Upper East Side Best Food: Earl’s Beer and Cheese is more than just Manhattan’s best bar food

October 24, 2011

Earl’s Beer and Cheese has food that would make both Spicoli and Sifton swoon. Kimchi, fried pork belly, a fried egg, and shredded New York State cheddar on grilled Grandaisy sourdough ($8, above). Potato chips, Calabro mozzarella, dill pickles, and miso mayo on a toasted Thomas’ English muffin ($6, below).

Asian gnocchi and beef ($8, below) featuring griddled Korean rice cakes, perfectly chewy and crisp, ground beef and chili garlic sauce, scallions, shredded cheddar, and potato sticks, all in a cast iron cauldron.

Order the bread pudding ($8, below) quickly, it goes fast. On a busy Saturday night it also took a while to appear, but it’s worth the wait; a fuzzy crown of maple cotton candy crowns caramelized chunks of Grandaisy brioche soaking in a pool of sweet cream and cubes of Granny Smith apple like a French toast soup.

The combinations of flavors and ingredients leave you shaking your head in disbelief – how does it taste so good and how did they come up with this? Chef Corey Cova went from a cramped US Navy submarine kitchen to Momofuku Ssam Bar before arriving at the closet-sized Earl’s, a path to success as unlikely as that of the menu.

Earl’s Beer and Cheese Link 1259 Park Ave b/t 97th and 98th Street New York, NY 10029 (212) 289-1581 Open Mon-Wed 4pm-12am, Thurs 11am-12am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-12am, Kitchen closes 11pm nightly

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