The Dutch in NYC: Chef Andrew Carmellini’s New Restaurant in Soho

Exterior view of the Dutch, a restaurant on the corner in Soho with light stone facade, big windows and cheery awnings

Has there been a more eagerly-anticipated opening this spring than Chef Andrew Carmellini's The Dutch in NYC, an impossibly good-looking "American-food" restaurant on a prime corner in Soho? The answer is: no… no there has not… which should come as no surprise, given Chef Carmellini's enviable track record, which includes a Michelin star when he was running the kitchen at A Voce, and consistent raves at his Italian scalding-hot spot in Tribeca, Locanda Verde. The Dutch restaurant has been open for a few weeks now, has been packed every night (and until late!), and, based on our quick tour through the menu last weekend, is serving excellent-enough food to keep the crowds happy for a long time to come.  

Fried fish with lettuce and tartar sauce served on a sesame bun at The Dutch in NYC

The menu at the Dutch is filled with off-beat Andrew Carmellini recipe temptations (Smoked Lamb Link!) and raucous crowd-pleasers (Hot Fried Chicken! with Biscuits!), and dishes both hearty and light. And the "American" tag Carmellini has slapped on the place is clearly an inclusive one, as The Dutch embraces many of this country's vast and varied immigrant influences. Anyway, we ate as much as we could, and plan to return, and soon, for much more. The Dutch restaurant offers several by-now obligatory Snack selections, one of which, the Little Oyster Sandwich, is sure to become the place's signature dish. Almost no table failed to order at least a couple of these briny beauties, which are like po-boys in slider format, the single fat mollusk lightly breaded and deftly fried for a perfect three-bite delight. Another snack, the Asian White Boy Ribs, was tasty as well, with tender meat falling off the bone, sticky with a sweetish, soyish sauce.

Chilli organic carrot soup in a white bowl with a dallop of sour cream, sunflower seeds and pesto sauce a chef Andrew Carmellini recipe dish

Shifting gears, we also tried The Dutch's Chilled Organic Carrot Soup, and it was superb, possibly our favorite dish so far, a thick and bright bowl of carotene goodness, elevated by an infusion of ginger, and lime. You can almost feel yourself becoming more healthy with each spoonful… and then the process reversed itself as we tucked into a huge dish of Lamb Neck Mole, the rich, fatty, and melty meat puddling in a thick, spicy sauce, topped with radishes and chayote for some crunch, a pile of red rice soaking up all the richness. Even early in the evening, the Dutch in Soho felt like a fun time… and when we walked by later that night, the party had clearly cranked into high gear.   

A giant octopus slathered in brown sauce served up at the Dutch in NYC

Andrew Carmellini's The Dutch Details 

The Dutch in NYC is located on the corner of Prince and Sullivan Street, where the Cub Room used to be. The big front room–with regular bar and oyster bar and tables and window ledge–is where the walk-ins party; the more clubby back room, complete with banquettes, is for diners with reservations. The Dutch is open for lunch on Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., for dinner from 5:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., and then "late night" from 11:00 until 2:00 a.m., seven days a week. For more information and a look at the menus, please see The Dutch's website

A streetside view of The Dutch in NYC - get a reservation!

The Dutch on Urbanspoon

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