Restaurant Name: De Santos
Location: Trendy West Vil
The Scoup: New American/Rustic
The Vibe:
The interior is amazing - lots of exposed brick, which we are always looking for, especially in a West Vill restaurant. The dining room definitely is a darker space in the evening for the more intimate date night vibes (keep in mind, you know?). We sat in the garden, which was a game changer for a warm Friday evening. A lot of ivy, exposed brick, wooden tables - such a rustic vibe. LOVED it. The waitresses were very accommodating and helpful with choosing between different beverages and chow - creating just an overall great experience. We probably lounged out there for a good three hours, so we were pretty impressed that they didn’t kick us out.
The Beverages:
So, we ordered two beverages (and had some wine, naturally). So, the cocktails: The Santos & Strawberry Fields. The Santos consisted of tequila, lemon, grapefruit, agave & prosecco. This drink was basically a next level, celebratory margarita, which is perfection in a class. Had the freshness of a regular marg, with a tang of grapefruit, finished off with a some bubbly which really stepped it up to the next level. Gonna try to recreate this at home - TBD if that works out. Moving on, the Strawberry Fields was one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve consumed. I’m a big fan of a good fruit puree mixed into a cocktail & this drink exemplified it. We switched out the bourbon for vodka (recommendation from our waitress) which was a strong move, making this drink more incredibly tasty and summery. The cocktails were gorgeous to look at. Friday night started off exceedingly strong.
Their red wine choice was a Nebbiolo which went amazing with the food we ordered. Although we were drinking some cold cocktails to start off the evening, we decided to do the switch it up to go with a red because of our food choices. Aaaaaamen.
The Chow:
So, we got these two apps: Avocado Arugula Salad & Truffle Mac & Cheese. Yes, I said Truffle Mac & Cheese. So, let’s start out there. It was TO DIE FOR. They serve this as an appetizer - now, it is quite clearly more than enough for an entree, but, obviously - we were NOT complaining. It had just enough truffle without being overbearing, and a beautifully delicious breadcrumb topping with an amazing creaminess that is really indescribable. I mean, I GUESS we liked it… For the healthier option, the salad was very light and appropriately contrasted the mac & cheese, which I think our stomaches thanked us for. Comprised of hearts of palm, ‘cado, tomatoes, corn & a light lemon vinaigrette, we had no problem feeling really healthy after finishing both appetizers with #noregrets. We would we order both again, 100%.
Two Entrees: Santos Burger & Salmon. Because we seemed to be winning with the trend of a healthy dish alongside a hearty dish, we continued this pursuit (go big or go home). With wild basil aioli, mozzarella cheese, and bacon on this burger, it was no surprise it was amazing. I mean we could’ve both toss a basil aioli & mozzarella cheese combination in our mouths easily …& then they added bacon & a burger - so, yeah, it was pretty delicious. Not to be overlooked, their french fries were one of the best I’ve ever had. They were skinny and salty and crispy and just straight absolutely amazing. I would definitely put them in the rankings for best fries in #theNYC, which is a very strong statement to make. So for the healthy: we had the salmon, adorned with mashed potatoes & asparagus. The asparagus was perfectly cooked - lightly seasoned, very simple - but very good. Salmon was beautifully medium rare, with a light creamy sauce, which is literally making my mouth water talking about it. The two entrees we chose were fabulous. De Santos really coming in for the W.
Getting a little red wine action in there #gamechanging.
Dessert: Lava Cake.
For the last course - because we clearly needed another, we shared the Lava Cake. It was absolute heaven in our mouths. HEAVEN. Gooey and fudge-y on the inside, light and powdered on the outside, exactly how a lava cake should be. It was a very simple dessert - with a side ice cream & a little graham cracker dust, which was pretty much the perfect way to end this phenomenal meal. Warning: photos below will make you extremely hungry and NEED LAVA CAKE (to note: there are worse things in the world than needing lava cake).
The Recap:
It’s safe to say that we walked out of De Santos feeling extremely satisfied and definitely carrying a couple extra pounds, which is totally fine. It was a pretty spectacular deal with the amount of food, the quality of food, the ambience & the experience as a whole. Great place and based off their bottomless brunch menu, which I looked over as I was leaving… I will be back.