Sensa - New York
I’ve always been curious about those restaurants in Chelsea that I think of as “boites.” They’re usually designed with clean lines, glowing lights, and colors that pop out cleverly. When you glance into them, you can see all the way back into their rectangular spaces. The patrons seem to be either coming or going to a club… in NYC or Europe.
So, I was happy to try out Sensa (at 6th Ave and 21st St) one afternoon when we were shopping nearby. With a menu that could be described as global, I was a little concerned by the lack of focus, but aside from one bad dessert, the food was very good and thoughtfully prepared. I usually don’t look out for big servings, but they were here and that was refreshing given the modest prices. And be sure to check out the cocktail list.
Warm Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart with Sweet Onions, Puff Pastry, and Saffron Sauce. Cleverly constructed, and acidic, sweet, creamy, crunchy, juicy, and yummy.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/ Sage Roasted Potatoes, Goat Cheese, Creamed Corn, and Peach Chutney. The pork was so good that it didn’t need the very sweet chutney.
Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic.
Pulled Pork Pibil - Roasted Chilis & Oranges, Tomatillo Mayo, and Fries. Is it me, or is pulled pork everywhere nowadays? This was a very good version; I especially liked the hint of spicy orange.
Grape Caipiroska - Imperial Vodka, Grapes, Sugar Syrup. A caipiroska is usually made with limes, and if you used cachaca instead of vodka, it would be a caipirhina. Here’s a link about the whole caipi family.
This drink was fantastic, and made be think of a thought that I think a lot: “If grapes come ready to go and are so delicious, why aren’t they used more in drinks and desserts?” I’ve vowed to work on this. That reminds me — I’m back in Napa now and have the most amazing black grapes from the Sonoma Farmer’s Market. One grape contains a whole bouquet of grapeness, from sweet and perky to floral and dusky.
Nutella Panini w/ Coffee Crunch Ice Cream. Satisfying.
One Large Profiterole - Chocolate and Banana Brulee Ice Cream, Black Cherry Sorbet, Chocolate Sauce. This description is what the menu said, but as you can see, there are three profiteroles and only one of the three promised ice creams present. I think that the choux pastry had been baked, cut, and frozen — it was matted on the inside cuts and was gummy. The ice cream was average.
