Bone dry Albariño and chilled mussels…

There’s the theory that life-imitates-art, the idea that moments in time are oftentimes inspired by a form of creative output, but in so many cases in my life, life-imitates-food. Having recently returned to New York City after a trip back home to London, part of me was struck with homesickness, already anticipating a European summer I was hoping would arrive promptly.

With so much uncertainty over the past few years, there was an air of certainty — or perhaps cautious optimism — around travel that led to planning feeling real.

One of the places that immediately came to mind as I was back home in England was San Sebastián in northern Spain. Seemingly not deterred by Woody Allen’s latest release — Rifkin’s Festival — there was a simple allure of the area that took me back to the bliss of spending mornings with my parents in Mercado de La Boqueria in Barcelona as a child, enthralled by everything it had to offer from mussels to jamon — the epitome flechazo.

To me, the north of Spain is as exciting east as it is west, with Galicia being another area of interest to visit due to a recent desire to learn more about Spanish wine through the lens’ of the Portuguese-bordering white wine producers of the region.

That’s where Cervo’s comes in.

A force on Canal Street since 2017, Cervo’s Spanish-Portuguese fare is tucked away in a nondescript front, surrounded by some of New York’s best dining options a stones throw away. But the self-proclaimed “ode to the seafood of the Iberian peninsula” truly stands out, providing outstanding food in a venue that feels as if you’re seated in a bar de tapas in Basque Country.

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First things first, the wine. I had mentioned taking a particular interest in wines from Galicia as of late, particularly those from Rías-Baixas, and it all stems out of an appreciation for French Burgundy. Thinking back to summer evenings with family and friends, there was an expectation that a bottle of Chablis or Puligny-Montrachet would be at the heart of the table. Dry and less acidic than their Cortese counterparts such as La Scola or Villa Sparina, both Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet feel like the best representation of Chardonnay to me.

In discussions with friends, though, and always on an ongoing quest to push my wine horizons, Albariño felt like the natural progression from Chardonnay to try. Scouring Cervo’s wine list, hoping to find a bone-dry Albariño, I paused when I saw the name Pazo de Rubianes knowing the prestige that the vineyard just north of Ponteverde holds.

Pazo de Rubianes, named an International Garden of Excellence, only uses the top 30% of grapes produced, paving the way for some of the regions best wines like their 2017 ‘1411 Albariño,” which has been lauded as not only affordable, but an exemplar of the grape itself.

Opting to try their 2020 ‘Pino Manso Albariño’ it was what I was hoping to get: dry, a strong tree fruit nose and a lack of minerality — oftentimes the variable that can make or break a Chardonnay experience for me. More importantly, the wine was exactly what was needed on one of the first warm days of the spring, and on a night copious seafood would be had.

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With the wine chosen, the all-important decision around food had to follow. Looking at the menu, it’s very rare that almost every dish felt like something I’d order, but this is where I always say whomever I’m with has a certain responsibility to help reign me in.

Sat on a two-person hightop, trying to figure out what to order, I remembered a quote from Bourdain that coincidentally has been the description for my go-to dinner playlist when friends are over: “I choose this meal and this order, and I choose you, the person across from me, to share it with. There’s a beautiful intimacy in a meal like that.” It boils dinner down to exactly what it should be: simple. It’s an escape, even just for a couple of hours, where four simple things matter: the company, the food, the wine and the setting.

But I digress.

Having been reigned in, the order was settled: spicy mussels escabeche, golden rice with clams, a grass-fed lamb burger (with marinated anchovies, of course) and a half chicken baked with piri piri.

First up were the spicy mussels escabeche. Served chilled, the contrast of the temperature to the escabeche was perfect, allowing the spices to dominate on the cooled mussels. Instantly, the zest of the escabeche on the mussels and the dry, acidic nature of the wine paired perfectly.

In keeping with the under-the-ocean theme of the food, the clams followed shortly, balancing the thickness of the garlic and spiced rice with the light, saltier flavour of the steamed clams.

I’ll preface the two main courses ordered by saving I typically don’t eat lamb in New York, but having it recommended to me instantly ensured it must be something special. It was.

The lamb burger with the marinated anchovies, topped with a Greek yogurt sauce and endive, was instantly a flavour trip back to the Mediterranean, combining the characteristically lighter meat in lamb with the perfect saltiness of anchovies to balance out the fennel and aioli.

Last, but not least, was the chicken. Another meat I often find myself cooking at home, but rarely ordering outside, two people had told me that I had to order this dish. A half chicken, especially after everything else ordered, is usually a tough sell for a table of two, but up for the challenge, it felt like the perfect way to close out the meal.

One bite in and the flavours from the paprika and piri piri chilies were instantly there, but there was a sweetness to the chicken too that I’d later find out came from sherry vinegar. Cooked with lemon zests as well, despite the spice the chicken was supposed to convey, it felt well-rounded, making it one of the best chicken dishes I’ve had in New York City, up there with Dirty French’s chicken and crepes.

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Inconspicuous, dimly-lit and an escape to western Europe in the heart of Two Bridges, Cervo’s is one of the better kept secrets in New York’s food scene. The food is up there with some of the best seafood I’ve gotten to try in the city, with a level of complexity to the menu that ensures you can always try something new. With an air of casualness to the atmosphere, and a hustle and bustle that would place you in the midst of an ir de tapas on the street-facing high top counter, Cervo’s is a place that should become a mainstay in most people’s routines.