There is a unique atmosphere of un-presumptuous masculinity, with comfortable, modern seating, warmly lit globes, and pictures of horses and cows on 1st Street’s latest restaurant addition. When Olivia, from the Manhattan Sideways team, announced that it looked like “Madmen meets the ranch,” Josh Capon, owner and chef of Bowery Meat Company, raised his eyebrows in humorous consideration. Within only months of first opening towards the end of 2014, Josh already had diners tell him that they had returned eight times. This is exactly what he loves to hear, since one of his primary goals is to create an “eatable and approachable” place in the East Village. He went on to say that he is pleased to be on a side street, as being off the beaten path translates to more locals and, hopefully, regulars.
Josh and his partner, John McDonald, opened the Bowery Meat Company to be a “meat-centric” restaurant with an emphasis on sourcing and seasonality. As Josh explained, “Seasons are nature’s way of saying what we should eat and when we should eat it.” They get a lot of their meat from Diamond Creek Ranch, which is producing “some of the best meat in the country,” according to Josh. The feedback he has received from customers has generally been very positive. “People are freaking out over our broiled oysters,” he said, as he placed a plate of the breaded, garlicky delicacies in front of the Manhattan Sideways team, surrounding us with their tantalizing smell.
When Josh returned to the kitchen, one of the managers, Lindsey, brought us a plate of fried Arancinis. These scrumptious rice balls are placed on the table at the start of every meal. Lindsey picked up where Josh left off telling us that even though the restaurant stresses meat, they can easily feed vegetarians and vegans. For instance, the standard arancinis are oxtail, but they also have basil pesto versions. “We are very mindful of our guests’ preferences,” she said. Next up, we were introduced to the pastry chef, Katie McAllister, who is in charge of the masterfully created desserts, such as the S’mores Sundae and “Brookies,” which are “what would happen if a brownie and a cookie had a baby.” Lindsey told us that thanks to Katie, the kitchen smells like toasted marshmallow each and every morning.
Every aspect of the restaurant appears to click into place to generate a relaxed, comfortable, modern dining experience. Josh’s final words to us were, as he stepped back into the kitchen, “I’m very proud of this restaurant.” As well he should be.
