35), as well as a slow cooked Rabbit Pappardelle with English peas $29. It doesn't get much more "farmhouse French" than that! And if you want to drink your dinner, classic cocktails, wine, and beer are all on tap at the horseshoe bar.
East 4th Street and Second Avenue // (212) 260-8484
Tagged
belcourt
calliope
east village
new restaurant and bar radar
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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