Hot trendy place turned Tribeca neighborhood spot for brunch, lunch and dinner, The Independent really surprised me when I returned after not going there for two years. The smoked babyback ribs with creamy cole slaw and roasted corn on the cob is one of the best in NYC (maybe the country!) and one of my guests had a confit of duck legs with roasted butternuts squash, garlic mashed potatoes and braised leeks which was out of this world. The oysters (served on the half shell or fried with cornmeal coating) are among the freshest I have ever had and my other guest had terrific tuna and salmon dishes which I could not keep my hands off. The small modern two story townhouse is an intimate setting and Helen Hunt was sitting at a dimly lit table in the corner (she lives two streets away). What a place, what a find!
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