Excellent Sandwiches and Pastries At High Street on Hudson
Beloved favorites in other cities–Philadelphia, Portland, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC… you know the type–often don't translate terribly well when they move here to the big town. Suddenly those "crazy" sandwiches seem pretty ho-hum, those "amazing" caupcakes kind of dime-a-dozen. That's not necessarily a knock on the imports, it's just that we have so much of everything here, and so much of it so good, that's it's difficult to make an impact. Thankfully, many of these hometown-lauded transplants are actually worth the hype, and bring new energy and delicious creations to stale genres or failed spaces. Firmly in the latter category: the excellent new High Street on Hudson, a spin-off of Philly hotspot High Street on Market and currently slinging amazing sandwiches and first-rate baked goods on the West Village-Meatpacking District border.
Welcome To High Street on Hudson
Right now High Street on Hudson is only serving breakfast and lunch, but given the quality of everything I've tried here, that's plenty to get excited about. Backing up a bit, the High Street team is led by Ellen Yip and chef Eli Kelp (who you may remember was paralyzed in that terrible Amtrak crash last spring), with a kitchen crew that includes veterans of such NYC institutions as Craft, Torrisi Italian Specialties, and Sullivan Street Bakery. This last bit of intel is especially crucial, because the High Street on Hudson menu relies heavily on grains and baked goods, both savory and sweet. There's a small and rather poorly designed take-out counter to the right of the doorway (it's difficult to see what's available in the case, and it's unclear where people should wait for their food, so they tend to cluster right in your way); a full, comfortable dining area that takes up most of the restaurant (this is the former Corsino Cantina spot); and an open kitchen in the back, which not only adds energy to the room but also helps entice you with all of those wonderful baking smells.
High Street On Hudson: What To Eat
Not that you'll need much enticement, especially after diving in to the sampling of Home-Made Bread, a wooden board loaded with three varieties as well as crocks of salted, regular butter and sweet, "malted" butter. It is fantastic, an obvious must-order if you're dining on High Street's appealing-sounding salads, but I happily wolfed down all the heavily-buttered slices even though I also ate a sandwich. And that sandwich was terrific! I had the Duck Meatball Sub, slathered in a lively marinara with lots of melted cheese and, just in case all of that wasn't rich and delicious enough, a layer of liver that really sent the flavor level over the top. On another visit I asked for one of High Streets signature Red-Eye Danish assuming it was a sweet treat (again: you can't really look at the pastries before you order), and was surprised when it turned out to be covered in thinly-sliced cured ham and grated cheese. Fortunately, it was also very good, so file the whole thing under "happy accident". Finally, if you're in the mood for a cookie, the deep, cocoa-y Chocolate with jam is the way to go.
For Menu and More Information on High Street On Hudson
High Street on Hudson is located at 637 Hudson Street, at the corner of Horatio Street, and is open for breakfast and lunch (from 7:00 a.m. until about 3:30 or 4:00 p.m.), with dinner coming soon.
Posted in Downtown, manhattan living, NYC Dining |
