Tom always said he didn’t like it when he went to a restaurant only to find out they were about to change the menu. I felt that way yesterday, but it was because they are about to change the decor.
I was mystified as I sat in Trattoria Barnett. It surprised me that I thought the room so beautiful. It is straight out of the 1930s, which is a design period totally lost on me. But it was muted and elegant, with sumptuous booths upholstered in green leather and corduroy, globe lighting everywhere. When our waitress told us that it would be undergoing a massive renovation to conform to Hyatt-Centric colors, it made me sad. The Ace Hotel has recently departed the city, leaving this old building to return to what it was - an old Barnett Furniture store, hence the name Hotel Barnett. We were sitting in Trattoria Barnett, the old Josephine Estelle.
I’ve always enjoyed the food at Josephine Estelle, but never really felt comfortable at the Ace Hotel. Maybe the independence of Trattoria Barnett would be more appealing. Besides , I was curious how this millennial hub would evolve without the Ace Hotel.
It’s a little early to tell, but the menu at Trattoria Barnett seems little changed since the days of Josephine Estelle.
There was no one in the place but us, and no one came to the table for a while. I finally went to the bartender to ask him to put some food in for us. He kindly obliged. We were there for brunch, which is always a challenge. I had hoped they would be serving lunch too, but no. I ordered crispy polenta, but not till he explained it. I imagined grits fries but he said it was cubed. I also got the meatballs. For entrees we got Tom Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and baked eggs for me. He explained that as a sort of Shakshouka.
I asked about a biscuit as a pre-app before I went to the snack bar to see if they had any of the scones I used to love. Josephine Estelle had a scone special every day, plus a basic one, and both were delish. The scone du jour Sunday was coconut almond. It was lightly glazed. With the same perfect scone texture I remembered. I love the pastry chef here.
When I returned to the table the biscuit I ordered before I left was waiting for me us. This was a cut biscuit not exactly like I like it. My biscuit proclivities tend to toasty and dry. This was a cut biscuit but fluffier than my taste, so probably more to everyone’s taste. It came with butter and jam. Very good.
Minutes later I saw our waitress leave the kitchen. As the only customers I knew those plates belonged to us.
The crispy polenta was one of the weirdest dishes ever placed before me. Based on the description, I imagined something like tater tots. Here were six cubes placed on a plates with something underneath each and a lot of “stuff” scattered about the plate. The cubes resembled large brown sugar cubes. The dish description said this stuff was corn, ham, honey, and pecorino. This is what happens when one is stuck with brunch. Tom liked this but one bite was enough for me. Too weird.
The trio of meatballs was a meal in itself. These were little too firm for my taste but they were very good, in a superb red sauce. The sauce was smooth with the perfect spice level.
Tom’s pancakes were beautiful to behold. Exactly the right height, right fluff, these had that interesting pattern on top rather than a uniform tan color. They came with three tiny metal pictures containing syrup, blueberries, and whipped cream.
Picture perfect.
Cutting into them revealed more of this lovely texture. They had that subtle lemon taste and richness from the ricotta. Tom literally swooned over these.
My baked eggs with Calabrese Sugo was also a fine dish. Another selection by default, I was curious. The kale promised on the menu had been switched to arugula, a swap that pleased me. The red sauce had bits of pork as is typical of Calabrese sugo sauce , but the couscous mixed in was a surprise. It was fiery. The eggs laid on top made for a pretty dish. Interesting.
We left Trattoria Barnett the same way we left Josephine Estelle. The food is polished, very good, and executed
well. It’s just not to our taste somehow.
