Abe Fisher Awards

Abe Fisher Restaurant Review:

Nobody’s grandmother saw this one coming, but Abe Fisher makes borscht and mackerel seem like the next big thing. This contemporary eatery from Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook lovingly pays homage to delicatessens past with its checkerboard floors and chrome accents. Pickle juice cocktails and a smart take on celery soda set the dry-witted tone for all that’s to follow. (A small, interesting wine list mostly focuses on European makers.) The menu, split into three numbered columns, consists of small, shareable plates bursting with flavor and color. There’s an amuse-bouche of savory rugelach redolent with schmaltz; chopped liver served with pastrami-onion jam; and a corned pork belly Reuben with pickled green tomatoes to cut the unctuous meatiness. That’s not even getting into the spring onion kugel with crispy shallots or veal schnitzel tacos that completely upend the notion of Jewish food as bland. The meal wraps up with the decidedly non-kosher bacon and egg cream with chocolate foam or sour cream panna cotta with raspberries.