Crave takes a blissfully fearless approach to ceviche, with delightful results
Shoehorned into a sliver of a space, Crave Ceviche Bar, with its whitewashed paneling, exposed brick walls and wooden floor, would seem more at home on Cape Cod or in Amagansett than among Midtown East’s Irish pubs and bank atriums. But if the restaurant’s location is unexpected, then its menu is a welcome surprise.
In Mitgang’s able and adventurous hands, ceviche, too often passed off as shrimp in lime juice served in a martini glass, becomes a world traveler, making pit stops in Asia and the Mediterranean, in addition to Latin and South America. Mitgang takes a blisfully fearless approach to his marinades, denaturing the proteins in seafood and meat alike in everything from clementine juice to balsamic vinegar to Worcestershire sauce. Clearly, this is a chef who never met an acid he didn’t like.
The results of Mitgang’s experimentation are overwhelmingly delightful. “Ceviche’d” salads, sashimi, lobster rolls and even filet mignon are characterized by bright, complex flavors that, rather than coming across as showy, are inspired and innovative. They’re ably complemented by the bar’s excellent wine selection, which is particularly strong on bottles from Spain, Chile and Argentina.
An appetizer of spicy yellow fin tuna got the meal off to a more-than-promising start: Tuna, ceviche’d in lime butter, was served atop plancha-seared yucca in the form of little sushi roll–like mounds. The fish was shot through with strands of toasted nori, which contrasted beautifully with its silky texture.
“Traditional” shrimp ceviche was another hit: Combined with charred corn and hearts of palm and topped with ancho chili-spiked popcorn, it was spicy yet harmoniously flavored proof that an old dog can indeed do new and thrilling tricks.
Mitgang’s penchant for pairing unlikely bedfellows is on display throughout the menu: Caper-crusted wild king salmon, ceviche’d in aged sherry vinegar and served sashimi-style, is partnered happily with oyster mushrooms and chorizo, with the capers providing a subtle link between the richness of the salmon and assertiveness of the chorizo. Calamari salad is reimagined with shanghai shoots and kimchi that lend crunchy contrast to the tender squid, which is marinated in clementine juice and calamansi, a citrus fruit hailing from the Philippines.
But unlikely bedfellows don’t always make happy bedfellows, as demonstrated by the Florida red snapper pupusa. The pupusa itself was tough and unyielding, and was buried under a pile of too-limey slaw that also buried the more subtle flavor of the red snapper. The fish actually did pair fairly well with a side of candied ginger sticky rice (itself one of the menu’s great highlights), but the dish, taken on its own (leathery pupusa included), sounded the meal’s one false note.
Crave already shows signs of becoming a popular neighborhood hangout: On a recent weekday evening, it was filled to capacity by 6:30 p.m. with a mix of aspiring yuppies wearing upwardly mobile button-downs, young couples huddled intently over shared plates and elegant women of a certain age sipping wine from outsize, delicate glasses.
The space is small but just shy of cramped, although getting to the bathroom at the rear of the restaurant was akin to navigating the 6 train during rush hour. Sitting at the bar was a surprisingly roomy affair, and made even more pleasant by the friendly, knowledgeable bartenders.
All told, Crave may be a small fish in a big pond, but it’s easy to fall for, hook, line and sinker.
The net results: what people are saying online
[Restaurant Girl]: "How many ways can you ceviche a fish? Todd Mitgang has conceived quite a few. Crave heralds both a new breed of chef and an exciting genre in what remains relatively uncharted territory."
[New York Magazine]: “[Mitgang] takes a playful approach to 'cooking' raw proteins with everything from tomato water to Champagne.”
[Yelp]: "My time here last night was superb. Food was excellent, wine was perfectly paired, and the atmosphere was lively."
[Erika Strum]: “Chef Todd Mitgang takes ceviche to another level...a welcome newcomer to the 'culinarily challenged”' Turtle Bay/Upper East Side.”
Crave Ceviche Bar
946 Second Ave. at 50th St.
212-355-6565
Sun.-Wed. 5:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
Thu.-Sat. 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.
Sun. 5 p.m-10 p.m
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