Charles - From Those Who Brought You the Waverly Inn

A friend of ours somehow managed to snag us reservations for four during the opening weekend of Charles. This restaurant is the creation of John DeLucie and John McAllister of Wavery Inn fame. And I foresee this place being successfully uber-trendy as well, with some comforting food to boot.

The restaurant is very small – it only seats about 60, and it currently still has newspapered windows, so when you arrive, you wonder if you have arrived at the right place. The ambiance inside is dark, cozy and intimate, and we appreciated the attentiveness and cordiality of the wait staff who were eager to please.

For our first course, we began with the Yukon Gold & Celeriac Soup with Roasted Hazelnuts & Cinnamon Oil. This was incredibly interesting with a very distinct flavor. I think the hazelnuts and cinnamon added a complex ethnic flavor to a soup that would otherwise be considered traditional comfort food. The soup was creamy, but not overwhelmingly so, and I found it to be delicious.

For the main dishes, I ordered the Braised Short Rib of Beef with Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins & Pine Nuts, while Ron ordered the Seared Duck Breast with Roasted Grapes & Escarole. My short ribs were exactly what I would have expected. Juicy and tender in a light beef gravy, sitting atop a bed of sautéed escarole. The raisins and pine nuts added nice, subtle hints of sweetness and nuttiness to the dish that complimented the beef very nicely. And the portion was very reasonable as well. When finished, you are full without being stuffed.

Ron’s seared duck was also fabulous. The dish was sweeter than I would have expected, but it worked very well, and the duck was cooked to perfection with a slightly crispy crust and very moist meat inside. As a side dish, we ordered the White Polenta with Aged Goat Cheese – and it did not disappoint. I loved this dish. The polenta was creamy and cheesy, but only subtly so. There was nothing overwhelming about it – I thought it was perfect.

Our dining companions ordered the Potato Gnocci with Squash, Spinach & Percorino Romano, and the Charles Burger with Gruyere, Roasted Cipolini Onions & Hand Cut Pomme Frites. They both seemed very pleased with their meals as well. The French fries in homemade “ketchup” were very nice. The ketchup tasted like a smoky marinara sauce, which made for a unique dipping experience.

If you can get reservations, I’d highly recommend checking this place out.

Charles – 234 West 4th Street, 10014

Cure for the Wintertime Blues

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

As the temperature begins to drop, this recipe is a great one, and one of my all time favorites. My fiancé also happens to love it, and I make it every time we have a craving for the perfect wintertime comfort food. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

One kosher chicken, cut up
6 carrots
6 celery stalks
2 parsnips
1 turnip
dill, bunch
parsley, bunch
1 large onion
salt
pepper
(celery salt, optional)

In a large stock pot, place the chicken pieces (skin removed), and cover with water so that the chicken is completely covered, and there is an additional 1-2 inches of water above the chicken. Bring to a boil and allow the chicken to cook for about an hour on a medium-low heat. Skim off the fat while the chicken is cooking.

Meanwhile, cut into chunks 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, parsnips, turnip and onion, and wash and prepare bunches of dill and parsley.

After an hour, remove the chicken from the water and reserve, and add the rest of the ingredients, including salt, pepper and celery salt to the pot to cook on medium-low heat. Once the chicken pieces have cooled somewhat, remove the meat from the chicken and cut it into small pieces to reserve for the soup later. You can throw the bones back into the stock pot to cook with the vegetables to maximize the flavor of the broth. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

In the meantime, chop the remaining carrots and celery into small pieces and reserve.

Once the vegetables have all softened completely, strain and reserve the broth, and discard all the cooking vegetables and chicken bones. Put the broth back in the pot, and add the fresh chopped carrots and celery and pieces of reserved chicken. Cook on medium-low heat, covered, for about a half hour.

In the meantime, in a separate pot, cook your favorite soup noodles (egg noodles preferred) according to the package so they are al dente. Then, strain and run the noodles under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process. Reserve the noodles.

Once the carrots and celery in the soup are tender, and the broth seasoned with salt and pepper to your liking, the soup is ready to eat. Serve the soup with the noodles. I like to keep the soup and noodles separate until you are ready to serve so the noodles do not get soggy. Enjoy!

Serves about 8