La Rural

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La Rural

Photo: Cititour.com

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Contact Info:

Address: 768 Amsterdam Ave (97th St)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10025
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 749-2929
Website: http://www.laruralnyc.com/

Food Info:

Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine: South American
2nd Cuisine: Argentinean

Cititour Review:

It's not too often that you can walk into a new restaurant and feel like it's been there for years. But that is the exact feeling I got walking into La Rural, a new Argenitinean steakhouse on the Upper West Side. It was like an old friend drawing you in.

The warm glow of candles, lots of exposed brick and oversized mirrors do the trick along with La Rural's very friendly staff. There is a bar, but for now it's still bring your own bottle. The biggest surprise at La Rural is the food. And I'll warn you now, be sure to come with a hearty appetite. Portions are large and the food is first rate.

We started with the house empanadas. You can tell they are made with great care. A light and flaky crust encasing juicy bits of meat and olives on the inside. Each bite was heaven. They are by far the best empanadas I have tried in the city. I wanted to take home a dozen. Equally refreshing was the Tres Verdes salad, a mix of fresh greens, roasted shallots and figs, topped off with bits of crispy prosciutto and shavings of paresan cheese. It was large enough for two, although you may want to eat the whole thing yourself.

As you might expect, the menu is heavy on beef. There's filet mignon, rib eye, short ribs and shell steak, all at very reasonable prices. The best way to get your "meat fill" is with the Parrillada for two ($45) which is easily more than enough food for three people. If you've never experienced parillada, it's actually a mini grill that is brought to the table heated with bits of charcoal. At La Rural is arrives filled with Argentine sausage, blood sausage, some of the biggest short ribs I've seen, two juicy pieces of skirt steak and a nice slab of shell steak. Each cut arrived as ordered, medium rare and as juicy as could be. Even the sweetbreads, which I usually steer clear of, were quite good.

If you still have room (we wound up taking home a large doggy bag) there are two desserts worth trying. The house specialty is Chaja, a cake filled with peaches, whipped cream and nuts. It's then topped with bits of meringue and drizzled with caramel. But, my personal favorite was the Panqueque de Manzana, a caramelized crepe topped with thin slices of apple and a dollup of vanilla ice cream. It's simple and a perfect way to end what was a perfect meal. Let's hope they don't change a thing. Bravo!

 

Review By: Thomas Rafael

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