A few weeks ago, I stopped in to Little Giant, the restaurant where I used to work, to say hello to an old friend and mentor. It's been a short two years since I worked and lived on Orchard, but my how things have changed! Julie decided to give me a little introduction to the new tenants on the street.
She prompted me with, "Do you want to try something really delicious?" Of course I did, but when we walked into a clothing store, I was utterly confused. Valley is not only a clothing store but also a waxing boutique and the only place in Manhattan to get real açai, (the Brazilian berry that has more antioxidants than blueberries) and a full bottle of red wine. Sisters Nina and Julia, who did time in South America and in health-conscious L.A., run the shop and are succeeding at being the neighborhood one-stop shop for debonair girls.
We requested our açai and Julia slipped behind a secret door leading to the kitchen. When she emerged, she was holding a tray with two small wooden bowls of what looked like a berry sorbet with granola on top. Their mother, we discovered, makes the fantastic granola using an Aga oven in the Berkshires. The pinkish-purple frozen heap turned out to be the mysterious açai. Apparently, the berry itself, which tastes like a mixture of chocolate, blueberry and banana, is frozen and then blended into a puree without the addition of anything except the occasional banana. The berry smoothie is both refreshing and exotic.
Speaking of exotic, the following pit stop was the much-publicized Roasting Plant. Here, in Wonka-like fashion, beans shoot through tubes from roaster to grinder to cup when you place an order. It's an unbelievable process that truly delivers the goods.
The tour was lovely, and upon returning to the restaurant I discovered that things have also changed at Little Giant. Before it was the sticky toffee pudding that revolutionized the block, but now everyone is drawn to LG for the salted caramel pudding. Served in a mug with olive oil crème and a thin tuile, there's not much better in town. It's simultaneously sweet and savory, and is delicious when paired with either a tea or an after-dinner drink. There's another new addition: LUNCH. In an effort to serve the neighborhood, Little Giant is now open for lunch, so those craving swine and biscuits don't have to wait til sundown.
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