Australia via NYC: Tuck Shop

Tuck Shop
115 St. Marks Place
New York

We thought we would never get a restaurant from Australia, until we went there, that is. Suffice to say that when M and I learned about Tuck Shop, an Australian restaurant in Manhattan, we had to go. Lest we question the authenticity of the joint,  it was full of Australian tourists to New York and an Australian server manning the counter. The restaurant itself was tiny, with only room for about 8 to sit, and some counter space, with just enough room for an Australian flag.

The menu was rather limited and the majority of the entrees were savory pies (with a small assortment of soups and salads). Being assured that it was the traditional Aussie way to go, we decided to try a range of pies: from Macaroni and cheese ($6) to Green Thai curry ($5.50) and Vegetarian chili ($5.50). Perhaps the carb-bomb that is a Mac N cheese pie would be lost on most people, but L loved it. The Thai curry pie was more well balanced, and the vegetarian chili had us asking if he was sure it was vegetarian. It was that convincing.

For dessert, we tried to order the famous Aussie cookies, Tim Tams, but they had run out. Even without the added sugar rush of the Tim Tams, dinner at the Tuck Shop was a hearty carb-bomb that filled us right up, though it probably speaks to the mixed culinary legacy left by the Brits.