Grey Ghost is a good sized place with a large bar area, small patio and dining room. The long bar has stool seating at the counter and additional counter seating that seemed available for walk-in diners. The partition this area backs up to forms the main dining room and a long seating bench is on the other side. Next to the streetside windows are better spaced tables. The restaurant has not been open quite a year but the weekday evening we were there the place was packed with a multi-aged casual crowd that wound down by around 10:00 pm. Fairly loud music plays in the background and coupled with the crowd size, noise level is an issue.
The kitchen offers a number of plates designed and encouraged to be shared by the table. They did offer a few nightly specials. The wine list is small but the bar is fully stocked including large ice cubes, where only one is needed per glass. Service was helpful, friendly and efficient but the food was mixed. They have some interesting combinations but they don’t quite come off as good as they sound but with a little tweaking this place looks like a keeper.
The Octopus Corn Dog was just as stated – grilled pieces of octopus were encased in a corn encrusted hotdog shape, complete with the stick. It was sauced with a chipotle and avocado sauce with a row of caviar on the top. The breading was too heavy and the caviar was not of a quality to overcome an unpleasant fishiness. The octopus was cooked nicely but it needed a lot more seasoning and to come out of the kitchen hotter to make it work.
Fried bologna was served on a waffle with cheddar and a jalapeño dressing. The dressing had a slight sweetness that worked well with the housemade bologna. It had a nice chewiness, bits of crispiness and the sweet and spicy effect set it off well. The waffle held it all together. This one was a winner.
A nightly special was foie gras paté served with a bacon croquette and cherries on a slice of pound cake. This was tasty but the croquette seemed heavy to pair with the rich foie gras. The cherries and pound cake were great accompaniements.
The 60 dry aged NY Strip steak was cooked perfectly and was wonderfully tender. It was served with crispy onions on top and the steak sauce hollandaise was great with it. I could have eaten the entire plate myself the meat was that good.
The Spare Ribs were liberally sauced but the meat was on the dry side. The buffalo sauce didn’t seem to have the right tang for a rib sauce and we tried a different sauce but it didn’t work either. The slaw was fine but unexciting.
Brussels sprouts were browned, caramelized and served with bit of crispy chicken skin. The savory chicken skin really added a savory touch to this delicious side dish.
The French Fries were served with a “fancy sauce” but they were mostly limp instead of crispy. The sauce couldn’t save them.
The cauliflower was sliced thin and served with a pecorino spaetzle, raisins and bits of tomato. It was mild and chewy but was good, benefitting from the buttery sauce.
For dessert the Cherry Chip Sundae was topped with biscotti and whipped cream. Preserved berries and bits of chocolate studded the thick ice cream. It was nice and a perfect sweet ending for a fun meal.
