pisco sour, wild boar pate, oh my!

after weeks of talking about it, i finally got the chance to check out freemans with q2.

pretty difficult to find-nestled in freemans alleyway off of rivington in the LES. great effect though. walking down that alley made me feel like i was escaping from the city into a low-key (but fancy) country lodge. stepping inside the restaurant, i noticed animal heads with antlers decorating the walls and sitting at the bar up front was q2 nursing a glass of red wine.

i ordered the pisco sour (salud e!) and watched as the cute waitress in a dapper hat expertly prepared the frothy drink using pisco (national liquor of peru), lemon, egg white, and sugar. luckily, q2 and i had a lot to catch up on so the long long wait for our table (no reservations for parties under 6) passed by relatively quickly.

we were finally seated in a dimly lit alcove. three or four tables fit snugly in the space. the restaurant's set up was very intimate, booths in the back and another bar area near the restrooms.

q2 and i ordered everything to share starting with the wild boar appetizer served with crusty slices of a baguette, a fruity and tart relish, small pickles, and a side of greens. starved, we devoured the dish. while some might be offset by the hardiness of the pate, we both enjoyed the meatiness and flavor of the pate. next, came the fennel and endive salad paired with broiled trout seasoned with lemon and rosemary. while these were good selections, i was not so impressed. i like my restaurant dining to consist of meals that i could not recreate easily at home. the trout was delicious, simply prepared, but very similar to what i have cooked in the past. for dessert, we ordered the rhubarb crumble. it was exquisite. there was a tantalizing balance of crunchiness from the crust, smoothness from the base, tartness from the rhubarb, and rich creaminess from the homestyle icecream.

all in all a wonderful dining experience. but next time, i think i'll order the pork chops!