Goblin Market

This week Debbie (née DGlass) was unbelievably sweet and treated me to a lovely dinner at the newish Goblin Market. This "American Creative" bistro has received lots of attention since it opened in late September—partially, I think, because of its prime Soho location, on the western end of Prince Street—and I've heard that it gets packed on the weekends, but on Wednesday Debbie had no problem securing a same-day reservation for 7:00. Which was excellent news for us, because the mid-priced food here is really very good.

For a starter we split Pork and Cabbage Ravioli, three generously stuffed, rich and tasty, big pasta pillows in a brothy sauce and drizzled with white truffle oil. Debbie thought these were a bit undercooked, but I liked their chewyness, and we both agreed all the flavors worked well together. My gorgeous date then had Miso Marinated Hanger Steak with salad greens which, though unexpectedly served chilled, was tender, seasoned with restraint, an all-around success. I ordered the Curried Sea Scallops with cauliflower puree and lobster sauce, which was the best dish of the night. The four fat full-flavored scallops were perfectly cooked, standing up nicely to the curry (again, the kitchen showed welcome restraint with this often overwhelming seasoning), and the cauliflower and lobster sauce added just the right hit of sweetness.


The only disappointment of the night was the dessert—and it was a big one, considering the simplicity of the dish: the warm cookie plate. Our server warned us that since they were baked to order it would take about ten minutes, which was fine with us, so why did these arrive ridiculously raw, not to mention almost completely flavorless? I mean, c'mon... a snickerdoodle with no cinnamon!? Anyway, dessert disaster aside, the room itself is warm and homey, the staff friendly, and the whole restaurant feels familiar and comfortable, like it's been around for years. Definitely a nice night, in a nice place.