Duck and beets with the Bossman

Last week, the Bossman was in town from across the pond, and since this was a rare period for us to spend some face-to-face time together, we celebrated with a dinner at 44 & X.

I was battling a tenacious and mean-spirited cold, so my appetite wasn't what it should have been. In order to get some food in me, I ordered the terrine of roasted beets and aged goat cheese, with wild watercress, blood oranges, candied walnuts, and blood orange vinaigrette. Apparently, I'd ordered this dish in a past visit to 44 & 10, to mixed results. This version was pretty much the same-- sweet, firm beets, cut interestingly Ruffles-potato-chip-style, with a sprig of watercress, a few stewed figs, and a tiny little dollop of piped whipped goat cheese (note: don't think this was actually aged goat cheese... it tasted like fresh chevre to me). The dish is still sweet, but if you're craving lots of beets, this'll do.

Golden and sweet

Bossman ordered the sauteed breast of duck, which came with sweet potato hash, the same stewed figs, and a red wine reduction. He called the duck "fantastic," although he largely bypassed the veggies. No matter-- we had a side of spinach to complement our other choices, and it was predictably green and virtuous.

Duck buried under veggies

Vibrant emerald

No dessert (see "lack of appetite" above), and we were on our way. No change here-- 44 & X maintains its three OS rating as a decent, ever-so-slightly overpriced neighborhood restaurant.

44 & X
622 Tenth Avenue, at 44th Street
212-977-1170