I was lucky enough to get a little sneak peek at Big Bottom Biscuit Bar which is at the front of Osteria Cotta at 513 Columbus Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets last week. I was amazed at how fast and fresh the biscuits were (I got my order in about two minutes). They are served with Stumptown Coffee and and various soft drinks (many of them unique and hard to get)–and the Biscuit Bar is literally a stall at the left side of Cotta Osteria’s storefront.
This “stall” area had not been used for a longtime, so veteran restaurant investor and publicist Michael Volpatt–whose accounts include Google–decided to make good use of the space with a unique food concept. New York City has never had a biscuit bar before. You walk up, place your order for one of six biscuit items and it comes out superfast. I mean like so fast that you do not even have time for a quick looky-loo at your smartphone texts! All the biscuits are hearty and about 4″ X 4″ by 4″–you will definitely be full on only one and the prices are reasonable (they are all priced between $5 and $9). The coffees and soft drinks are prices between $3 and $4.50 and I haighly recommend the Stumptown Coconut Coffee in a carton. It’s truly a unique coffee taste sensation.
So what are the “Big Six” Big Bottom Biscuit selections? They are 1) Butter And Jam ($4), 2) Marscapone And Honey ($5), 3) Fresh Whipped Cream And Berries ($6), 4) Spicy Pulled Pork ($9), 5) Classic Biscuit With Gravy ($6) and 6) The Sea Biscuit ($10). The Sea Biscuit seems to be the frontrunner from the short but sweet menu in the eaterie’s first week and comes with house cured salmon, creme fresh and pickled onion.
The one I tried was the Pulled Pork and I have to say that I love how super tender and fresh the pork was–plus the fact that the sauce had just the right kick. There was not an overabundance of sauce, which I consider to be the flaw of most establishment that serve pulled pork. The pickled onion and nice portions of field greens with subtle vinaigrette on them just made me say “Wow, I will be back!
