Friday. 01.23.08. 8 PM-ish. Wood Spoon.
Tucked away in the Fashion District, in a small store front, is one of my new favorite places to eat. Wood Spoon. It’s a simple, straightforward take on Brazilian food. Hearty, warm and delicious. There were only two people in the restaurant. Chef and owner. Service is friendly and efficient. Everything is very home-y.
Meal
Surly and I split the Mix Plate as a starter. The mix plate included various and sundry fried tidbits. Coxinha, a fried dumpling stuffed with chicken. Kibe, bulgur wheat, mint and ground beef. Pastel Portuguese, dumpling stuffed with chicken and coconut milk. Portuguese croquette, stuffed with cod and potato. Fried potato croquette. The standout being the savory Pastel Portuguese, of which I wish I had two.
I had the grilled chicken sandwich. Grilled breast. Mozzarella. Pancetta. Corn. Potato bun. Yam fries. It was messy to eat, but seasoned well and had a great balance between the savory of the pancetta and the sweet of the corn. The yam fries are cut a little thick for my liking, causing them to be a bit soft.
Surly had the pork burger, the chicken pot pie being sold out. Ground pork. Roasted cabbage. Onion. Toasted potato bun. Salad. The portion of ground pork is enormous. So much so that Surly is too intimidated to finish. And her stomach is too small. Luckily, I got a few bites. The pork is wonderfully done, moist, and flavorful. Surly comments that the salad is salty. Are people salting salads?
For dessert, I had the hand made chocolate truffles. Delicious and chewy, you can see the gentle pinch marks from their creation. Surly had the coconut macaroons. I’m not a huge fan of coconut, but they were tasty, albeit a bit on the chewy side. We also finished with a cup of Brazilian coffee.
Overall Rating: Ausgezeichnet! Simple, well prepared, simple food served in a comfy setting. I’ve read about issues with the service online, but have made two trips and haven’t had that experience. It’s definitely worth your time.
January 27, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I do want to comment that in past visits I’ve had the chicken pot pie and it is truly a thing of beauty. It’s not the traditional Marie Calendar goop-fest that most restaurants call a pot pie. It’s an amazing bounty of chicken, hearts of palm, olives and seasoning that co-mingle under a flaky crust. While I was heart broken that they had sold out, I was not surprised.
That praise being dished, I have to say that the pork sandwich is no substitution for the pot pie. I’m not a big pork person anyway, but it was much hyped by the owner, so I gave it a go. Too much meat!
January 30, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I love the coxinhas at Bossa Nova (which I haven’t had in 4 years or so, so my opinion on them might be different today). I’m gonna have to give this place a go.