We Tried Out Nick Elmi’s Crow’s Nest
The Crow’s Nest. Photo by Jason Melcher
You can head to Morgan’s Pier for a drink and any of the delicious options on chef Nick Elmi‘s menu any time you want. But now you can also grab a group of 20 and get seated above all the ruckus in their newly opened chef’s table, the Crow’s Nest, lofted over the bar.
We checked it out this past Monday. Curious to know what it was like? Read on…
First off, the view from the Crow’s Nest is out of this world: as you eat, the sun sets over the Delaware River, the yachts bob pleasantly, the breeze comes off the water. As far as location goes, they scored big time.
Then there’s the food. Our meal started with an antipasti plate of meats, cheeses, and veggies, followed by a caesar and a tomato-watermelon salad. This particular meal was themed around the whole roast pig they had for us, so the following dishes were all served alongside the suckling: polenta topped with bits of bacon, roasted carrots with whipped ricotta, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Pork shoulder, chops, cheeks: all were passed around the table (the food is served family style). To finish? Blueberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream. A glass of sangria was never far away during the meal, and house-infused liquor followed it.
To sum up: the food is awesome (which totally didn’t shock us considering Elmi rarely fails on that front). The spot has room for growth though– there weren’t exactly enough lights to keep our plates visible once the sun set, and, given the tiny spiral staircase the servers have to climb, service was a bit slow.
All that said, this is al fresco dining with all the bells and whistles: a killer view, and nearly unending nosh. It’s got that laid-back summer vibe that’s emblematic of Morgan’s pier, but is balanced by the elevated cuisine that chef Elmi known for.
As we mentioned before, the table can be booked for $1,500 (which breaks down to $75 per person plus tax and gratuity) and includes a cocktail hour with liquor, wines and craft beers from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at their bar. The meal can be focused around a New England style lobster boil, herb crusted leg of lamb, or a whole roasted suckling pig.
Basically, if you’ve got the gang together, this could be the spot for you. Given that this was their first run through, we have no doubt that the spot will mature (so the few kinks will probably be worked out in due course). And while Morgan’s Pier will be remaining in operation until Halloween this year, right now it looks like the Crow’s Nest will only be running through the end of the season.
Morgan’s Pier [foobooz]
