The name Goblin Market comes from an old english poem about unscrupulous salesmen that used to take advantage of naive young women luring them in with tempting fruits, kind of an amusing concept for a little gastropub. If I was taken advantage of, however, I really didn’t mind. The food and drinks were outstanding (as well as being pricey for my Seattle sensibilities). I started with the Jewelled Berry Martini made from raspberry infused vodka with a good amount of lime juice and cinnamon. Mmm. Yes, please, I’ll have another. Cam’s drink was an equally tasty concoction of gin and pineapple juice, but I’m drawing a blank on the name. (note to self: remember to bring a notebook!)

Cam ordered two appetizers as his supper. First, the rock shrimp risotto… all creamy and buttery with meaty bites of the most tender prawns. Delightful. His second, the miso marinated Hanger Steak, was well seasoned, but a touch on the tough side. The accompanying salad, however, was fantastic, with a light miso ginger dressing. For my main, I had the Saffron Parpadelle, which was fantastic… buttery, rather than creamy, with mounds of wild mushrooms.

Then, the desserts. Holy Moly. Save room for the dessert! I had a panna cotta infused with Pomegranate Oolong (an infusion of an infusion!) and Green Tea, which managed to be light and incredibly rich all at the same time. Little pommegranate seeds and berries provided a great contrast to the smooth cream of the panna cotta. But, Cam really won on the dessert choice with the chocolate ganache tart and a scoop of the most incredible gelato on the planet… a simple chocolate mint chip, but wow. A quick chat with the waiter, and we learned that it had come from the Il Laboratorio del Gelato.

One other thing I’ll note about the Goblin Market – we showed up on a Thursday night without reservations, and they were really great about it. Despite the restaurant being almost entirely full (it only seats about 30), they found us a table within a couple of minutes. The space is really small, so that was quite a feat. And, more importantly, I was really impressed at how generally laid back and friendly the staff was. So much of what I read about New York spots are that the food is great, and the service surly. Goblin Market, on the other hand, was Seattle-style friendly.

Goblin Market
199 Prince St (Cross Street: Between Sullivan Street and Macdougal Street)
New York, NY 10012View Map
(212) 375-8275
Directions: C, E at Spring St

Hours
Mon-Wed 12pm-11pm
Thu-Fri 12pm-12am
Sat 11am-12am
Sun 11am-11pm

No website yet, but here are some related links:
City Search Review
NY Magazine Review

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