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teristic of a well-fried fry. Be sure to try them
with the sriracha aioli.
The taro fries are an excellent example of
what The Highwater team is trying to do:
something new presented in a familiar way.
While they want to maintain a boutique,
specialized vibe, they want it to be accessible
to eaters of all stripes at the same
time: omnivores, vegans and the glutenfree
alike. Keeping standards high while attempting
to create a welcome atmosphere
for everyone is key — even the well whiskey
is good damn whiskey.
The Gen X, a cocktail with vodka, lime
juice, pomegranate liqueur and flower liqueur
and garnished with a mint leaf, came
out while I thought about the next dish to
try. Much like the tall copper martini glass it
came out in, the drink’s light citrusy feel elevated
the mood and my appetite. I picked
two all-season mainstays off the menu: a
pork belly taco and a fish taco.
I love pork belly, and this taco didn’t
disappoint. It was savory and tender with
smoky notes, and the sriracha aioli reappeared
here to really shine.
The fish taco, made with whitefish breaded
with panko crumbs and a secret seasoning,
was a new twist on fish tacos for me.
Chef Dionne’s fine dining resume mixes with
his love of comfort (previously, the chef was
at Per Se and BarBacon in Manhattan) and
really shines through with these tacos.
Poke was out next, a small tower of seaweed,
avocado, pineapple, tuna and ginger
garnished with a completely edible flower.
Sweet, tender and flavorful, this was a step
above the lunchtime poke bowls dotting Midtown.
Everything on the menu is designed
to be shared — a tapas approach without the
overtly Spanish influence — and the poke
was no exception. Spilke and Colom-Rocha
helped themselves to a forkful of the poke as
we talked.
Eating at The Highwater is all about sharing
the experience of eating together. There are
no televisions or touchscreens, and everything
is designed to keep you focused on the
moment at hand, rather than distracting you
from it. Don’t come here to watch the game
over a plate of wings. However, if football
Sundays are more about the wings than the
games for you, The Highwater has a dish you
need to try: the chicken karage (“car-ee-ahgee”),
boneless, breaded chicken marinated
in a secret recipe, fried and served with a side
of the sriracha aioli.
Last for the night was a hanger steak with
mashed taro. Basted in a citrus soy ginger
marinade, glazed with balsamic and paired
with the wasabi aioli, this steak almost fell
apart before it made it to my mouth. It’s
shareable, all right — if it lasts long enough
for someone else to grab a piece.
Beyond being shareable, though, The
Highwater’s menu makes an effort to encourage
you to play around. Have you ever
gone out with friends and ordered a few appetizers
so everyone could try a little of everything?
Eating at The Highwater is like that
— don’t come here to eat one good thing.
Come here to try four awesome things.
As I started to wrap up, Colom-Rocha insisted
I try a new drink coming out with the
winter menu, the Red Rooster. It’s like a boulevardier
with a twist: Campari, bourbon and
a big rind of orange. I can tell it’ll warm many
a cold winter night in the coming months.
As fall turns to winter, keep an eye out for
a few dishes still to come on the menu. The
steak will have a new marinade and come
out with sizzling onions; there’ll be special
broccoli and bok choy dishes; sliders
will make an appearance; and bottomless
brunch is only a couple months away.
Look, too, for sidewalk seating to arrive in
the warmer months. While certainly a welcome
addition to any neighborhood bistro,
it’ll be especially inviting in The Highwater’s
corner front wraparound space.
Photos courtesy of The Highwater