Freeman -- American Cuisine in the Lower East Side

You can not judge a book by it's cover, but can you judge a restaurant by it's facet?


Some restaurants are love at first sight for me without tasting their food: One if by land, Mari Vanna, Lady Mandl's tea salon to name a few.
Freeman was one of them.


Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a camera with me this time.
The cellphone pictures will have to do.
 

Fried Vermont Quail with warm cabbage slaw
Anything fried always taste good.  The crispy skin & breading had a lot of flavor.
The crunchy cabbage slaw added an interesting contrast in texture and flavor. 


Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels in Hefeweizen broth with garlic aioli, toast
Sorry, I totally forgot to take the picture until we almost finished the dish.
Steam Mussels was an easy dish and could hardly go wrong, loved the grilled toast.


Pan Roasted Arctic Char with stewed leeks, beet chips & meyer lemon salad
I was curious about arctic char since I did not come across to it often. Turned out, it was very much like salmon, but lighter. 
The dish was executed perfectly. The skin was crispy and the meat was moist.
The stewed leeks, beet chips, and meyer lemon salad was so good that it really made this dish special.


Seared Filet Mignon with sweet & sour onions, mashed potatoes in horseradish cream
Another dish that was executed well. The sweet & sour onions and mash potatoes were excellent!
 

Sauteed Swiss Chard
Again, we ordered this side dish because Swiss Chard was not something we cooked or came across often in restaurants.


Apple Cobbler with vanilla ice cream, caramel & seasalt
Our waiter's recommendation. I loved warm dessert.  IT felt homey and comforting. 


Okay, maybe I am not completed objective when it comes to judging a restaurant. 
Freeman would probably have to do terribly wrong for me to not liking it.
However, not only did I enjoy the ambiance and the food; the service was also worth noting.

I loved when I went to a restaurant, the servers could give me concrete and thoughtful  inputs when I asked for recommendations, not just gave me the standard PR answer:  "They were all good." 
Our server at Freeman was attentive and knowledgeable that made our dining experience even more pleasurable. 
 
Freeman is a great restaurant for a romantic dinner.
It can also be perfect for a few friends hanging out at the bar with drinks & appetizers. .