When I saw that Le Cannibal was at The Gotham West Market, I was definitely intrigued. I heard few times the name of the restaurant, but never went. I was wondering how this name was found, what type of food they serve, and if I had to eat my dishes Walking Dead style. So, this is an offshoot of the main restaurant located on the East side, that defines itself as meat, beer...and cycling, the name coming from a famous Belgian cyclist, Eddie Merckx, who had a prestigious career in the 60's and 70's and was nicknamed "Le Cannibal", because of his insatiable appetite for victories.
I felt reassured that I could follow the good manners my parents taught me and that we would not eat out of a large pot, simmering on an open fire.
Similar to the different restaurants I have tried at the GWM, you can either sit at the counter or in the common area. We decided to sit at the bar, in front of the kitchen, to see how dishes were prepared. I admit that it was a good place for this, but not for the smoke coming out from their oven, sometimes profusely...
The menu is all about meat, with very few options for the vegetarians or for people who cannot find anything to order. I mention the later because it is not your regular meat there: no steaks or roasted chicken.
At best you can have some salumi, but otherwise, it is more on the creepy side or let's say unusual. They have few seafood options like the octopus terrine or the rock shrimp. Otherwise, it is pates, sausages, tartares, as well as more elaborated dishes. The most popular that we saw going out of the kitchen was the bone marrow.
It looked amazing to the point that I regretted not having ordered it. They first bake it in the oven (probably using the broiler), then put scrambled eggs and then mushrooms.
So, here is what we had:
First we ordered the pretzel (homemade):
It came with a sauce made with beer and cheddar.
The pretzel was delicious, served warm, perfect with the sauce that definitely had beer in it, from the hint of it that came through.
Then, I ordered the pig's head terrine or fromage de tête:
Yes, as its name indicates, it is made with the head of a pig, the flesh after removing the brain, eyes and ears to be precise. Eating this definitely matches the name of the place...
It you wonder what it taste like, I would say that it had a gelatinuous texture with a lighter taste than ham, a bit salty, especially with the capers that were added. It was served with a lemon butter that I did not like at all.
Then, I got the lamb and gruyere sausage:
It was served with an arugula pistou, an hibiscus-date puree, and a bulgur salad. I really liked it: the sausage was similar to a merguez sausage that I love and it had a sort of Mediterranean flair, although a bit elevated with the sweet hibiscus and date puree.
I guess you are wondering what Jodi ate there. Well, she first ordered the brussels sprouts:
They were served with some mint and ham gremolata (mix of herbs with a bit of ham). It was good, although I prefer brussels sprout a bit more cooked.
We also shared a cheese plate:
The cheeses were:
A cheddar from Indiana (Milton creamery):
A blue di buffala from Italy:
And a goat cheese from Vermont:
Fortunately, this cheese plate was on the menu so Jodi could eat! It was a nice selection that was served with bread and I admit that I used the pretzel bread also.
It was overall a nice discovery, but they definitely have a challenging menu if, as mentioned before, you prefer more common dishes. Anyway, if you really want to try with people, do not forget that it is a food court and that, while you satisfy your palate with such dishes, they can order some other delicious food in the other restaurants.
Enjoy (I did)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
| * Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| The Cannibal | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Flatiron / American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 113 East 29th St. (bet. Park & Lexington Ave.), New York, NY 10016 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 686-5480 |
