Prune
New York, NY 10003-9313
Phone: (212) 677-6221
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue
- Directions:
- F, V at 2nd Ave
- Best of Citysearch:
- Bloody Mary 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-3:30pm, 6pm-11pm, Fri 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-12am, Sat 10am-3:30pm, 6pm-12am, Sun 10am-3:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Prune – by Dan McAlvanah
The Scene
It's difficult not to fall for this tiny, soulful restaurant, set across the street from a small East Village park. The atmosphere is one of homey sophistication; decor includes a tile floor, wobbly wooden tables and a huge spray of pink flowers atop the bar. The largely female kitchen crew and service staff go about their work with pride.
The Food
Chef-owner Gabrielle Hamilton works out of an open kitchen the size of a bus shelter, turning out hearty, elegant and seasonal New American cuisine. Whole roasted branzino, a well-charred rib eye steak and roast suckling pig are typical dinner entrees. The popular weekend brunches are exceptional--standout offerings include a hearty rendition of eggs Benedict and the single, plate-sized pancake with pears and raspberries. An expertly made bloody mary completes the experience.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
User Reviews for Prune
04/02/2008 Posted by poodle123
I went recently went to dinner at Prune with my husband. A few of the dishes were exceptional and a few were below average. To start with the good, the entree of the whole grilled fish was amazing -- very flavorful and moist, the jewel yam side with a brown butter sauce and the dessert of ricotta ice cream with brioche "croutons" and a butterscotch sauce were also outstanding. Our waitress was great and gave good recommendations when asked. We also had a very good bottle of wine which was reasonably priced. On to the bad... the fried oysters were odd -- shaped like chicken fingers (long tubes) and in a heavy coating. We also disliked the sweetbread appetizer which was also deep fried. If I had closed my eyes I wouldn't have been able to tell what was an oyster vs. what was sweetbreads as they both just tasted heavy with the thick coating and not-so-fresh oil. The other strange thing about the place is that the lights are on fairly bright especially since they have candles on the tables -- too bright to make it good for a date. I would go back, but would try the marrow bone appetizer as it looked really good. If you pick the right items you can have a really good meal here, but if you pick the wrong ones you'll be disappointed for the cost.
Pros: great value wine, fish, dessert, yams
Cons: a few menu items and bright lighting
03/15/2008 Posted by link2dan
I had dinner at Prune with a Manhattan chef who visits regularly. The staff is genial, the ambiance pleasant and the crowd hip but not too. The thing is, it's a restaurant, and they serve food. I ordered "Head-On Shrimp". I was confused for a few minutes, wondering what sort of preparation would give a head-on flavor. Then I realized they were going to be prawns with the heads on. The waitperson asked if I'd like any vegetables, but I thought whatever came with the shrimp would be fine. In fact, nothing came with the shrimp. There were two jumbo shrimp, and not only were the heads on, so was the shell. Well, I thought, one shrimp sitting on top of another on a white plate. $14. Imagine peeling that shrimp skin right off and getting at the juicy, flavorful meat. Uh uh. The skin didn't want to come off. The shrimp were overcooked and dry. Zero flavor. No garnish, nothing. My companion ordered an omelet (?) and some sort of vegetable like fennel. Her omelet plate consisted of one perhaps 3 egg omelet, folded in half, and that's all. Flat. Nothing in it. The companion, remember, another chef, was stunned to see the other plate with an entire fennel plant that looked as though it had been boiled. The chef ate little of it. The dessert menu featured a delicious sounding chocolate cake, which I thought would be just the thing, but when it came it was the size of a brownie, tasted like a brownie, but a really bad brownie, again overcooked. The chef ordered some sort of milk thing that came in what appeared to be a shot glass. With no bottle of wine, but one glass and one well drink, the bill was over $80. The ingredients could not possibly have cost more than $15. That's an obscene markup. I would rather have had prunes for dinner.
Pros: It's a small place, so you can easily miss it.
Cons: The food is inedible.
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