We love Gabrielle Hamilton’s dueling Valentine’s Menus—one for lovers and one for cynics. But this year, we’re all united at Prune, with just one menu (after the jump).
For the cynics, last year, the chef put forth some Pasta Puttanesca (whore sauce), some cold pork shoulder with tonnato sauce, bitter greens with a broken vinaigrette sauce, and for dessert: “coffee and cigarettes.” The menu for Cathy-types was also half the price of the lover version, which was, as it is this year, $69. Bah-ha ha. (The cynics menu was also a much shorter price-fix affair).
But don’t think Hamilton has gone all soft and kinky on us. Just because you’re in a couple doesn’t mean you’re not cynical, as you probably know. The muses for this menu might be more Amy Winehouse and Whatshisname than some cutesy couple you want to beat to death with a bouquet of roses. We’ve got calves brains, beef cheeks, tongue-and-octopus salad, veal heart, deviled crab, and more.
Prune is booked for dinner on Thursday, but General Manager Julie Sproesser told us they reserve one table for walk-ins and there will be a wait-list at the door. Also, on nights like this, couples tend not to want to sit at the bar, so you might be able to snag a spot there.
VALENTINE’S DAY MENU 2008
Choice of:
*Deviled Crab
*Celery Hearts Victor
*1/2 Shell Scallops with roe sac and ruby grapefruit
*Scrambled Egg Pasta Daisies
Choice of:
*Garbure with poached duck liver
*Calf’s Brains, Brown Butter
*Braised Beef Cheeks
*Pork Belly with Brown Sugar, Pickled Tomatoes, Aioli and Parsley Salad
Choice of:
*Tongue and Octopus Salad
*Cockles and fresh pork sausages
*Grilled Veal Heart, Salsa Verde
Choice of:
*Eclair Swans
*Honeycomb
*Dark Cocoa Cake with Truffle Center and Wafer Crumbs
*Rose Petal Panna Cotta
*Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Hot Buttered Rum
*Raw Goat’s Milk Cheese, Pinenut Butter, Dried Cherry Bread Toasts
$69 per person
Prune
54 East 1st Street
(212) 677-6221