Schilling

Address | 109 Washington St, New York, NY 10006

We’re back in the city for the weekend and last night we decided to go out for Austrian fare at Schilling in the Financial District. Located in an intimate space, the high ceilings and windows open the rustic space up a bit. The three of us were seated in a banquette and we had a really friendly and good server. Wanting to stick with the regional theme we started with an order of Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch. Unfortunately the Blaufränkisch was out, but our server made it up to me with a generous pour of pinot. The appetizers were our favorite part of the meal. The smoked trout rilettes, served with a rich dark pumpernickel toast, was delicious and the most balanced flavors from all the dishes. We also shared the crispy hen of the woods. It was good but in the Austrian tradition, the breading and fry was heavy so be sure to share this dish. The portions for the large dishes were in fact very large. You may want to share a main between two people because in addition to being large they are of course, very rich and heavy. There were a few execution issues, my son’s burger was grilled on one side only, the ketchup was heavily seasoned with anise, but overall it was a good Austrian meal. While we were all very full from the meal, we did want to share the apple strudel for dessert. While it was very tasty my wife and I were both disappointed that the traditional crust was substituted for an easier phyllo dough. The shortcut on an iconic Austrian dish at an Austrian restaurant is a disappointing choice.

Overall, the ambiance and service were nice, the food was good, not great.