Don’t Miss the Arroz a la Plancha, the banana pudding, or anything Jacob Nass wants to pour you at this new West Village, New York hotspot.
Before last week, “wine bar with funky small plates” wasn’t high on my list when I thought about all of the culinary projects I wished would spring up in the West Village, around my Manhattan apartment. Demo, from Cool World’s chef Quang “Q” Nguyen and beverage director Jacob Nass, forced me to rethink that stance.
Maybe all of the Crab Casino topped with Ritz crackers and an herby chimichurri-adjacent drizzle went to my head. But I’m more inclined to blame the perfect storm of martini-on-a-weeknight-vibes—the interiors, designed by Courtney Schneider, are stripped down and sexy, a little reminiscent of how Mimi looked when it first opened on Sullivan Street—and deftly rendered, slightly subversive dishes like the brown butter banana pudding, which is ninety percent whipped coconut cream and toasted almonds. The slim bar in the restaurant’s front room is ideal for a solo diner and offers unadulterated access to Nass, who will tell you exactly how the sparkling coffee ale he’s pouring you came to find a home on his strange and exciting list of natural wines.
But the true reason to visit Demo, no matter where you sit, is for the Arroz a la Plancha, a throwback to Dina Fan’s time at Tertulia. At Demo, Carnaroli rice is cooked until creamy with onion, king oyster mushrooms, and stock, then stuffed with taleggio and fontal, a bit like a rice omelet. The risotto-roll is seared on the (you guessed it) plancha, for a frico-like shell, which is just as satisfying as it sounds like it would be to slice through. That would be enough, but the kitchen also tops it with roasted black trumpet, oyster, maitake, and shimeji oysters, for your health. Next time I make it to Demo, I’m ordering two.
Demo, 34 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014.