Esca Seafood Restaurant, NYC

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Esca, meaning "bait" in Italian - is home to one of the most talented chefs and fishermen in Manhattan. It's also where Crudo was put on the map.

There's a farmer in Pennsylvania (about a 2 hours drive from Manhattan) that arguably grows the best heirloom tomatoes and chiles around. Chefs in NYC’s hautest restaurants love him - especially Chefs Daniel Boulud and fisherman/super chef David Pasternack of seafood mecca, ESCA.

On a recent trip to the city, this writer and her husband had the tremendous good fortune of meeting not only said farmer (and talented writer), Tim Stark, but his lovely wife Jill and Chef Pasternack himself. If you’ve never heard of Esca (co-owned by Pasternack and famed restaurateur duo Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich), then you’ve likely never heard of the Crudo craze Pasternack helped launch a few years back.

Crudo in NYC

Crudo literally means "raw" in Italian- and unlike ceviche which is "cooked" in citrus juices accompanied by onion or other vegetables, crudo is served fresh, with a minimum of embellishment. Pasternack’s Nantucket Bay scallops are sweet and plump served with chervil, while his Wahoo rectangles are presented simply with crushed almonds on top. The dinner companions raved about the Blackfin Tuna with preserved lemon and the wild Orata with black Portuguese sea salt. Only the best fish that had been properly caught (i.e. no bruising and fish that has been properly bled/gutted) is fit for the crudo starters. Many have tried to copy Pasternack, few (some say none) have been able to match the man’s culinary genius.

The chef himself came out to the dining room and stopped by to chat with Tim and to meet this writer/food producer who asked to say hello. A genuinely hospitable man who loves the sea, he says, "I love the hunt- that’s why I fish. Fishing," adding (with a pregnant pause), "it’s in my blood. It’s what I love to do, you know?!" On his days off, Pasternack likes to head down to Montauk or to one of his choice spots to fish (no surprise there). What is surprising, is that apparently, he's been known to turn up at work with plastic bags full of his just-caught prized loot- soon to make their way to happy diner's plates.

Seafood Pasta for All

He heads back to the kitchen and the group orders up a round of mains including one of the lightest, most pillowy Gnocchi di Ricotta ever made with a stew of baccala, Calabrese olives and chilis. A revelation of flavours- the fish is understated and adds to the wondrous texture of the picture perfect gnocchi. The Fedelini with grandma’s crab sauce (where tiny crab shreds infuse the sauce) is rich, buttery and very satisfying. It was tough finishing a full plate (no sympathy from you dear reader, right?). Of course, whole fish (including roasted turbot for two, grilled Mediterranean pink snapper or local porgy) is also available for the taking along with a side or three of contorni (Italian style veggies). Some fresh, Croatian white from Korcula helped wash the richness of the mains away.

With digital camera in tow, a quick tour of the kitchen is had where Chef Pasternack leads his brigade with efficiency and dedication. You can tell he loves crafting novel dishes to delight the room’s capacity dining room (heck, our table was even willingly given up right after dessert because some theatre magnate wanted his "usual corner table"). But in his eye, you can tell that it’s the sea that really holds this chef's attention and infinite admiration.