Few foods are as primal as bone marrow. Fatty, earthy and rich, like a more approachable foie gras, Anthony Bourdain calls it "God's butter."
Bone marrow has been embraced by foodies for years, but for a food that's essentially added value — what else exactly are restaurants going to do with those bones? — marrow always seems to be served in a rather precious manner. For something this delicious, I'm never quite satisfied by two or three cylinders of bone with a bit or two of marrow in the middle.
Leave it to Max's Wine Dive and chef Michael Pellegrino to put an end to all that. The roasted bone marrow at Max's is a full plate, consisting of two halves of a foot-long bone, with each individual slice containing a trough of the gooey good stuff, roasted and served with sea salt, a dash of microgreens and plenty of toasted focaccia bread. The plate is simple because the bone marrow steals the show.
For something this delicious, I'm never quite satisfied by two or three cylinders of bone with a bit or two of marrow in the middle.
How much marrow is there on this plate? Enough to serve it with a spoon.
Pellegrino's version is so addictive I could eat it alone, but the dense crunch of the bread is the perfect foil for the fatty, salty spread. At $12, the plate could be shared as an appetizer but is also big enough to make into a meal.
I think even Mr. Bourdain would be pleased.
