Yerba Buena Perry, NYC

e have all suffered from a dismal summer: the acerbic recession was never mollified by warm weather and sunny skies, Adam Sandler’s summer comedy was about a dying guy, and comfort food restaurants — “T Poutine, “Gus and Gabriel, and “DBGB — are opening up without any respect for the fact that at some point in our lives we might have to put on a bathing suit again. It is now the end of August and, headstrong as us New Yorkers may be, it is time we own up to the fact that summer just isn’t going to come.

That being said, literal-mindedness will get us nowhere. Summer is not just a season; it is, to many individuals, a feeling, a flavour, even, a way of life. One such New Yorker is restaurateur Christopher Gilman (The Palm), a fertile entrepreneur whose labour produces such glorious fruit it is as if the most verdant of all seasons follows him everywhere. Now that Gilman is partering with acclaimed Latin chef Julian Medina in Yerba Buena Perry, Yerba Buena’s second location, the west village can finally anticipate some abiding heat.

But don’t take my lame metaphor too literally, Yerba Buena Perry — a chic 65-seat, Havana-inspired space, complimented by the tangy flavours and breezy colors of the tropics — is subtle in its attempts to invoke any kind of torrid surroundings. After all, the menu, borrowing cuisines from Peru, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Spain, is spicy enough to generate heat on its own. Rife with tangy, exotic flavours, the card’s highlights include: the flounder ceviche with habanero, avocado, red onions, and cilantro; the tamarind glazed duck confit with mango and fried duck egg; the roasted suckling pig with yucca puree and habanero tomato salsa; and the hearts of palm fries with yerba mate ketchup.

Of course heat is only appreciated when there is an option to cool down and what better way to ameliorate a burning pallet than with a beverage (or two)? Featuring a gambit of libations prepared with pisco, mezcal, tequila, and rum, Yerba Buena Perry’s cocktail list has more than a few gems. I suggest the El ChupaCabra, Yerba’s version of a Margarita, made with herradura blanco, cucumbers, hot sauce and lime; or the blackberry gimlet, a blend of vodka blackberries and lime.

For those of us who are yet to succumb to snowbird status, Yerba Buena Perry is a viable, youthful option. Otherwise, you can always try Jet Blue…. but something tells me their meals aren’t as good.

Address: 1 Perry Street, New York, NY
Contact: 212-620-0808
Cuisine: Latin American
Area: West Village
Venue: Restaurant
Hours: Dinner: Sun. – Wed. 5:00pm – 11:30pm
Thu. – Sat. 5:00pm – 2:00am
Brunch: 11:30am – 2:00pm
Price Range: $$$ (Within Reach)
Payment: Master Card, Visa, American Express

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