1250 Broadway, 27th Floor New York, NY 10001

OLMSTED'S NASHVILLE HOT SOFT-SHELL CRAB

For a chef that’s worked at prestigious joints, (like Alinea, Atera, Blue Hill, Per Se and Stone Barns), and with all the accolades that are heaped on this place, you’d think the food at “Olmsted” would be spectacular.

Well, not quite.

While it was far from a stellar experience, there were several dishes we found enjoyable, and his “Nashville Hot Soft-Shell Crab — radish coleslaw, bread and butter pickles” ($23) — was one of the standouts.

You would think this recipe — which typically calls for eggs, milk, hot sauce, flour, oil (for frying), lard (or butter), cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, white bread, pickles — would make for a heavy, spicy dish, but it was deliciously subdued, surprisingly “light,” and quite tasty.

I, personally, don’t enjoy eating things that are “staring back” at me. And I wasn’t sure what to make of those “pickle eyes” ... but because we liked the taste, this item scored a relatively respectable “B.”

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