Employees Only (West Village)

A couple of Saturdays ago, Traci and I went to Employees Only to catch up over dinner and drinks. I suggested the restaurant because I was in the mood for tasty cocktails, a nice meal and the option to have my fortune read. The Tarot card reader in the entryway of the restaurant is a unique and much appreciated feature of Employees Only.

We arrived at around 9 p.m. The fortune teller was busy so we walked right in. The place was crowded but not overly packed as I had feared. We were seated right away at a table in the bar area – great for people watching, but also very loud. We started off with a few rounds of tasty (and potent) cocktails.

For dinner, we each ordered the asparagus salad which was served with endive, arugula and parmesan in a light and lemoney dressing. My only complaint was that there was more lettuce than asparagus. I don’t see this salad on the menu now so it may have been a seasonal item.

For our main dish, Traci and I shared the Hand-Cut Steak Tartar that is served with crostini and mixed greens. This was Traci’s first taste of this delicious raw beef dish which is made table side by mixing the beef with an egg yolk, onions, parsley, capers, pepper, salt and hot sauce.

The end result is this fabulous and multi-colored dish. It was just a tad too salty but otherwise delicious. Definitely a dish I would order again at Employees Only.

Unfortunately for me, the Tarot card reader was still busy when we were leaving so I didn’t get a glimpse into what my future may hold. Next time.