Hundred Acres (You Are a Delight!)

November 30th, 2009

Hundred Acres (from NYMag)

It is a real shame that a restaurant like Hundred Acres had an open table for 2 on a Friday night at 9:30. A shame for the restaurant, not for my friend and I who adored our meal in the warm space that beckoned us in from the rain.  The people who brought you Cookshop and Five Points opened Hundred Acres with its huge, glowing dining room adorned with fresh flowers, marble tops and deep brown pillars. Farm-to-table cuisine may not be novel but it’s a nice reprieve from the more glaring trends, when done well.

Looking at the prices at Hundred Acres, your mouth kind of drops. $18 for a spit-roasted Hudson Valley 1/2 chicken with spinach and ramps? $17 for blue fish with spinach and chickpea salad? Are these people out of their minds? Prices like that in Soho for good food is rare. I assumed we’d be disappointed with our dishes or the portions would be small. Not so.

A heaping bowl of crisp chicory salad topped with New York feta, pomegranate and radishes, topped with a tangy vinaigrette had bright flavors. Then a creamy gratin of cauliflower and brussel sprouts with bread crumbs brought the meal some nice wholesomeness. A huge steak of peppery Block Island swordfish with hummus, garlic braised escarole and fig anchoide was bursting with savory-sweet flavors. Beside all of these spot-on dishes we munched on fresh bread with honeyed butter.

The prices make more sense when you consider the service. On that night, 3 people asked if we wanted ‘bottled water or tap’, nobody knew who was taking our order, and our cleaned plates sat until I asked for them to be cleared. It was the curse of too many people helping us, meaning nobody was helping at all. If well-orchestrated service is what you seek, look elsewhere. But if you feel relaxed and seek well-executed food at soft prices in a charming space, Hundred Acres is right on the money.

Location: 38 Macdougal Street
Food: Very Good
Drinks: Nice variety of local beer and wine i.e. Channing Daughters Sauvignon Blanc (Long Island) by the glass
Service: Good
Average App/Entree Price: $9/$19
Value: Excellent.
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Hundred Acres on Urbanspoon

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Filed under Cuisine, Neighborhood, New American, Soho | Comments (2)

2 Responses to “Hundred Acres (You Are a Delight!)”

  1. j.arb on December 7, 2009 10:08 am

    I’ve walked past 100 times and decided to go to there for brunch after reading this. You’re right! Yum!

  2. Erika on December 7, 2009 10:17 am

    Cool! I’ve heard it’s great for Brunch. Glad you enjoyed

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