Pounds & Ounces, the 120-seat Chelsea restaurant, introduced a new menu from Executive Chef Margaret LaVetty with a small selection of eclectic dishes, attractively plated for sharing. I was invited to sample the fare, and went back again, as I so enjoyed the food and hospitality.
In addition 
to draft beer, Pounds & Ounces offers two cocktails-on-tap. A pub cosmo (a pomegranate cosmopolitan with POM pomegranate juice, Stoli blueberry vodka a little lime juice, $13) and whiskey ice tea (Early Times whiskey, tea, Combier peach, with a squeeze of lemon, $13). Both tasty! I preferred a glass of the light and crisp Sicilian Insolia Cusumano ($10) offering lots of minerality.
Not to be missed are her Asian play on nachos ($15) fried wontons topped with ahi tuna, seaweed salad, fresh edamame, pickled ginger, diced tomato, avocado and drizzled with both a wasabi cream and soy glaze; the whole marinated and char grilled baby octopus ($17) seasoned with lemon and oregano and served with toasted thin slice of garlic sourdough bread; or the three finger-lickin’ maple-glazed Thai red-curry oven-roasted salmon ($14) with a light shower of pecan brittle. Those were so good we wanted to to lick the plate clean!
Skip both the Reuben croquettes (panko crusted Swiss cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut dumplings, $11) and the oyster po’boy sliders (fried oysters on a mini brioche bun with a little kick from the Cajun remoulade $10), 
as there are many other more flavorful options, including the tender baby osso buco atop mushroom truffle risotto. Those mini wine-braised veal shanks ($17) are substantial enough to fill. So are the Chinese black-bean crusted baby lamb chops ($21), although I’d prefer them without the drizzled of mint pesto or ice radish salad.
Do try the three waffle-battered pieces of fried boneless chicken served with guava barbecue sauce dip and a watermelon cumber salad and the tender kumquat ribs served with jalapeño cornbread. Tuna lovers would like the seared ahi tuna with kimchi cabbage slaw, wasabi cream and amazing crispy fried ginger chips ($18). Another not miss are the irresistible flour-battered double-fried crunchy fries ($9).
The desserts are also good ($9) including a lemon guava cheesecake, lavender ice cream sandwiches, whiskey coffee cake with cinnamon brown sugar crumble and whiskey caramel sauce and my favorite the triple chocolate parfait consisting of layers of mouse and salted caramel candied pretzels. I’d still prefer to spend all my calories on the small plates of fabulous foods.
– bonnie
Pounds and Ounces NYC Pub
Chelsea
160 8th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(646) 449-8150
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