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One of the many joys of life in Manhattan is turning a corner—and
finding something you hadn’t noticed before. This restaurant, for
example—how could Trestle on Tenth have been here on the corner of
24th and Tenth Avenue since the summer of 2006—and we’ve
not yet frequented its twenty-seat garden with its cherry and locust
trees? This very afternoon then, we’ll make up for lost time—and
sit beneath the trees, the sunlight dappling our table as we sip a
frosty Stone I.P.A., from California. The ambiance is local; the
garden filled with low-maintenance swells drawn to the pastoral
pleasures of this rustic brick-walled garden. Chef and owner,
Swiss-born Ralf Kuettel (formerly of Union Square Café and Zoë),
offers food that is affordable and driven by memories of his Alpine
background. Furthermore, he has a fascination for the phrase “You
are what you eat”—and for us, that means roasted jerusalem
artichokes and roasted heirloom beets and gratinéed pizokel (imagine
gnocchi invented by the Swiss), with caramelized onions and gruyère.
For dessert, there’s pineapple upside down cake, with pistachio ice
cream—and coffee from La Colombe. According to Kuettel, his goal is
to enrich the neighborhood. As for us, we’re sated and completely
smitten—and ready to linger around until dinner. |
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