Lara Rabinovitch
Abraço
By Lara Rabinovitch
Small space has never been an issue for New Yorkers. Hearing strangers’
conversations about last night’s romps and bumping elbows on crowded
sidewalks are features of sharing this tiny island. And at the East
Village coffee bar, Abraço, never has cramming into a small space been
more of a privilege.
Abraço appears like one of those spots you happen upon while traveling
through a dusty Catalan town or in some gloriously forgotten corner of
Puglia. The coffee is served no nonsense, and, just like in every bar
in Italy, never does this cappuccino scald your tongue, though there is
nary a thermometer in sight. One does not need a coffee lexicon
dictionary to order either. With his mop of salt and pepper hair, Jamie
McCormick presides over the machine and prepares each cup with
love—literally—as he effortlessly folds the foam into a heart shape,
promising karmic bliss as you head into your day.
But the food is what really gets me at Abraço (which, by the way, means
embrace in Portuguese). Behind the coffee bar a custardy frittata
slightly resembling a Spanish tortilla rests in a luxurious puddle of
olive oil—a running theme here. Pastry chef Elizabeth Quijada has
already become famous for her olive oil cake, which amounts to a
brilliant 21st century update on pound cake. Alchemist that she is, she
also somehow prepares a sweet black olive studded shortbread that could
have Ferran Adria begging for the recipe. Little tuna or egg sandwiches
served on pillowy brioche are almost too precious to eat, and the
decadent ricotta French toast fritters beckon as well. An ever-changing
roster of simple prepared dishes—antipasti, salads, a soup—usually even
things out, and everything is seasonally inspired (purple potato
fried-to-order chips, thank you). So nibble on a Concord grape
thumbprint cookie as you lean on your tiny spot of the bar. Sip your
bliss and savour the buzz.
Abraço. 86 E. 7th Street, New York City. 212-388-9731
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