East End Kitchen

Almost nothing pleases me more than a cozy neighborhood restaurant in the middle of a residential block. Two-week-old East End Kitchen, the successor to the defunct Le Boeuf A La Mode, is right around the corner from me, and I had the good fortune to celebrate my aunt's seventieth birthday there tonight. (I don't know if it was the restaurant's good fortune to serve us, as my aunt has a laundry list of don't-eat-this-and-don't-eat-thats, and my 19-month-old prefers running to sitting, but we certainly had a swell time.)

East End Kitchen is a seasonal, sustainable enterprise that would be right at home on the North Shore. The appetizers include watermelon and goat cheese salad, crab cakes with fennel, and chilled tomato soup, and the main courses focus on simple but satisfying meat dishes (chicken with potatoes and shallots, duck and cherries, pork with peaches) with a sprinkling of seafood entrees.

I have to hand it to the servers, as our party presented some unique challenges. (I almost feel as though I should post a public apology.) First of all, we arrived 10 minutes before the restaurant was due to open, and the staff was having a meeting. No matter, we were graciously seated, as it was raining heavily. A delightful basket of mini-baguettes with unsalted butter was brought to the table. My son threw his bread on the floor. (I picked it up.) More baguettes soon arrived.

My aunt wanted lettuce with mayonnaise for an appetizer. She was presented with a nice plate of mixed greens. "This isn't lettuce," she complained. "It is a variety of lettuce leaves," patiently explained the waitress. "What were you looking for?" It was obvious that my aunt was expecting a plate of pale iceberg leaves. The waitress apologized, explaining that the restaurant did not have any romaine or iceberg and mostly focused on seasonal, local produce.

My aunt also has an aversion to all meats served with sweet accompaniments, which nixed the pork and the duck. As I have written before, she is also severely allergic to pepper. Fortunately, a perfectly rare New York strip steak in a wine sauce with velvety mashed potatoes, green beans and mushrooms gave her nothing to complain about. A burger topped with Gruyere and heirloom tomatoes pleased my mother, and a side of French fries placated my son. The hand-cut fries were outrageously good and crispy, and they passed my son's seal of approval. For myself, I had sort of an interesting non-Italian take on pasta: Swiss chard tortellini with chervil topped with melted cheddar in an unadorned cream sauce.

Serendipitea City Harvest black tea scented with vanilla and orchids was a fragrant accompaniment to a bowl of chocolate mousse, pecans and raspberry coulis. I would like to try the cherry clafouti or the frozen blueberry souffle, but that will have to wait for another visit.

I commend East End Kitchen for gentle, good-natured service, a concise menu of inviting choices, and an uplifting atmosphere.

East End Kitchen: 539 East 81st St., (212) 879-0450.