An acquaintance recently told me that her sole, idiosyncratic criterion for evaluating restaurants is answering the following question: Is the experience transportive? Is there some aspect of the place—food, service, decor, scene, or the amorphous but all-important quality of vibe—that takes her on a journey, hauls her out of the everyday and into a different realm. To each their own, of course—her standard sets a very high bar indeed—but this question has been on my mind as I’ve been thinking about Eliza, a new bistro in Midtown Kingston. Partially because of something the chef, Chris Bradley, said when asked how he would describe Eliza.
“It's that restaurant somewhere in another country which you found out about it because you were sitting in a train station reading a novel in the native tongue of where you're at,” says Bradley. “A couple noticed you, and said, ‘Hey, we're American expats. If you're looking for something to eat, you should really try this place in our neighborhood.’ It's not on any of the tour guide stuff. It's been in that neighborhood for 60 years, and it's just simple, pure, elegant food. Nothing too fancy. There's nothing overthought about it.”
For my money, however, Eliza is anti-transportive. It feels like home—my ideal dwelling being a cozy and uncomplicated bistro serving solid cocktails, briny oysters, and a half-roasted chicken that makes me want to order chicken. Although the bistro just opened last week, it feels like it’s been there forever.
Eliza is the latest endeavor of the culinary crew behind Ollie’s Pizza, Fletcher & Lu, and Ollie's Slice Shop, who teamed up with Bradley, an alum of Cafe Boulud and Gramercy Tavern. It’s part of the three storefronts on Broadway that also house Fletcher & Lu and Ollie's Slice Shop, all above a massive commissary prep space spanning the entire footprint of the building in the basement. Everything for the Ollie's group constellation of food businesses is made there: the dough for the pizzerias, the to-go cassoulet for the provisions shop, whole-animal butchery and pastas and bread for all the outlets to share. “We knew we'd be building efficiencies in,” says Bradley. “We’re buying whole animals, we have an in-house butcher, and the labor is spread out between three or four businesses so it allows us to keep the prices at lower than average.”
Located in the space formerly occupied by late, lamented Tony’s Pizzeria, Eliza is a worthy successor to that local institution and despite a gut renovation, it resembles an unscruffy version of Tony’s. The bar is in the same spot (marble updates applied), distressed tile makes the floors look many-years scuffed, vintage lighting and brightly colored Vitrolite glass tiles are throwbacks, and Lite Brite Neon retooled the Tony’s sign to say "Eliza" in the style of the original. One bright improvement: the raising of the ceiling and installation of a skylight in the dining room, dispelling its grotto-like darkness. (NB: When the 25-seat dining room gets packed, it can be quite loud in there. If you’re hearing-sensitive, you might try requesting one of the three booths tucked in the back across from the open kitchen or sit at the 14-seat bar.)
The wood-burning grill is the central conceit that holds Bradley’s European-inflected, world-traveling menu together, serving a smoky eggplant dip ($13) alongside a delightful bar snack portion of grilled chorizo ($13) and bratwurst ($19). It’s not fusion cooking, it’s just how Bradley, a transplanted Southerner who’s traveled widely, cooks. “We're more of a global society now,” he says. “We are comfortable with flavors coming from different places mixing. Why not make all those elements cross and fit on one menu, without it being overly didactic about what it is? It's a mix of what I like to eat, where I come from, who I am as a person.”
The menu is a choose-your-own-adventure affair, with the main proteins—the half-chicken ($28) and the daily pork, beef, and fish specials—served a la carte and diners adding on as they like from the sides. “I built it so that it's affordable to be able to get a pork chop, a side of veg for the table to share, a salad, and you can compose your own meal around it and make it how and what suits you, and not some sort of idea I have of this dish and how it's supposed to be composed together,” says Bradley.
Eliza is global comfort food, and the sides reflect it. The rice grits ($6) is essentially a congee, served with fermented turnips and turnip greens and the Asian flavor triumvirate of ginger, garlic, and shallots. The vegetable boulangere ($9) is a rustic French assortment of roasted carrots and cabbage served with fried potato wedges—totally worth it for the table. The fries, served with the fish and also available as a side with kewpie mayo ($8) are crisp-snappingly outstanding, headed to the brink of being oversalted before the vinegar kicks in and saves the day.
The wine program is overseen by the knowledgeable Katie Morton, an Eleven Madison Park vet who also works at another outpost of Ollie’s Group, Kingston Wine Co, an impeccable bottle shop in the Rondout neighborhood. The list, comprising about 50 bottles ranging in price from $45 to $155, is a natural-leaning global tour. “This is more than just ‘natural’ wine, this list is about promoting a new age of wine and other fermented beverages that aim to adapt to our changing world,” Morton says. The following are a few bottles from Eliza’s list Morton thinks folks should try.
Somloi Vándor, Furmint Nagy-Somloi, Hungary, 2022, $78. “This flinty, mineral, and textured white wine is grown on an extinct volcano in Hungary,” says Morton. “Furmint has been grown there for hundreds of years and is responsible for making a very famous dessert wine, Tokaji. This is the bone-dry version of the grape that pairs well.”
North American Press “The Rebel,” Baco Noir, Sonoma, 2021, $105. “North American Press asks the question, what if we planted more drought and disease tolerant grapes in California? This is an example of just one American producer, among a handful that’s really thinking about the future of viticulture by working exclusively with Hybrid grapes,” says Morton. “The grape Baco Noir is rich and inky like a fuller Zinfandel with plummy purple fruits and great with smoked meats just off the grill.”
Responsible Hedonist “Rush the Stage,” Syrah, New Zealand, 2022, $75. “Two self-described Midwest nerds, Diana Hawkins and Frank Lepera, found themselves making wine in New Zealand,” says Morton. “They previously worked in James Beard award-winning restaurants. Their wine project, Responsible Hedonist, seeks to take the bull out of snooty wine drinking and craft sustainable, fun and exciting wines from New Zealand. Their Syrah smells like fresh cherries and white pepper. Fun, transparent and easy to drink!
Some final recommendations: Seeds, Shoots and Leaves ($11). (Any Lynne Truss fan out there?) It's a clean palate-cleanser of leafy greens, shoots, and pecorino that’s made super tart with a generous squeeze of lemon. The first time I dined at Eliza I got the pork chop special ($29), which was simple and succulent—Bradley’s team knows their way around the hearth. There’s other classic bistro fare as well, including the deconstructed elements of a seafood tower available a la carte (pickled sardines, clams, mussels escabeche) and a cheese and charcuterie board ($55). The flavors aren’t trying to rewire your taste buds, they just want to punch you right in the pleasure center. There’s a not a lot of sauce and not a lot of complication. Eliza's slogan might be: Nothing Too Fussy. Sounds like home.
