265 Elizabeth St. (between Houston and Prince Sts.) 212-219-0764 www.themusketroom.com
New Zealand. If you’ve never tried new New Zealand cooking, you might wonder if it requires a huge leap of faith (see red deer and quail). Turns out, it doesn’t matter how different the menu, when the dishes are this ridiculously flavorful, it’s like hopping off the curb. I began with their quail, in the company of blackberry, bread sauce and roasted onion. So completely delicious, I wished I had experienced it long ago. I also indulged in the winter salad, which the waitperson defined with a paragraph of ingredients. Some foreign, some familiar, all incredibly good. Yet, not to be outdone are the entrées. Both the cod (brussels, pomegranate, yuzu, grains) and Berkshire pork (kale, clementine, cauliflower) made me an instantaneous fan. It was then time for dessert, where the chocolate (salted caramel, mandarin) and passion fruit pavlova (strawberries, cream) brought it big time. The Musket Room transports you clear around the globe. And they do it so well, you might consider dual citizenship.