Peachy Picks Hill Country Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental
The Meal Ticket at Hill Country
The Best Dentist in Manhattan
&
Official Dentist of Whom You Know:
30 E. 40th Suite 105
212 683 1960
Dr. Garo Nazarian is a Mover and Shaker:
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The stars in the night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Manhattan.
The city sky has buildings tall and high, deep in the heart of Manhattan.
Manhattan? Not Texas?
Manhattan IS Texas at Hill Country, and it is EVEN PEACHY TOO:
See they think of everything here. They knew who was coming.
Come along on a mini-vacation with Peachy, kick up your heels, and bring your meal ticket to the counter to find the best BBQ we have ever encountered in the state of New York, nevermind just Manhattan. And how does it get to such perfection? Owner Marc Glosserman tells us it is all about their commitment to authenticity and honoring the tradition of real Texas BBQ that his family knows and loves. We are so impressed at their commitment to every last detail in this process. The heart of Hill Country? The smoker! All three of them! And we got a closeup look at how they all work. This is truly an art form.
Even Mover and Shaker Ed Koch has been there...and signed the smoker!
All of their wood is from Texas so all of the meat will boast that authentic flavor:
And that is what it looks like inside the smoker:
From the smoker, the meat selection goes to the counter where each piece is hand-carved to your specific liking. They are totally customized here but let us warn you pinkies-out crowd, this is a very, very casual place and possibly the only time Peachy has worn jeans to a dinner review. There are not plates-you have paper to eat off of for the meat and cardboard containers for the sides. It is fun to do this for a change! And be assured you do get real silverware which is key for us.
Making a choice was tough to decide because everything looked completely fabulous to Peachy. Corporate Chef and Executive Pitmaster Charles Grund Jr. greeted us and made key suggestions. Floor manager Jennifer O'Neill was perfectly pleasant-a nice Irish person. Joey Lepage has superb interpersonal skills & great attention to detail, and we are positive you'll be seeing his name in bright lights as an actor before you know it.
As she is a total carnivore and steak-lover, she opted for a special of the night: Special 45-day dry-aged Prime Rib. And it tasted even better with the 12-year Macallan. (here we spoke about the 10-year) But even better than this lovely cut were the mouth-watering pork spare ribs, which win the prize for the item that Peachy is still dreaming about days later:
Succulent, moist, meaty and addictive, the Pork Spare Ribs (Pork is from Virginia) will exceed your expectations, we suspect even if you are from Texas (though this panel was 100% Connecticut). We love that Hill Country is All-American and we applaud their cocktail menu too-Peachy tried the sangria to begin with and finished with the Amarillo Highway: Jim Beam rye, fresh lemons, and Wild Turkey American Honey.
The green bean casserole was absolutely to die for with its unique formula of added roasted shallots, durkee onions and parmesan. It was cooked just right and not mushy like inferior casseroles can be and this was Peachy's favorite side by a mile.
Know what that is?
CAVIAR!
Peachy learned something new. At first, of course when she saw Texas Black-Eyed Caviar on the menu, she thought there's a dish that has some fish! However, in Texas, we now know that this does not actually contain caviar. They tricked her-kind of like when she went to Ireland and they said there that black pudding was chocolate. What this actually is is black-eyed peas! It was quite tasty. We also learned that BBQ from Texas is always joined by two slices of white bread.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
As I walked through the doors of Hill Country Market I was instantly transported out of New York City and into a barbecue market in Texas. The atmosphere was warm, lively, and fun. The staff was extremely friendly and very helpful to a newcomer to the barbecue market. The entire set up is so different from anything else you could find in New York. Walk up to the counter, order what you like, and hand over your meal ticket to be stamped. Once you have as much food as you think you can eat, head back to your table and let the barbecue feast begin! I started off by trying the Beef Brisket Moist. It was so juicy and tender. It actually fell apart in my mouth! The flavor was outstanding - absolute perfection! I also tried the Jalapeño Cheese Kreuz Sausage. This sausage is imported from Kreuz Market in Texas, and probably some of the best sausage I have ever tasted. The jalapeño and cheese really added to this great tasting sausage. I'm looking forward to heading back and having some more soon!
For side dishes we shared the White Shoepeg Corn Pudding, the Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, the Green Bean Casserole, and the Texas Black-Eyed Caviar. I honestly could not tell you which one was my favorite. They were all phenomenal!
Having all this great food made me feel like Thanksgiving had come early! Only this feast had a distinct Texan flair! Finally, for dessert, I tried the Bread Pudding. It was sweet, warm, and soft, and the perfect way to finish of a fantastic meal. After the meal was through, we didn't want to leave all the fun, so we had to stick around for a drink. Hill Country has some great signature cocktails! I tried the Mayor of Lockhart. This drink is made with a spicy poblano pepper and Don Julio Blanco shaken and topped off with sparkling wine. The drink was spicy, and it really hit the spot! Hill Country offers a truly unique experience for any New Yorker, and any New Yorker is sure to have a great night out when they head over to Hill Country!
Owner Marc Glosserman (famous on Whom You Know for being at the best table at the Landmarks Gala) comments:
Peachy Picks Hill Country!
Hill Country is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
