My Husband's Birthday Dinner!

My husband's birthday fell on a Friday this year so we decided to simply meet in town at one of our favorite restaurants after he finished work. He picked Asado, an Argentinian grill. Since we were foregoing reservations the plan was for me to arrive a little early and put our name in for a table while waiting in the bar. As I walked up the sidewalk after turning the corner from where I had parked, I saw my husband’s back just as he was entering the restaurant. So much for the plans. We waited just a short time before a table became available. The area where we were seated happened to be in our favorite server’s section. Nice bonus. We originally came to know this waitress at Primo Grill, around the corner. She quickly became our favorite there and held that ‘esteemed position’ for years. Then, it seemed that we kept missing her shift at Primo. We were delighted to re-find her at Asado and always enjoy her service.

Asado has a nice, active bar on one side of the room, and the dining area on the other. It is dimly lit and has an Agentinian pampas décor. The wall that faces 6th Ave. is mostly glass and there are areas to eat outside in the warmer months. The door on the bar side opens right to the street and can create a bit of a chill in the cold weather, but the door on the dining side has one of those velvet-curtained areas that prevents drafts. The kitchen is open to the dining area and between it and the bar, the place always seems very ‘alive’. We love it.

This evening we decided on the Mollejas to start our meal. They are pan-fried sweetbreads with a sorrel puree and balsamic reduction sauce served with bacon leek slaw. They were good – not great. My husband felt they were a bit greasy and they just didn’t have the light, fluffiness that is the hallmark of great sweetbreads. Next up was the Ensalada Hierbas. This salad combines watercress, mint, cilantro, arugula, spiced walnuts, jicama, and shaved manchego cheese. It is dressed with a passion fruit vinaigrette. Wow! This was a nice surprise. We had never ordered this salad before but we won’t make that mistake again. The combination of flavors was perfect. The various flavors meshed well and complimented each other perfectly. For our entrees I had the Lomillo, hanger steak with stewed lentils. My husband had the Espalda Asado, a marinated flat iron steak. He chose the Poblano polenta as his side. My steak seemed a bit a bit more medium, than the medium rare I had ordered but the sear was perfect and the meat tender. The taste was great and the lentils were very flavorful. I will simply order my steak to be cooked rare next time. My husband’s steak was grilled to perfection (all Asado’s steaks are prepared on their mesquite-fired grill). His polenta was also creamy and tasty. Nice! We finished the meal by sharing their chocolate torte. Our server had of course inserted a lit candle. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

Highly recommended.