Dinner before business: Publican.

Thought this looked like an interesting place…described as a beer hall and while I’m not much of an expert on beer, the menu sounded interesting and included oysters and pork so there was a good chance it would meet expectations. Located in the Fulton Market District just west of downtown.

Large inside space with limited outside dining. Communal tables inside….with the feel of an upscale European beer hall. High noise level with an energy to match so if you are looking for a quiet place to have dinner this isn’t it. Service was excellent.

This night I started with a 1/2 dozen of the Kaipara oysters from New Zealand…excellent with the supplied cocktail sauce followed by the little gem salad…crispy pig’s ears….must be a growing fad…which was served with a lovely buttermilk vinaigrette. The pig’s ears added a nice crunchiness to the salad….think protein croutons. The main was the cuttlefish ink pasta….as expected the pasta was black but not sure I could tell the difference between this and the more common squid ink. It was served with a very rich non tomato based sauce….a caramelized flavor of onions I  think….and for protein…..mussels….very rich and delicious. The butter pickles were an interesting side but the portion was definitely meant to share…way too much pickle experience for a single diner.

Wines were two example of rosé….one from France…a gamay/pinot noir blend from the Lorraine and, on the adventurous side, one from Austria. It was decidedly red in hue and quite tart.

The dessert was opera cake…..served with blueberries and a compote of same with a hint of coffee…..in this instance, frozen. Dessert wine was a French offering from the saussignac.

Visit website