A friend and I recently met at the spotted pig to feast on what I’ve long considered the best burger in NYC. Unfortunately, we were greeted with the usual two hour wait for a table. We decided to forgo the miserable experience of waiting amongst the west village hipster douchebags at the bar and set out to find another restaurant nearby. We were lucky enough to stumble upon Tremont – a small, dimly lit restaurant on the corner of bank st and west 4th. The food was incredible and they have a great beer/wine selection (try the Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale). I started with the polenta croutons, which are lightly fried cubes of rich polenta topped with sauteed mushrooms, parmesan cheese and herbs. For my entree, I had the braised lamb shank (pictured above), which is served on a layer of cous cous and topped with sauteed peppers and harissa (a delicious Mediterranean spicy chile sauce). Next time you are waiting for a table at an overcrowded west village restaurant, give Tremont a try.
