This Wolf is Bad

And by bad I mean bad ass. Some wonderful Austrian cuisine has joined the East Village. The Wolf himself greeted me at the bar as I wondered in on a very busy Saturday night. Wolfgang, and his partner Edi, have just recently opened Edi & the Wolf on Avenue C. These boys are famous already for their restaurant Seasonal in midtown, so they definitely hit the ground with a running start. The food was fantastic! We sat and the bar and got a first hand view into the action. We got great recommendations both for wine and food. The bartender, Eugene, who was really a Turkish pirate, took such good care of us! So much so that we ended up closing out the place with some of the locals crew well until the early morning!

As for the food, we started with the Pickled Vegetables, which were so unique and refreshing. Then the Spatzle, which was SO delicious. It was incredibly creamy with wonderful mushroom, roasted brussel sprouts and topped with thinly sliced fried onions. The combination of textures were amazing! It was probably the most delicious thing I've ever tasted.

We then ordered the Wiener Schnitzel. It comes both in veal and in heritage pig. It was truly amazing! I wish I could eat it every night. It was so thin and the batter was so airy and crispy. They are so famous for their schnizel at their other restaurant Seasonal so I was so happy that they have brought it to the east village!

The wine... oh the wine, was incredible. I was first introduced to dry Austrian wines in San Francisco at Slanted Door and haven't had too much exposure to them since...so this was a real treat. We tried at least 3 or 4 variaties and they were all so complex and so special! They work so nicely with the food, even on a cold night. The Wolf poured us two glasses of this very rare Riesling shown below. If anyone can find this bottle, please let me know!!

I loved it so much that I took another few friends there tonight and unfortunatly I didn't take more photos but I tried some more dishes, including the ribs, a salad starter and the homemade ravoli stuffed with this wonderful Austrian cheese that I have never tried before. All the dishes were great!

Now the space... I don't know where to start. It's like a cozy little haven. The minute you walk in you feel it. The comfort, the love behind the food and the people. The space is designed by a set designer so it is over the top and at the same time so right and simple. Nothing feels overdone or like it's trying to hard. It's just interesting and new... and really wonderful! The faucet in the washrooms are simply two tubes that come out of the pipes tied together with a metal fixture. It's honest and artisitic. It feels like you're on a set of a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film and I didn't want to ever leave.

It was truly one of those amazing New York moments… finding a gem in your neighbourhood with a welcoming family vibe.
I plan on frequently this place for the rest of the winter. They just opened yesterday for their first brunch. The Wolf let me peek at the Brunch menu and they have a Wiener Schnitzel burger!! So I will most likely be back on the weekend for that. They will open up their garden in the back once the weather gets warmer so this will no doubt be the happening brunch spot this summer!

Edi & the Wolf
102 Avenue C (+ 7th st)
ediandthewolf.com