Two starters from a dinner at Public.
Front: Squid & seafood ceviche with young coconut, Thai herbs, crispy shallots and spicy clear coconut water. Background: Grilled scallops with sweet chili sauce, creme fraiche & green plantain crisps.
William Grimes' description of Public's foie gras is spot on:
It's daubed with ginger-lemon cream, then placed on a cookie-shaped "scone" flavored with cardamom and coffee. There are things to like about this dish — its daring, for one. The scone, spicy and aromatic, is wonderful, and the lemon-ginger cream has a thrilling zing to it. Put it all together, and it makes a mess. The scone is too sweet to let the ginger-lemon combination do its main job, which is to cut the fatty richness of the foie gras. This may be the world's first meat dessert.
Meat dessert, indeed!
Public
210 Elizabeth Street (near Prince)
212-343-7011
Reviews: Citysearch, NYMetro, NYTimes