The Beekman

ABF & I tried to stop at Les Halles on John Street for steak frites one frosty night, after our awesome wine tasting, only to be turned away because there was a private party going on there. My first thought was 'Hey--does this mean the recession's over?' and the second was 'boo--no mussels.'

ABF is no stranger to the Financial District, however, so he led me around the wobbly, confusing streets to another one of his favorite, but rarely visited, haunts: The Beekman.

The kitchen was about to close, so our server (who had a brogue as thick as Irish butter, she did) warned us that we had to choose quickly. I think she meant to come off a bit severe, but it's really tough with that accent! Nonetheless, we did as we were told and quickly made up our minds.

I ordered the Shepherd's Pie, even though I knew it would come nowhere close to my mother's. Back in my picky eater days, this was a clever way for her to get me to eat veggies BESIDES mashed potatoes. By, you know, swaddling them with mashed potatoes. I still remember how hers smelled and tasted..and while this one was different from hers, it was still delicious. The brown gravy was so fantastic I could not get enough of it. It was a decent serving, too--the dish is very shallow, but it was still more than enough for one person.

ABF's fish & chips were solid: well cooked, the fish was still juicy, the outside wasn't too greasy, and the fries were thick and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. I might have had more than three. ;) The tartar sauce was good, too, and I'm not usually a fan.

We both had piping hot, delicious food in our bellies in mere moments, and walked away sated and happy. While our server rushed us to order, she didn't hustle us out of there once we got our food. The Beekman isn't 'cheap,' per se, but it's not outrageous, either. I'd say most entrees fall around the 11-14 dollar amount, but there were also decent specials on the board. Oh--but the house Merlot? Yeah, skip it. ;)