commerce

merriam webster defines com•merce as 1 : social intercourse : interchange of ideas, opinions, or sentiments; 2 : the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place.

and commerce restaurant, a newish spot in the west village definitely fulfills its first definition. there's a lot of chatter, and i absolutely loved walking in to the frenetic energy that filled the room; however, they're somewhat lackluster on the 2nd definition... they don't seem to get that buying/selling involves being SEATED.

our reservation was 815pm, but we weren't seated until 910pm. they bought us a round of drinks, but only because we nagged. we ordered quickly, and other than bread (which wasn't memorable at all, except the pretzel), our first dish came out at 940pm.

fortunately, i had the pleasure of seeing my favorite friend/bartender at bobo before dinner, who let me test drive some of bobo's soon-to-be-released spring cocktail menu items, so my patience level for commerce's misgivings was quite high. however, i can't say the same for my dining companions, who grumbled and grumbled some more all through the meal (our hostess didn't exactly make you feel warm and fuzzy - her looks and coldness actually reminded me of "Cutthroat Bitch" aka Amber from House).

despite the cocktails, i might've been affected had the food not been so EXCELLENT. the hamachi ceviche was spicy and tart - quite delicious; the duck and foie gras rillettes were good, although not as creamy as i usually like; and the winter vegetable fricassee (which our server highly recommended) was tasty, although i wouldn't get it again.

i loved both pasta dishes, the ragu of other things (some name like that) with homemade orecchiette and the spaghetti carbonara. i think lupa's carbonara is better, but fatty pasta is yummy (note: i don't generally eat pasta, so i'm easy to please in this category).

we ordered the roast chicken for 2, and we were warned that it took 35 minutes. instead, they brought out a strange 1/2 order of the chicken - the meat was very moist and tasty and the skin crispy, and it was served with a homemade spaetzle-like pasta... but it was no foie gras bread dressing! she put the order for the roast chicken in after she realized her mistake, but it was too late... it just prolonged our already LOOOONG meal.

i was thoroughly impressed with the braised beef, bone marrow and sliced fillet - beef dishes are usually boring when you're not at a steakhouse, but this one was jam-packed full with flavors. by the time the roast chicken was ready, we were already stuffed, so we requested that it be split in half so we could take it home. i still haven't tried it (i can't eat so indulgently every night!), but it's in the frig, waiting to be eaten.

on a final note, let's talk cocktails and wine... although the cocktail list isn't impressive, the one drink i did order, the nor'easter, was so tasty, that i couldn't help to order another. we also had a couple bottles of wine, a priorat and a st. emilion (both in the $80-100 range), and the latter was DELICIOUS. perfect with our meal, perfect on its own. and all in all, dinner was quite a bargain (but not nearly a recession special) at about $120pp.

commerce
50 commerce street
new york, ny 10014
212/524-2301