Walk Street: Walk, Skip, Run or Bike - But Get There

I stood at the corner of Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue last Friday and perused the strip looking for some culinary action. My eyes were drawn immediately to Walk Street where it was bustling with activity.

Diners filled up the outside tables as they dined al fresco and others headed in from the warm sun for a mid-day lunch. Immediately upon entering I knew I scored - the energy was frenetic, the dining room was buzzing with chatter and not a seat in the house was to be found except at the bar. 

The bar was pure testosterone, awash in sports memorabilia. However, the décor of the dining room screamed Gotham. Simple brick walls gave a clean look with large food and drink themed paintings splashed with bold color. I met my dear friend who is a mental health professional (also known as my Baby Sister) and we slid into a giant cozy leather booth.

Despite the 80 degree weather, I started with the soup special, Tomato Bisque  ($4.50). A complete soup snob, I was enormously pleased with the complex flavors hidden in the velvety bowl of pureed tomatoes, cream, sherry and basil. The Baby Sister is predictable and went with the fried calamari. We were pleasantly surprised went it arrived with a Thai/Asian themed sweet and spicy sauce. It was delicate, not chewy. It was served with slices of lemon. Skip them and go with sauce.

Jill was our server and very attentive. Bob Kloepfer is the proprietor and came by to introduce himself to Patch. Formerly an executive chef in Manhattan for over 20 years, he opened Walk Street about five years back and brought his Manhattan concepts of food and décor to Garden City.

The lunch menu was on the smaller end, which is generally a good sign and often indicates freshly made food. Kloepfer changes it up and does the seasonal menu thing in addition to daily specials.

The Baby Sister went with the Shrimp Risotto ($11), an amazing bargain. It brought a large bowl of Aborio rice with finely diced pancetta and copious amounts of minced shrimp with some fresh corn. It was seasoned with grated Asiago cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil. Pure decadence, it had a nice bite and held its own as a main dish, although you may want to order as a side because everyone at your table will want to try this creamy delight. This is to be eaten slowly; taste the flavors, enjoy the textures.  

A question asked of many chefs – is Risotto a method of cooking rice or the type of rice? It's technically the method. An Italian dish, you cook the rice in small amounts of broth until it's absorbed, then add more, watching it closely. You finish with grated cheese, which gives the dish it's creamy texture. Risotto likes to be babied but it's not difficult to make. It's always made with Aborio rice, an Italian grain. It's flat and when cooked properly has a pasta like feel to it.   

For my lunch, I went with Oriental Marinated Skirt Steak ($13.95). This once bargain beef (in our Irish home) is very trendy and showing up on menus all over Long Island. Very tender, the meat came slathered in an Asian inspired steak sauce amber in color; it was kicked up with fresh herbs and was served with fluffy old school mashed potatoes. A great portion, it would fill a man at lunch or leave a lighter eater with something to heat up later in the day.

The desserts were fresh; the menu impressive with multiple rich choices. We went with Classic Vanilla Crème Brule, a wafer thin crunch of torched sugar sat atop a velvety cream vanilla custard. A giant fresh strawberry adorned this sublime treat. This was on the money.

We also sampled the apple cobbler with cinnamon ice cream. Genius means simplicity in this dessert. Fresh apples were baked with a nice crunchy top and than a giant scoop of homemade cinnamon ice cream melted around the apples and crunch.

Walk Street is a must – walk, skip, run or bike – but get there! To find out what's on the menu, visit www.walkstreetgc.com.