{"id":1881,"date":"2013-07-10T12:45:19","date_gmt":"2013-07-10T12:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theduanewells.com\/?p=1881"},"modified":"2014-07-11T23:24:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-11T23:24:04","slug":"nycs-plan-b-tapas-is-a-plan-a-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/nycs-plan-b-tapas-is-a-plan-a-destination\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC\u2019s Plan B Tapas is a Plan A Destination"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, I tripped down to Nolita to sample the much vaunted creations of Chef Roberto Hanechak and owner\/culture connoisseur\u00a0Hemant Phul\u00a0(Masala Times, Earth Nightclub<\/i>). After many visits to Spain and in keeping with my unfettered fascination with the growing tapas trend across America, I was particularly enticed by the enthusiastically innovative Plan B menu that promised Oxtail,\u00a0Rabbit Meatballs,\u00a0Eel,\u00a0Shrimp Heads,\u00a0Duck Hearts, Crispy Pigs Ear,\u00a0Python Sausage\u00a0and \u201cthe people’s foie gras\u201d\u00a0Bull Testicles. Be still my thoroughly adventurous heart.<\/p>\n

The wickedly eclectic menu at Plan B is anything but random. In fact, finds its inspiration can be found in the division of cattle that was the order of the day in ancient Rome. While the nobles ate the choicer cuts from the cow, the proletariat could afford only what remained, inner organs, hooves, heads, tails, glands, brains, sweetbreads, even testicles and that was called the fifth quarter; hence the “fifth,” meaning useless or worthless, as in “the economy’s fifth wheel.”\u00a0 In a story that history has dictated over and over again with the passage time, it wasn\u2019t long before the \u201cinferior\u201d cooking of the people became renowned citywide and evolved into dishes for connoisseurs. Once considered meat of poor quality, these cuts are now considered delicacies that restaurants and their patrons eagerly enjoy. Et voila Plan B is born.<\/p>\n

\"Plan<\/a><\/p>\n

When I arrived at the eatery, I discovered a dimly lit restaurant brimming with eccentric touches that combined to create a surreal atmosphere that was more than the queerily quirky equal of Plan B\u2019s \u201ccreatively twisted\u201d menu.\u00a0 Custom-made tables rested on concrete floors as 20-foot ceilings with skylights soared above and Gaudi-inspired iron window\u00a0panels added to the sense of whimsy in the space. Jutting out into the center of the room is a bar created out of lava rock from which a menu of hand-crafted\u00a0cocktails and an impressive selection of sherries,\u00a0vermouths, Port, Spanish and French\u00a0wines and\u00a0craft beers\u00a0from Spain and Corsica are poured. It is at once a thoroughly downtown setting that is equally evocative of urban Bilbao or a Barcelona streetscape.<\/p>\n

With our wine ordered, our adventure into Plan B\u2019s wild world of Northern Spanish Tapas began with Marinated Olives and Shrimp Heads saut\u00e9ed with spicy chilis. While the olives recalled the brininess of the Mediterranean, the Shrimp Heads delivered a delightfully spicy punch to the start of the meal that helped me finally understand why my family down South has always preached the flavorful value of the delicacy. Dunking bread into the rich shrimp \u00a0broth was an added bonus.<\/p>\n

Next up was a hearty portion of airy Rabbit Meatballs in a demiglace topped with grated Manchego cheese and a serving of perfect pillows of brioche stuffed with roast pork, Serrano ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and lemon aioli otherwise known as the Pork and Serrano sandwiches.<\/p>\n