County NYC

County opened quietly a few weeks ago on the hopping restaurant block of 20th street between Park and Broadway.  From the outside it looks like a cozy little wine bar...inside it has the same warm feel with low lighting and wooden walls reminiscent of a country barn. The small plate menu is meant to be seasonal and market driven.

We decided to share a variety of plates, beginning with the Braised Pork Belly Brulee with sauteed butternut squash, crispy pancetta and toasted pepitas.

I was a little confused when the dish arrived.  It wasn't at all like the Pork Belly Brulee I had imagined, more like a gigantic Chinese Spare Rib both in taste and texture.  The same was the case with the Country Rack by Land.

I was picturing big pieces of bone in fried chicken instead of battered chicken strips...both of the dishes were actually quite delicious the descriptions just didn't seem to fit the plate.  The same could be said for the Black and White Wagyu Sliders with avocada salasa, texas onion jam and full sours.  

I absolutely loved the pickles but I wasn't really sure why the burgers were called "Black and White".  They were cooked well enough and came with some excellent curly fries but nothing about the dish fit the fancy description.

Overall I think the food at County was good, it just needs to work on its identity a bit.  If I'm getting "county fair" kind of food I would like a county fair kind of menu to go along with it.  I am rooting for this little restaurant, it's nice to have a more affordable and casual place among the other guys on the block like Veritas and Barbounia.

County