22 Apr 2010, Posted by admin in L'Epicurien, 0 Comments

supper club #5: freemans, a bite back in time

Of all the fantastic restaurants in the city, I decided on Freemans as my Supper Club restaurant choice. Why, might you ask? Is the food to die for? No. Is the service impeccable? No. In fact, most of the time you have to wait almost two hours for a table due to their no reservations policy, only to cram in between tables of other diners. Then why in the world would I choose Freemans? Two words–time travel. The moment you step in Freemans’ front door, you leave behind a world filled with iPods, Facebook and Starbucks and are taken back to a time when Abe Lincoln ruled, people traveled by horse and carriage and a man’s favorite pastime was hunting buffalo.

This voyage begins the moment you head down the spooky Freeman Alley off of Rivington Street to get to the restaurant. Yes my friends, the entrance is at the end of a dark alley that is awesomely decorated with colorful graffiti and rusted metal backdoors. I like to think of the alley as my time capsule and at the end of the tunnel, I can see the light, literally. Freemans’ entrance is composed of a rustic viridian-green door, a wooden bench fit for an intimate chat and smoke, aged vines and a precious little wagon overflowing with pumpkins, all of which is delicately framed by buttery-hued string lights. It juxtaposes nicely to the grungy alley giving the entrance a certain amount of charm. Upon entering the cabin-like restaurant, your senses will go into overdrive. Paint is peeling off the walls and old portraits of who the hell knows line the walls. The smell of wood from the old tables and floors mixes with the aroma of cooked game. The rhythmic cracking of the wooden floors and the shake-shake of the cocktail shakers serves as the unofficial soundtrack of the restaurant. Ultimately the best thing about Freemans’ décor is the overwhelming array of taxidermy animal heads, horns, and glass-enclosed birds. As much as I am a tree-huggin Californian, I have to admit that even I become mesmerized. You might as well hand me a bourbon and rifle and call me Smith. And this is why I love Freemans.

The moment my fellow supper clubbers and I arrived for our dinner we were pleasantly greeted by the host and within a few minutes were led to our table. One of the perks of having a big party is that the restaurant allows for reservations (you have to be six people or more). I had booked a private room called the Green Room, which to my surprise, was not so private. It was merely divided off with a partial wall and no door. The Wine Room is the fully private room, but since it lacks the same ambience as the rest of the restaurant, I was happier in the Green Room. As our butts hit the seat, we were served Parmesan crusted crackers, warm sourdough with creamy salted butter and plump grapes. This paired perfectly alongside my crisp and refreshingly icy Ketel up with olives. I love the magnificent list of reinvented classic cocktails, including the famous WWI cocktail, the French 75. One of my dinner companions ordered it, and it had the perfect hint of lemon and sweetness without overpowering the gin. Our appetizers were the famous hot artichoke dip and toasted bread, devils on horseback and grilled cheddar toast, a substitute for my non-pork-eating friends. I must say that the cheddar toast was by far my favorite. The oozing warm cheddar cheese was tangy and sharp and the bread must have been smeared with a hint of sweet butter because I had an explosion of salty and sweet the moment I crunched into the toasty, warm sourdough slice. While on previous visits I had loved the artichoke dip, this time I found it boring and a waste of calories. The devils on horseback consisted of sweet dates with stilton cheese and sadly undercooked chewy bacon. For my entrée, I had the cornmeal crusted fluke with cauliflower, fried capers and lemon supremes. It was a huge disappointment. The fish was mushy and lacked any flavor, even with the cornmeal crust and lemon and capers on top. The saving grace of the dish was the accompanying roasted cauliflower. On a more positive note, many of friends ordered the filet mignon with roasted onions, mashed potatoes and horseradish cream, and loved it. The meat was seared to perfection and judging by their empty plates, the supper clubbers enjoyed every bite. My favorite part of the meal were our sides–seared Brussels sprouts, sautéed with sliced almonds and creamy mashed potatoes dressed with oh-so-amazing truffle oil. To top off our confusing hit-or-miss dinner, we had forgettable deserts including sweet potato pie, bananas foster and a hot chocolate brownie. Let’s just say they were so forgettable that I couldn’t remember what they tasted like by the time we paid our bill.

Let’s face it–atmosphere is a major influence on how much we enjoy cuisine. So like I said, if you are looking for a place to host a dinner party or just want a stiff after work cocktail, go to Freemans. If you take it for what it is, you will not be disappointed and in fact you too will find a special place in your heart for this dynamic little gem. So come after work, grab a seat at the bar, order the delicious cheese board and some appetizers, sip your cocktail and enjoy the trip. Say hi to Clyde Barrow for me!

–Sara Pashmforoosh