 Aldea Restaurant Review: In a small, yet sleek space in the Flatiron District, chef George Mendes returns to his Portuguese roots and serves up a fresh and modern menu. Aldea, which translates to “village” in Portuguese, offers a variety of fish, shellfish and pork dishes and commands an eclectic wine list with average-priced bottles from Argentina to California to France. The 68-seat restaurant captures the essence of water, air and earth within a sequence of unique interior spaces, and an exposition kitchen located in the back of the restaurant allows diners to catch a glimpse of their Iberian-accented spread being prepared. Artfully crafted seasonal dishes such as the house-cured salt cod with melon-Serrano jus; sea urchin toast with cauliflower cream, sea lettuce and lime; foie gras terrine with spiced fig tuile and cocoa; shrimp alhinho with garlic, coriander and pimenton; diver scallops with farro risotto, cucumber and orange; and Bev Eggleston’s roast pork belly with littleneck clams, vegetable pickles and baby fingerling potatoes keeps this establishment on the radar of those with adventurous palates. Sweets venture into molecular territory, but stay minimal and refined, like the chocolate in textures with candied black olive and the rice pudding tarte with chamomile sorbet and crisped rice puffs.
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Aldea Restaurant is one of GAYOT's 2013
| Top 10 NY Small Plates Restaurants
| Top 10 NY Chef's Table Restaurants
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Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area.
