Ça Va opened right by my neighborhood, and I heard nothing about it. It looked a bit like a night club on 44th between 8th and 9th. I was surprised to read that it was from Todd English when I walked by. I guess Todd English just doesn’t carry the celebrity chef status that gets most a lot of press? Or maybe I just missed it.
Either way, when we were looking for some late night fare after leaving a Broadway show, we decided to pop in and try it. It has a very modern feel and a very nice aesthetic.
We started with what I think was a special with pork belly and eggs. I cannot remember exactly what it was, but I remember enjoying it. (UPDATE: Kim remembered! “It was a play on bacon egg and cheese: Bacon Egg And Cheese berkshire pork belly, quail egg , gruyère foam, 14.00. Thank goodness for search engines that still list old menus!” Mmmm pork belly and quail egg.
I then had the “CARPACCIO DE BETTERAVES” which was golden and red beet carpaccio with pistachio-goat cheese panisse and white balsamic vinaigrette. This was inspired. The beets were sliced super thin (just like carpaccio) and made into a wrap around the salad. Not only did it look beautiful and original, it tasted absolutely fantastic. Everything blended so well with acid and sweet and savory. So great. I was super impressed.
We also tried the “HUÎTRES FINIES COMME DES ESCARGOTS” or crispy oysters ‘escargot style’ in herb garlic butter. I was really impressed with how delicious these were. Everything I love about oysters combined with the buttery garlic deliciousness of escargot. Really fantastic.
I was really impressed by Ça Va. When you walk into a Times Square restaurant, you really don’t expect much besides overblown prices and average food. This was especially the expectation since this place looked a little too cool for school (yes… I just said that). But just like Olives, this Todd English establishment surprised and impressed. I would go back for that beet salad alone (and for $12, it didn’t feel that inflated in price compared to other places nearby).
Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10
