Wildair

What a meal it is. And certainly one of the more memorable ones I have eaten this year. From start to finish, every dish is strong, thoughtful and well-​executed. For me, I would even take this over the flagship restaurant because of the casualness of the dining atmosphere. Moreover, having it a la carte means you can share and also not be pressured to eat through a multi-​course dinner. The ingredients are fresh here and the cooking style/​techniques are quite inventive. This is definitely one of the spots I will be on the look out for in the year to come. Next step, checking if they would allow outside bottles. This place would be a great wine dinner candidate…
Full dish-​by-​dish review can be found here:

This place was excellent. Very upscale dining experience in a casual, relaxed ambiance in the LES. Went on a Tuesday night around 8:30pm and had no problem getting a seat. Nice day and had the window open so we had a fresh breeze. Ordered the beef tartare which was really great, topped with crunchy hazelnuts and cheese, pork rilette, bread & assorted cheeses to start. We went a little overboard with the appetizers but they were all very tasty. We started off with some sparkling white wine which was great. All of their wines are natural and the waitress was able to ask us what we liked and offer her recommendations which was very helpful. For entrees we split the pork milanese (maybe not the right choice as this place seems to be known for their unique plates, but it was excellent nonetheless. Finished off with two glasses of rose wine and their chocolate tart and panna cotta. Both amazing and inventive. Definitely don’t leave without getting the tart. Taking a star off b/​c prices are a little steep but your dishes are made with care. You won’t be disappointed.

It took me way too long to make it into Wildair.
After almost a year and far too many accolades, I finally had the opportunity to check out one of the most buzzed abound restaurants in lower Manhattan. From an overwhelming majority of Unilocal reviews to local food blogs to critics from esteemed publications, it seems Wildair is a universal hit. I can’t say I disagree.
Moseyed in on a Friday night at 6:00pm sharp. With only a handful of other restaurant goers waiting in line ahead of me (it’s walk up only), we had our pick of the litter for seating. Being a fan of chef’s tables and eating at counters, we chose the high tops with a direct view into the efficient, minuscule kitchen Wildair cooks and chefs operate from. It’s impressive to watch this team pump out high quality food in such tight confines in about the same time it takes you humble brag to your friends on Snapchat. With such a small restaurant, I’m sure their strategy is to turn over seats in as quick, yet non-​invasive a fashion as possible. If you’re in a hurry, but still want to eat something other than a dirty water Sabrett, you can make that happen with ease.
My lovely lady and I shared the beef tartare, bread with olive oil, purple sweet potato salad, and a chocolate tart. The beef tartare came decorated with smoked cheddar and chestnut, and was an excellent choice for fans of raw beef. The purple sweet potato salad was a sleeper hit, easily our favorite dish of the bunch. I’m sure the menu rotates based on food availability, but you should target this dish if it’s featured the day you visit. Despite foul cries that bread and oil should come complimentary at a restaurant, I have no problem paying for something as enjoyable as hot and delicious fresh baked bread. To those who find the notion unscrupulous, just a quick reminder that it’s not the ‘80s anymore. You probably stopped wearing Z Cavariccis, and well made bread may cost you a few bucks. Restaurant margins are razor thin these days, y’all.
Rounding out the meal, our chocolate tart was simple, yet perfect for closing the loop on dinner. Not too sweet, topped with thick sea salt, and sitting atop a homemade dough constructed of crumbled pralines and plenty of butter. I’d return just for this and an espresso if it were possible.
If you’ve been wondering if it’s worth they hype, I’d venture to say it is. It can be spendy for small plates, but there’s more to life than never ending pasta bowls. Savor something brilliant, enjoy the moment, and you’ll be just fine.

Okay, I have been wanting to come here since I learned supposedly this place is better than Contra.
I’ve been to Contra and since they take reservations, it was easier to go there than here. Since all of my friends are pretty much impatience people.
Finally came here with A, two weeks ago and it was a rainy Friday, so lucky for us, there were plenty of seats available.
I had a birthday get together to go to and plus this place didn’t have any cocktails that I wanted to drink, so we both didn’t drink any cocktails here.
We shared the following:
Bread — same thing at Contra. It was good.
Pork Rilette — decent, but still dying for the Salmon Rilette at Nomad.
Potato darphin, uni, jalapeño — eh, nothing special.
A asked the waitress if we should do the shrimp or the soft shell crab, the waitress recommended we go with the soft shell crab. When we got it and I biting into the meat, I was like gross, I asked A if the soft shell crab tasted and smelled fishy. A said, yeah, that’s because you know it’s fresh. I am like no, that’s a sign that you know it’s not fresh and knowing the fact that most deliveries comes on a Tuesday, I am sure the waitress was trying to sell us old crabs. I have never had any issues with soft shell crab until I came here.
I got sick off that soft shell crab — this place, I don’t get it, why is there a line and why do people rave about the food here.
They can’t even serve fresh soft shell crab.

Very disappointing considering the standards that were set by Contra :(the only positives were the Georgia white shrimp, our bread and evoo and the fluke ceviche. Everything else just felt flat and made you say huh? The biggest disappointment was the fried squid!!! It was overly battered to mask the main ingredient and over seasoned to an extent that tasted like Cheetos? Yes Cheetos.

Its 2016 and you figured that not being able to be seated because of your race wouldnt exist anymore especially if you live in NY. Well be assured it does in does in this establishment. Came with a group of non-​white friends and was denied service. They dont do reservations, walked in, saw 2 tables for 5 and 4 people, and a short caucasian lady with blonde hair just said no they wont serve us. We tried to ask why, they made an excuse that people has that table taken. At the same time, they do first come first serve, so was confused why TWO tables are being held.
Tried to talk to a manager but the caucasian lady said she was, but she didnt look like the manager, more like a waitress. No place is worth this if they out right treat random people like this.

Decent food, just no particularly standout aspect or dish for me.
Two friends and I stopped by on a Friday evening at 6:15, and we found one of the last few tables available at that time. We split the bread and olive oil, potato darphin, beef tartare, fried squid, and seared tuna between the three of us, and while it was all pretty unique and moderately tasty, and I just didn’t find any of the dishes particularly memorable. The potato darphin had a fairly generous heaping of uni, but I didn’t find the pairing too tasty, and the fried squid was a tad too breaded for my liking. I did enjoy the beef tartare with the cheddar, although I found the tuna a bit lacking in flavor, and my most favorite dish was probably the chocolate tart dessert. It was generally alright, but if I had waited for an hour to be seated (i.e. if we had arrived 15 minutes later), I probably would have not found it worth the wait.

I recommend showing up early — on a Friday night the restaurant opened at 6 pm so we got there right around then and were promptly seated. By 6:30/7 the whole place was full. We snagged the two bar stools facing into the kitchen, and it was fun to watch all the magic happening.
The service was exceptional. Our waitress was lovely and just-​the-​right-​amount attentive. The food itself was also wonderful.
I’ve never had a more enjoyable salad at a restaurant in my entire life. Like, seriously. Get the romaine lettuce! It sounds boring but it was outstanding! Trust me. Doused in pistachios and lemon juice and topped with a delicately piped dressing made out of reduced lettuce… unusual but so delicious. The burrata and persimmon salad was equally delicious. Both are must haves.
Next came the delicate beef tartare topped with smoky cheddar and then the potato darphin — basically the best hash brown I have ever had topped with decadent uni and chopped jalapeños.
The only dish of the evening that we found disappointing was the squid, and that was because the batter was too heavy — you couldn’t really taste the seafood. I would recommend passing on this one but make sure not to miss out on any of the others!
And get the chocolate tart. Just do it. You deserve it.

One word: Amazing. If that’s not indicative enough of how I feel about Wildair, I instagrammed a collage of my meal here and haven’t been able to stop myself from looking back at it whenever the fancy strikes to relive my experience (which, by the way, is embarrassingly often).
Space: Small, casual, and cozy. All communal tables and counter seating — we opted for corner seats by the window, facing the kitchen, so we could watch everything being prepared.
Service: Staff was warm and incredibly helpful when we inquired about the wine selection (which is all-​natural — points! Points!), and was attentive throughout the meal while still giving us our space.
Food:
1) House-​made bread and olive oil — deceptively simple sounding. If you weren’t already in the know about their bread at their sister restaurant Contra next door, you might just pass by this item on the menu — don’t. Their bread is incredible — brought back memories of when I was living in France and was spoiled with fresh bread on the daily from the boulanger down the street. It is warm, pillowy and doughy on the inside, and the crust crunches beautifully in the mouth.
2) Beef tartare — my favorite dish of the meal. A sprinkling of smoked cheddar on top to give it some flavor juxtaposed with the crunch of the chestnuts — texture was incredible.
3) Persimmon, jalapeño, burrata, butternut — I could have passed on this. It was good, but forgettable.
4) Potato darphin with uni — a-​freakin-​mazing. Maybe I’m biased because I harbor an intense affinity for anything with potato, but this was truly good. Uni was relatively mild. Creamy and tasting vaguely like the sea.
5) Panna cotta with tangerine granita and crumble — definitely get this over the tart. I’m not normally a dessert person, but this had an airy, light quality that tied up the meal nicely. The tangerine balances the custardy panna cotta beautifully, and the crumble has a nice buttery flavor without feeling too heavy.
In other words: Go here. Just make sure to come early-​ish, as they don’t take reservations.

Trendy as hell in a good way. Came in here on a four restaurant food run so we only had a couple of plates. Bass special was ridiculous while the Beef Tartare was ok. We had Rebelle’s Beef Tartare earlier in the night and Wildair couldn’t hold up.
That being said, if you need an incredibly trendy spot with solid food, Wildair is what you’re looking for. I’m coming back

I had a great experience at Wildair. It was the summer, weather was warm, doors were wide open — fantastic ambiance. We almost fought another couple for the last portion of the spicy tuna… sort of kidding about the fight… but it was so good that we just HAD to get seconds. No luck there.
Everything was fantastic, but what will really bring us back is the tables. You heard right. The tables are really cool, my husband went apesh$t over the fact that he could store his cellphone in the underneath «desk» compartment. I loved the food, he loved the tables… there’s something for everybody here.

Don’t come out of your way to eat at Wildair, you’ll empty your pockets and leave unsatisfied. I can’t believe there’s a line to get into this place and I can’t believe all the good reviews on here. I get that they’re trying to do something unique and organic, but none of it tasted particularly good. The uni and potato was flavorless and greasy. The beet plate was the only thing that was good. The bread was ordinary and should’ve come free, instead they charge you $ 4 for bread here. The pork milanese was TERRIBLY undercooked, as in bloody, I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. The shrimp came in the shell and again was completely bland. Our $ 50 bottle of wine wasn’t even that good. Cramped and very few seats. Communal tables.
If you want to eat disgusting and tastless food and pay a whole lot of money for it, by all means go to Wildair.

Stopped by on a Saturday night around 7pm. Had to wait about an hour but there’s a ton of places in the LES to pass the time.
Got the beef tartare, gem lettuce salad and the shrimp– all were great though portions are on the smaller side so plan accordingly.
The place itself is extremely small, but I makes for a great ambiance especially if you get a seat near the kitchen area.

Some day, I’ll go to Contra, but in the meanwhile, I’m happy to save some shekels and sample a bunch of things on Wildair’s menu. The primary qualities in Wildair’s favor: a great wine list with reasonably priced bottles (I didn’t start feeling like a real adult until I ordered bottles with my dinner), a great set of experimental/​creative small plates, and an unpretentious atmosphere.
Our server was very knowledgeable about the wine menu and was able to recommend us an affordable, delicious pét-​nat (Sébastien Brunet 100% Grolleau, 2013) when the wine we wanted wasn’t available. We toasted our luck, then proceeded to destroy the bread plate. Yes, it’s worth paying $ 4 for the warm, delicious bread and the super fruity dish of olive oil. They were out of the pork rilettes, but I’m sure that would have been great for bread-​dipping, too.
We enjoyed the potato darphin with uni, which, like a challah BLT, is a little tongue-​in-​cheek (for those who don’t keep kosher) — it’s a delicious latke/​hashbrown with lightly pickled jalapenos and red onion. Weird mix of flavors, but the brininess of the uni was a great contrast to the earthy potato. The fried squid was a little less exciting, but still a lovely, tasty dish. There were more things we would have liked to order, but we had more eating to do.
The one misstep: the Georgia white shrimp still had shells, legs, and tails on – it was flavorful and pretty, but made for a super messy eating experience at our tiny table.
The service was attentive, the space was cute, and the menu offerings were tasty, easily shared, and prettily presented. This seems like a great date spot, but if you want the night to go on, don’t get the shrimp — it’s just not a sexy look.

«Drink the wild air’s salubrity,” – Ralph Waldo Emerson’s «Merlin’s
Song»
How much did I like Wildair you ask? Enough to do some research to see what «Wildair» means… I still don’t know (as it pertains to the name of this restaurant), but it did take me to this famous line in the Emerson poem above!
Salubrity means «favorable to promoting health or well being.»…and this is where I’m going…
I can’t speak for health, but the restaurant Wildair, completely takes me to a place of «well being.» Everything about it is a reminder of what I love about living in the City (which I don’t, nor have ever done, but long to do!).
The restaurant itself is tiny, 36 seats I believe, and as you may have seen online, this place is getting a lot of attention, and is pretty hard to get into unless you get there early… but it’s worth it if you do… and that’s what we did!
At 5:45 on a Tuesday; we were third in a small line that had set up outside (6pm open). By 6:30 we heard them telling new customer’s coming in that the wait was about 1.5−2 hours.
The food – Inventive, full flavor, excitement to your mouth, and brain! We had many items mentioned on Unilocal as well as in pro-​reviews. They were all special in there own way. Below are my favorites:
Fried squid, spring onion, lemon, basil – Perfectly fried, crispy and crackly coated, yet melt in your mouth squid, onion and lemon. I have never eaten fried lemons before, and they were incredible. The citrus bite is softened by the frying leaving perfect lemon flavor. I can’t describe the sauce it comes with other than to say it’s a simple «creamy» accompaniment that adds to the dish.
Tuna, cabbage, potato – The waiter said, «this tastes like a Ruben, but not in a bad way!»…Yup…This is perfectly seared tuna, sitting on perfectly roasted potatoes (I’m not meaning to be boring using «perfectly» back to back here… it just is what it is), with charred cabbage and spices on top. All of this sitting in a brown butter emulsion – Bite for bite, one of the best things I’ve had eaten in the past year!
We also had the Beef Tartare and two desserts – As good as you’ve heard or read about!
The wine-​list isn’t my thing, but it’s very well executed for what they’re going for. I did find a glass that I enjoyed.
Atmosphere – brick walls, great music, open kitchen, tight tables, great energy – Not everyone’s cup of tea – but perfect for me!

Fantastic. We really loved this place. Here’s what we got, in order of how much we liked it:
— Chocolate buckwheat tart
— Persimmon, butternut, burrata, jalapeño seeds
— Beef tartare, smoked cheddar, chestnut
— Selection of cheeses
— Bread and olive oil
— Potato darphin, uni, jalapeño
— Sweet potato, ricotta, tahini, herbs
— Georgia white shrimp, celery, cilantro (I really don’t like having to do major peel jobs on shrimp — just my own personal preference — and this was a major peel job)
Overall, just a really, really excellent meal that made us not only want to go back to Wildair, but to also try Contra (which is owned by the same people). The only thing we were somewhat disappointed with (besides the shrimp) was that they didn’t have the spicy tuna with scallions and tomatoes — the waiter said they couldn’t get the high-​quality tomatoes needed for that dish this time of year. Hopefully it’s back in the spring/​summer.
Also, I would recommend going very early — we got there right as it opened and walked right in, but it filled up very quick, and the place is relatively small.

4.5÷4.75. A few small issues, but rounding up because the food and wine were out of this world. Like actually, I’m not sure if these things were created by earthlings. Order 40 of the spicy tuna plates. And maybe 30 of the beef tartares. Okay maybe just come here for dinner every night and deal with the whole going broke thing later. Sound reasoning, no?
Came here around 7:30 on a Thursday night. As others have reported, there’s going to be a pretty substantial wait if you don’t come between 6 – 6:30 (NO RESERVATIONS). The hostess was incredibly scattered, which was one of the minor issues we experienced during our visit. I’m not sure if she was overwhelmed or what, but there seemed to be no organization whatsoever when it came to seating people efficiently. So while our first impression wasn’t good, we were determined to stick it out — thank god we did! The wait ended up being about 45 minutes (they told us 30), but we were rewarded for good behavior, being sat right in front of the kitchen! Some might prefer a table, but my fellow foodie friend and I were thrilled.
Just to clarify — when I say foodie, I’m not one of those voracious Times/​Eater/​Grub Street/​Infatuation readers who knows everything about every restaurant opened by «this team» or «that team» or «the brainchild of the creators of so and so…». What I did know going into it was this: I had been wanting to try the tasting menu at Contra for quite some time, and when I heard that Wildair was the more causal — wait for it — BRAINCHILD of the Contra folks, and a la carte to boot, it shot up to the top of my list.
First: Wine. I know cocktails very well, beer pretty well, and wine not well at all. So when I’m confronted with a wine list such as the colossal display at Wildair, I get really intimidated. Thankfully, there were plenty of servers around to help guide us in the right direction, and all of them were quite patient with our amateur-​ism. I ended up trying two different reds which were both fantastic. We both opted for wine by the glass, so we were able to give our prospective options a taste before deciding. The wine here — along with being overwhelmingly diverse — is natural/​organic/​biodynamic, so like the food, the feel is very clean and refined.
FOOD! The way that everything is listed on the menu, you’d think the food here is oddly minimalist. This is not the case. They list the key players in each dish, but the subtleties are left a mystery. I’m a fan.
–Bread and Olive Oil (A)
Paying for bread seems silly to me. But they’re known for making some standout bread in-​house here, and the rumors are true. The only thing silly here would be NOT to order it. Not much more to say — you gotta experience it yourself.
–Beef Tartare, Smoked Cheddar, Chestnuts (A+)
I don’t eat red meat too often but after perusing the Unilocal and the Google for a bit before coming here, it seemed pretty unanimous that ordering the beef tartare at Wildair might be the best decision you make all day. Again, the hype was warranted. The texture and flavor profiles of this dish were sublime. The tuna was my favorite dish of the meal, but my inner foodie knows this baby was by far the most inventive and beautifully-​executed plate we had. Apparently, beef can be made light and fluffy — thank you Wildair for enlightening me. Just a note — this plate is slightly spicy thanks to the addition of some horseradish. This made the dish for me.
–Georgia White Shrimp, Celery, Cilantro (A)
You’re encouraged to eat the skin. It’s not necessary, but it made the dish for me. I wasn’t head over heels in love with the shrimp honestly, but it was masterfully prepared, as everything here seems to be.
–Spicy Tuna, Scallion, Tomatoes (A+++)
Served on toast. Party in your mouth good. I suppose it’s not as «refined» as some of the other dishes here and certainly not as complex, but the resounding flavor is incredibly powerful. The tomato and tuna blend together in the sweetest of harmonies. Now that’s what I call a power couple.
–Chocolate Hazelnut Tart (A++)
I basically don’t eat desserts because consuming food high in sugar does really weird stuff to my chemistry. That said, I caved and had a couple bites of the tart after hearing nothing but squeals of glee from my equally adventurous dining companion. They were warranted, I assure you. The tart looks quite simple. Deceptively simple. I don’t know how they make this little piece of heaven taste so damn good (the salt on top doesn’t hurt), but whatever they do, they better keep doing it. Sweet, rich, creamy but not too heavy.

IN SHORT: Casual, inventive, small plates from two talented, young chefs in a space that blurs the distinction between restaurant and wine bar.
THE STORY: In March of this year, I wrote about Contra, the first, tasting-​menu-​only restaurant by the young, boundary-​pushing duo of Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske. I called it a sophisticated, subtly innovative restaurant so well suited to a youthful New York culinary scene, and though the price of 5-​courses has since moved from $ 55 up to $ 67 this season, the ambition and the sensibility behind the restaurant is still there.
In June, the pair then opened Wildair, a slightly more casual space, offering an à la carte dinner menu just a couple doors down on a quietly gritty stretch of Orchard Street. And as is true of a great oeuvre in a great discipline, both restaurants are made better by the other’s existence.
Where Contra is disciplined and restrained, the no-​reservations Wildair is brave and informal. The chefs seem to have relaxed their cooking and now apply salt, fat, and spice with a more freewheeling hand, and it is for the benefit of all. The tender morsels of beef tartare were made rich from ethereal ribbons of smoked cheddar and chesnut, and then quickly made spicy by just the right hit of horseradish. With crispy barley scattered on top, it is a dish made by chefs with an almost unparalleled intuition for what is perfectly fresh, natural, and seasonal, and yet the depth of flavor is more profound than imaginable.
The spicy tuna on toast topped with tomatoes of an identical hue is slightly less successful, with the briny scallion that tastes of seaweed too strong a flavor to sit next to the delicate fish. It is, however, just a rare unfortunate incident when one novel, conceptual flavor wins out at the expense of others.
Yet in the whole Georgia white shrimp, served heads-​on with celery and cilantro, adventure and experimentation return, and bold, oily, spicy flavors zing around the palette. The plate feels like an evolution of the chefs’ more emphatically New Nordic inspiration taken at Contra, presenting a meal here of whole, scavenged ingredients treated with a breathless, expressive energy.
As at Contra, Chef von Hauske’s «bread and butter service» is still exceptional, most recently presenting a gloriously dense and chewy roll with a crackling crust. However, the dish that possibly best represents Wildair is the fried squid. Here, the chefs have lightly fried in what is ultimately an airy skin both tender bites of squid and barely preserved slices of lemon. After a surprising bite of the fried lemon, the acidity and bittersweetness linger, and the next bite of squid, dipped in a rich, dark aioli stained with ink, becomes even brighter and more deliciously energetic. The dish in its entirety embodies the earnest, experimental approach at Wildair, where culinary norms are upended with gentle, contemporary moves.
The space itself has also been designed with a neutral attitude on what form the experience of going out to dinner should take. The narrow, 45-​seat space is divided into two long rows of bar-​height tables with four additional seats on a counter facing directly into the open kitchen, and the long, modern, heavily French wine list offers many the option of just enjoying a drink while perhaps nibbling on a small snack from the menu. Others will be squeezing 5 or 6 larger dishes onto their table, eagerly making a full dinner last for 2 hours. It is almost as if the restaurant wants to scream that it is «For the People!», whoever they might be.
The chefs are young and they are exceedingly talented, and thus the food is focused and energetic, the restaurant honest and transparent in turn. Indeed, Wildair is a great work in a great discipline, a great addition to dining in the Lower East Side, a great addition to the young, modern New York we know.

Wildair — you are officially one of my favorite places now in NYC.
The people who work there are so friendly, down to earth, and they easily make you feel very welcomed. They paid attention to little service details, down to putting the merchants copy receipt on top of the customer copy.
The reason for the 5 stars is that I’ve been to Wildair twice and had two amazing meals. Every single dish was delicious; there wasn’t one that fell flat. I also liked the order in which they served everything from lightest to spiciest.
Everyone raves about the bread and olive oil, and yes… you should absolutely pay $ 4 for this. The bread is everything everyone says it is: warm, soft on the inside, hard on the outside. The other dishes are small, so you mostly get full on the bread.
Scallop Crudo — My sister’s favorite. They had slices of grapefruit mixed in there with kale and cucumber. I love cooked scallops, and normally don’t get the crudo, but this dish had me rethinking my stance
Beef Tartare — The cheddar wasn’t overwhelming like I find most cheese toppings, but just the right amount was added. This was my favorite dish. The beef was finely chopped and managed to feel airy.
Spicy Tuna — This is served on toast and definitely has a kick to it.
In total, we spent about $ 50. The first time, my friend and I ordered wine which was delicious and super reasonable. Wildair has a fantastic wine list, and the servers are very knowledgeable about what pairs well with certain dishes.
Highly recommend coming here.

All right then!
I would probably come back and devour two more plates of that fried squid. The squid ink mayonnaise, I could have bathed in. We also tried the beef tartare and potato darphin, jalapeño, and uni. When he described the latter, he said «it’s like smashed hash browns… with jalapeño… and uni.» The magic words.
Same sentiment about the chocolate hazelnut tart. I guiltily looked at my friend, my eyes begging for the last bite. Then I discovered that putting some of the remaining rhubarb vanilla custard ON TOP of the hazelnut tart made it even more delicious. I may not cook a lot but I really know how to mix together food on my plate, true Asian-​style.
Great experience. Tiny and modern space. Lovely for a summer day when they open the doors and let the air and light flood in. Wild air, might I venture?