Lot 2

Lately, the unabashed celebration of meat has become all too fashionable. “Everything tastes better with bacon” is practically a clich. Such is the shortcoming of Lot 2, an inviting market-driven spot in Sunset Park that offers warm hospitality...and more than preferential treatment to its meat. True, chef Scott Bridi, who used to head the charcuterie program at Gramercy Tavern, has a masterful command of the stuff—a starter of porcine headcheese dubbed “Lipstick on a Pig” featured a jellied tablet of funky yet delicate flesh. Much of what accompanied the proteins, however, seemed like afterthoughts. Moist, flaky cod was a joy to eat, but the white beans and escarole that came with it languished in a bland, brothy puddle (the menu’s promised melted leeks were almost undetectable). A soupy entre of three slow-cooked meats included unctuous lamb rib—one of the best fatty cuts we’ve eaten in a long time—along with brisket and pork jowl. It was a carnivore’s dream, unaided by carrots and potatoes that had all the flavor of plain boiled veggies. Not every non-meat component fell flat, however. A pasta course of lightly buttered homemade tagliatelle tossed with sweet pieces of summer squash and fresh beans was a pleasing seasonal dish, and an intense watermelon granita showcased the fruit’s concentrated taste. With more consistent attention to produce, this meat eaters’ paradise could simply become an eaters’ paradise.