#casellula

We have all been asked the conversation starter, “If you could invite four people for a dinner party who would you ask? ”

Let me help you out here. Forget George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Forget Albert Einstein and Mark Twain (don’t they kind of look alike). Forget your great great great grandpa and whatever other family member you normally say.

After seeing what a tea party with the characters of Wonderland is like I want none other than the White Queen, the Red Queen, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit at my next dinner party.

And now, thanks to our emphasis on collaboration, that very thing happens when you tumble down the rabbit hole at Then She Fell. “It’s a performance, not a dinner party” you might say. But ahh tsk tsk we have all the bases covered, and along with your magical journey you get delicious food designed by the brilliant artists at Caselulla. Chef, Megan Johnson and pastry chef, Leigh Friend have created some amazing treats. Imagine seasonal squash custard with truffle oil and pink peppercorn or goat cheese and hazelnut truffles to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Shooting in the low light of restaurants is always a challenge, but these beautiful cheese plates from Casellula, one of my favorite cheese-focused restaurants in NYC, look pretty delectable even under candlelight. 

Casellula is featuring a well-curated list of domestically-produced cheeses throughout October, for American Cheese Month, and as always the emphasis is on creative and unusual pairings (not to mention the plating). 

On the plate on the left, we have: Smokey Ricotta, from Salvatore Brooklyn; Bloomin' Goat, from Spoonwood Cabin; Rippleton, from Meadowood Farms; Dante, from Wisconsin Sheep Co-op; and Cascadilla Bleu from Lakin's Gorge Cheese. 

Place: Casellula Cheese & Wine Café - 401 West 52nd St (crn 9th Ave) Hell's Kitchen

Day: Friday April 25, 2014

Time: 8pm - 10:30pm

Schlep: From my Hell's Kitchen apartment (West 50th St & 9th Ave) - walked up 9th Ave a few blocks and then turned left at 52nd St. Too easy!

I'd heard good things about this restaurant. So, when an old friend came to town for a visit, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to try it. We waited for a table (as you do in New York). There was nowhere to sit, but we had a glass of wine each, so we didn't mind. We were seated in about half an hour.

While I enjoyed the dimly-lit and small, intimate atmosphere, I was expecting to be blown away by the wine and cheese. Perhaps we didn't order well, but I thought it was okay - nothing to write home about.

Pros:

Romantic atmosphere

Huge wine list

Good service

Reasonably tasty menu

Cons:

You'll probably wait for a table

You won't be able to sit while you wait for a table

The cheese and wine we ordered was nothing spectacular

Verdict:

3.5 / 5 - I'd come back, but not in a huge hurry.

More information about Murray's long-rumored (and now confirmed) Cheese-focused restaurant, and it's very promising. Eater.com reports that Tia Keenan (on Twitter as @KaseKaiserina), formerly head cheese at Casellula, will be Director of Food Service and bringing her acclaimed turophilic skills to the job:

Rob Kaufelt, owner of Village staple Murray's Cheese, is bringing in the big guns for his now confirmed wine and cheese bar in the former Bar'rique space at 264 Bleecker St. Reps reveal that Tia Keenan, the cheese obsessive who made a name for herself at Caselulla over in Hell's Kitchen, has been brought on as the Director of Food Service for the Murray's group and calls herself the "mother hen" of the upcoming cheese-centic restaurant.