Dear Food Diary:
Growing up in Buenos Aires, my parents were always in the restaurant business. Which meant free chicken and duck wings/necks by the kilos to take home (usually discarded, wings weren’t big in Argentina). ChubbyMama was all about nose-to-tail (or in this case, neck-to-tail) and on a budget, so she made them in all sorts of creative ways to keep my little palate entertained. Plus, they were fun to eat.

Trestle on Tenth wasn’t on my radar until my pal MaoMao praised their Crispy Duck Neck!

You see, they stumbled upon it on a hungry Sunday and couldn’t believe it was on the menu. Actually, I’ve never seen it on any menu either, specially non-Asian. If you have let me know! Anyways, the crispy duck necks were fantastic! And to our surprise, the rest of the dishes were up to par.

We sat in their outdoor space, which was nice and breezy, even on the hottest day. The shaded area was cute and roomy. Though they had a weird policy of no more than 6 per table,  our party of 7 had to sit in 2 tables with a narrow gap, weird, but it worked.

The crispy duck neck…

BEFORE

Crispy duck necks with rosemary and garlic aioli
Coated and fried. The aioli was garlicky with that tart punch (perfect with beer). Some of my ChubbyBuddies didn’t know how to eat it. It’s basically just eating the little meat all around until you get to the bone. No skin or anything. It was pretty finger lickin’ good.

AFTER:

At the end, you just have bones left. You can also suck all the juice between the bones, if you’re all hardcore. Either way, it’s pretty tasty and I’d say, it gives wings a run for its money. I’ve had one’s in chinatown, but never fried like this. Great idea!!! Wish I could have them while watching games.

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Pan seared sweet breads with lemon aioli, capers and cilantro
I usually prefer sweet breads grilled, these were nice too. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fatty inside. Perfect bite size snack.

Almond crusted soft shell crab with watercress slaw
This was the special of the day. The idea was much better than the execution. I imagined it way crispier, with lots of golden brown almond flakes all around. But the mushy batter took over and it hid any trace of almond flavor. It wasn’t horrible, but my friends’ entrees were much more appetizing.

Smoked and roasted pork loin with potato gratin
Our waiter highly recommended it and boy! he deserved the extra tip for his tip. So juicy and tender. With a burst of smoky flavor. Think bacon, without all the fat and sodium (not that there’s anything wrong with fat and sodium). Plus, that sexy chard/caramelized edge. It was like eating “the other white meat” in steak form. Butta’ with those potatoes and pickled onions for a little contrast. Love all around the table.

Roasted chicken with asparagus, broccoli rabe and fingerling potatoes
To be honest, I only had one bite, but it was juicy and flavors were good. I usually don’t order chicken, unless it’s fried, stuffed, peruvian style or in a cast iron. (Asian restaurants are an exception). This was decent, but nothing to be feeling dreamy about.  Though, I guess if you love chicken, this is a good option.

Seared hanger steak with artichoke, salsify and oyster mushrooms
The portion seemed small compared to that pork loin, so I didn’t steal a bite from W. He seemed to have enjoyed it, plate was clean. Though he also voted for the pork loin as the best thing of the night.

Because we were celebrating W’s big birthday and everything was pretty good so far, we stayed for dessert. Turned out to be a great.

Carrot cake with orange mousse and rum raisin ice cream
Sweet, creamy with great nutty texture. Really moist. The orange really made it unique and bright.

Almond panna cotta with rhubarb soup
Tasted like almond tofu, but creamier. The rhubarb added a fresh tartness. And the sweet buttery crumble on top was so crunchy.

Rhubarb sundae with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and oatmeal streusel
This was a sweet tooth pleaser for sure. It had all the components of a good dessert. Something creamy, sweet, tart, sticky, buttery and crunchy. Think apple pie a la mode, only better. The oatmeal streusel is like a nice pie crust, only “healthier”… ok, maybe not! But I’d like to think it was.

Overall all 7 of us enjoyed our meal. Would definitely go back for the Crispy Duck Necks (would be such a waste not to)! I take great pride in the fact that a few of my ChubbyBuddies are now duck neck lovers. Sharing a little bit of my childhood in a yummy way.

P.S. Chubby’s Rating:

www.trestleontenth.com
242 Tenth Ave.
212.645.5659