I Say Wallsé

Ok so I recently ate a great meal but didn't take a single picture of the food.  I was on a second date and there is only so much crazy you can reveal that early so you will have to be satisfied with my descriptions.

Wallsé is an upscale Austrian restaurant in the West Village that has been on my list for a while but previously disregarded because it was just a little too nice (think: $38 entrées).  Never would I have suggested a restaurant so fancy for a first dinner date, but when the reservation was simply made, it was not one I would refuse.  I planned to order conservatively (read: just an entrée) so I wouldn't be "that" girl who just dates around the NYC scene in order to eat well.  My dining companion had other thoughts.  In addition to a very nice bottle of wine and the amuse bouche of trout mousse in a little cone (very fishy and a slightly odd shape to eat, but good), we ordered two appetizers.  The first was scallops with a sweet bacon and mache sauce that wasn't overly fruity like many scallop accompaniments.  Next was spatzle with braised rabbit, wild mushrooms, and corn.  This was my first time trying the doughy egg noodles and I am now in love.  They were lighter than gnocchi with a kind of dreamy creamy texture.  I thought gnocchi had the market cornered on pillow-like starches, but this was practically angelic.  The dots of corn added sweetness to an otherwise very savory and woodsy dish as well as a nice nip to bite down on when the other ingredients, like the rabbit, melted.  It was my favorite dish of the evening.

We ordered a couple à la carte sides (potato, veggies, and spatzle) that I didn't touch because I enjoyed the last app and my entrée so much.  For my main course, I ordered the trout with roasted cauliflower, almonds, and raisins.  Part of the reason I ordered fish was because I feared the meaty Austrian staples would be too heavy.  I mean, even the harsh Arnold Schwarzenegger accent sounds heavy.  Turns out, Wallsé makes these rich, stew-y meals seem practically light.  The portion size is just right, the sauces just thick enough, and the meat perfectly tender that you don't feel weighted down.  Regardless of how unexpectedly light the food turned out to be, I'm still glad I went with fish because the trout had a nice crisp skin and the raisins added a richer sweetness than other fruit would have provided.

For dessert we ordered some sort of layered chocolate and coconut mousse with chocolate ice cream.  It was nice and airy but not as special as the other courses that evening.  They also brought out a plate of mini cookies - don't you love when restaurants do that?  Such a nice touch.  Another nice touch: the artwork.  Award winning director Julian Schnabel lives right across the street and two of his paintings hang on the walls.  If you have the cash and maybe a special occasion coming up, I recommend Wallsé.  I can't imagine it's easy to find fine Austian dining of this quality.