Day 512 : The Cellar at Beecher's

Last night I had the pleasure of sitting down to a glass of wine and some nibbles in the cellar wine bar of Beecher's new NYC outpost. The first totally bizarre thing I noticed was someone standing at the entrance looking at people's IDs, apparently it is strictly 21 and over. I understand not wanting to have underage drinking or lots of children running around at night but I felt that having someone standing there gives what is actually a romantic yet casual, chill, rustic lovely joint a buttoned up snooty feel -- definitely a disconnect.

The menu itself was a nice mixture of small plates, cheeses, cured meats, their mac n' cheese of course, and nibbles.

We ordered their mac n' cheese which is fantastic and quite a large portion for the $13 price tag. Savory, nutty, and creamy, this was the perfect comfort food dish for a winter-y evening, maybe less so on a balmy summer evening but still delish! It walks the perfect line between restaurant cuisine and the relaxed feel of home cooking. I would definitely go back for their mac n' cheese and potentially try a few of their other mac n' cheese dishes -- there's one with crab, one with balsamic mushrooms and fennel and a few other options.

We also had their scallops and prawns dish which was served with a homemade corn and tomato succotash. Cooked well but nothing too stand-out-ish, this also has that rustic homecooked feel but done well. Granted I think best to stick to cheeses and small plates with cheese or their mac n'cheese, it is what they know best.

Lastly we had the Beecher's cheese selection which was their Flagship, Flagsheep, and an aged Flagship. The Flagship was paired with pickled haricots verts, the flagsheep with a mustard, raisin, wine chutney, and the aged flagship with a lovely honey. Interestingly enough the cheeses were not served with bread or crackers, one had to inquire to have those available. When ordering cheese at a restaurant/wine bar/cheese bar, you should definitely have crackers or bread on hand.

The Flagship is Beecher's first homemade cheese -- a semi-firm cow's milk cheese with a round buttery nutty flavor. As it ages it becomes crumbly, butterscotchy, and caramelly. The flagsheep is a richer, more dynamic, cheese, still nutty, but with a nice grassy bent to it.

Overall it was lovely evening, a nice new addition to the neighborhood. Worth the visit for some cheese, wine, and maybe even the indulgence of an order of mac n' cheese.

The Cellar at Beecher's
900 Broadway