The Independent in Union Square Has a New Chef

On Friday night, I shrugged off the new snow and made an expedition to the Independent in Union Square. Word was they have a new chef.

Dinner started with briouats stuffed with potato, goat cheese, currants, and pine nuts. Crispy and tasty. Then came a delicious lamb sausage sandwich topped with sauerkraut and fries on the side. All washed down with a couple of pints of Guiness.

What's wrong with this picture? Nothing.

The new chef, Mark Cina, has remade the menu. Mark hails from Stoddard's, Central Kitchen, and KO Prime, places I have never eaten. OK, maybe I had a few snacks at the Enormous Room above Central Kitchen but that was several years ago. The Independent is an old friend and Mark is a welcome addition.