Peachy Picks Pier 9 Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
Peachy Deegan and Mario Zarate
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We'd like to think that Gatsby himself put this green light up at the end of his dock to alert us that this would be a review to remember! As soon as you enter Pier 9, you'll feel welcome and at home with a staff that exhibits true hospitality from the minute you walk in the door.
Bartender Dave Pelisson graciously got Peachy started with some Sea Glass Riesling, which was a perfect white wine to get into the swing of the season with. It was nicely balanced, and General Manager Elton Mesiti was equally welcoming, seating us promptly at the Chef's table. If it is available we would recommend sitting there as it is probably the best seat in the house. Pier 9 is owned by Mario Zarate. When Peachy hears Mario she thinks Lemieux, especially during the most wonderful time of the year: now, Stanley Cup Playoff time. However, this Mario of Pier 9 is also Le Mieux and everyone knows that means THE BEST. Keep reading, and before they are booked tonight, ring up for your reservation now.
Pier 9 was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
It's winning summer flair for outstanding cuisine, genuine hospitality and unique ability to make you feel like you are on a yacht have won Pier 9 a spot in Peachy's Picks.
Set Sail!
Everything was absolutely clean and spotless and you know we love that.
The total beachy peachy atmosphere wowed us from the start and set the standard for the evening of fine dining, seaside of course! Or as close to seaside as you can get from 9th Avenue.
Now, if you really know Peachy, you know that one aspect of enticement for her to be part of the press at Boston College was the simple fact that Legal Sea Foods Clam Chowder was served in the press box (otherwise you could only get it on Fridays in the dining hall...and she still remembers.) It is a rare occasion when we see NEW ENGLAND Clam Chowder that is fantastic in this little town of Manhattan, and when we do, WE LOVE IT:
Do not pass go and collect $200 without trying this Clam Chowder. Little neck clams dance in a party of bacon and croutons (and these are no ordinary croutons, mind you. They are made at Pier 9 by the Chef, Paolo Nozzoli whom you will meet shortly) anchored by basil and heavy cream. We imagine this would have been the stuff dreams were made of at the Kennedy Compound after a sail on the Honey Fitz.
Next, we were pleased to meet the Tuna Tartare with spicy aioli shrimp. This had a pleasant kick to it and was beautifully presented. Another hit! Executive Chef Paolo Nozzoli was extremely gracious all evening and has every reason to be just as superproud of his work as he is:
Paolo exudes true passion for his vocation and if you are lucky enough to get a table, you will understand why! Shrimp tacos were the next item we befriended, and their delicate nature and fresh flavor impressed us.
Again, the presentation was gorgeous and the taste was outstanding. Pickled onions and citrus cucumber accentuate the seafood flavor.
Elton Mesiti, the General Manager, recommended we try the Greco Di Tufo:
Light and crisp, it was an ideal seafood companion and we believe you'll love it too!
Feudi di San Gregorio, Italy 2010
Aside from the chowder, if Peachy Deegan could pick only one appetizer, it would be hard to turn down the mini crabcakes. If you type crabcake into the search bar at the top, it is very well possible that your computer will crash. We use the word crabcake often as we adore them. And the mini crabcakes at Pier 9 have earned our stamp of approval. What makes them different? They are joined by some red pepper sauce that jazzes them up and a little tomato, and voila! Complete silence from Peachy. She considers crabcake consumption a sacred practice.
Entree yet? Not yet! More crab happiness! The Crab & Shitake Arancini were the next batters up, and it was another home run for Pier 9. Served with spicy tartar sauce, these winners are ideal for bites at the bar (we do not recommend drinking without eating!) or simply appetizer igniters, paving the road for the piece de resistance!
They had to have a close up but we also wanted you to see the lovely visual from a distance:
You know a meal is not complete without some form of green salad, and apparently at Pier 9, they know that too! Watermelon salad upped our vegetable intake and cleansed our palate as well for the entree to come. Baby arugula, radicchio, shaved ricotta salata in a lemon vinaigrette will delight you too-with watermelon of course! We love the pink and green theme that seems to continue from the tuna tartare to this hit. Collars up and dock your yacht here...
There are a lot of places in Manhattan with outstanding cuisine, but few with outstanding cuisine and a complete cohesive team that get absolutely everything right with genuine care. Owner Mario Zarate is a total peach as are his staff members whom he intelligently took on as part of his winning team. And, Paolo and Elton love the camera too!
It's May Manhattan! That means it's time for lobster rolls. Fresh chunks of lobster served with garlic butter on a toasted bun will make you feel more seaside than ever with the fresh taste and beautiful presentation you'll find at Pier 9.
The French fries were lovely too!
And when it came to desserts, we couldn't decide, so Paolo decided we'd have them all!
Peachy preferred the panacotta sour cream creme brulee!
The donut was fantastic too, as was the pistachio ice cream:
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Pier 9 is a modern looking upscale restaurant located on 9th avenue in the low 50’s in a great part of Manhattan. I had a choice of eating inside or outside and since the weather was great I decided to do both! I had a chance to try SIX appetizers. They included: Lobster “Mac and Cheese” – There were five, count-em, five cheeses in this dish.
The pasta was superb and it featured a special pasta that’s only sold from a company in California that imports it directly from Italy. With the lobster sitting on top of each piece, it absolutely melted in your mouth. Crab and Shitake Arancini – This was fried and it featured a risotto that was delicious with a spicy tartar sauce. Every crispy bite made you want to eat another and another. Crab Cakes with red pepper sauce – The crab cakes were well spiced and broke apart as soon as your fork touched them. They were tremendous. There were some greens that had a fruity dressing to accompany them. Shrimp tacos – These tacos had a type of pickle in it and it was on a homemade taco shell with a squirt or two of fresh lime (at the eater’s discretion). Again it was a very tasty delight with the tomatillo dressing and champagne vinegar that were apparent in every bite. Tuna Tartar – This was seasoned perfectly and the tuna was extremely fresh.
The sauce was the icing on the cake for this dish. New England Clam Chowder – The little neck clams had the potatoes inside. This was the most unusual and best NE clam chowder that I’ve ever eaten. The croutons were perfectly toasted and made with homemade bread. Every dish is home made even the desserts, more on that later. I had a Watermelon Salad to clean my palate. The cheese was a shaved ricotta salata and it was a bit too strong for me.
Then it was time for dinner. I had Pacific Swordfish with puttanesca Sauce. The sauce had all the right spices and the fish was cooked perfectly and Swordfish is prone to being dried out. The zucchini was sliced very thin and that made it tastier.
The dish had a perfect balance with the arugula and oven dried tomatoes. I did try some different desserts and here were the three I wanted to highlight: Chocolate pistachio ice cream – This was flavorful and smooth. Homemade doughnut – I can’t say enough about the light and flaky consistency that this donut had. It was tremendous.
Rice Krispies treat with caramel and white chocolate – To me this was the best dessert on the tray. The mix of flavors was a symphony in my mouth. The staff here was incredible from the owner, down to the chef, sommelier, hostess and servers. They made sure you felt like you were at home. Every wine I tried was perfect including the dessert wine as well. This is a restaurant that patrons should tell their friends about.
Peachy Picks Pier 9!
Pier 9 is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
