Ken and Cook in NYC, New York

Jodi and I went to Ken & Cook recently for brunch. The place is very nice with a warm and modern feel. The front of the restaurant can be fully opened to the street so dinners can enjoy some people watching while eating, although the street the restaurant is located is not that busy.

A particularity I noticed in the decor is the two telephone booths that reminded me of what you see in very old movies! I should have tried to use them just to see if they were working...

When you know that the Executive Chef Richard Diamonte and partner Artan Gjoni are veterans from Jean Georges, then you for sure have high expectations! They offer a simple brunch menu with not that many items. Sometimes, less is more! I prefer a restaurant with a limited menu that is executed perfectly rather than a restaurant with ton of choices that are poorly prepared!

First, they served us some delicious bread with some olive oil.

The bread was fresh and crispy! I have to say that I love dipping bread in olive oil! It is a great and healthy alternative to butter, not that I am a healthy eater...

As we were going for a day full of food, Jodi decided to go with the bibb salad.

It was a nice quantity and was well made, although a bit overdressed, with nice croutons.

On my side, I started with oysters.

Ken & Cook has a raw bar and for brunch, they propose blue point oysters for $2 a piece. 

The oysters were very good and of good quality! They were served with a fantastic grapefruit sauce that provided a nice acidity to complement the oysters.

I then had fried chicken.

It was served with a biscuit and a honey based sauce (ranch dressing based maybe?). The presentation was beautiful with some fried lemon that was only for decoration (I tasted it...). It was also a nice portion with several pieces of chicken, with bone and boneless. The breading was perfect, not overcooked and not greasy. The chicken was moist and incredibly tasty paired with the sauce! Then there was the biscuit that came with it: warm and delicious! This was a succulent dish and I would just go back for that! One of the best fried chicken I ever ate! As an anecdote, the first time I had fried chicken was at KFC in...Paris...I went a couple of times with my friends after seeing a movie. I never went to any KFC in the US, but after trying this fried chicken at Ken & Cook, I doubt I would have the same experience...

I certainly recommend this restaurant for brunch and may come back. However, the food took a bit of time to come after we ordered, although there was only one couple besides us in the restaurant. Also, with an entree, you get a free drink for lunch: the waiter did not tell us, but told the other table. I did not care at that point, but I think it is something they should mention systematically to their clients!

Enjoy (I did)!




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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!