In our latest installment of Quick Bites, we head to Hudson Street for a burger, fries, and much more.

THE VIBE
Hudson and Charles is the name of two Manhattan butcher shops that traffic in "local, sustainable, grass-fed meats," big sandwiches, fancy condiments, and a hip, contemporary atmosphere. The newer one is on the Upper West Side (Amsterdam near 86th Street), and the original opened about five years ago in the West Village (Hudson Street near Charles, of course). Right at the end of 2018 the team expanded in a big, interesting way with the unveiling of Dinette—a convivial, compact restaurant and bar right next door to their first shop, and from what I've been seeing in recent days, the locals are loving it.

The shallow space looks larger from the street than it feels like inside, but by cramming in the tables, and running stools all along the Hudson Street windows (my preferred perch), along with the spots at the bar, they've managed to fit about 32 seats total. Everything is tight, but in that charming West Village sort of way, so the general experience manages to be more convivial than claustrophobic. The name "Dinette" might suggest a retro design, but thankfully there's no real gimmick here, just straight-forward wooden tables and chairs, pressed tin ceiling, a couple of butcher-themed prints, and candles at every setting. There is one dramatic piece of art, a sculptural, grassy triptych on the restaurant's white tiled wall.

There's not much room to maneuver in the dining area, so it's probably best that there's (currently) only one server working, even during prime dinner hours. No worries though, the kitchen is speedy and the man on duty on all three of my visits handled his tables with aplomb. Curiously, the music is far less banging here than in the butcher shop next door, offering instead a mix of quiet country and pop.

THE BITES
The sandwiches, starters, and sides at Hudson and Charles are all exceptional. In the first category you have some tough choices to make-—all four sound appealing—but if you're in a burger mood, the H&C Classic delivers on all fronts. This half-pound beast is well charred on the outside, medium-rare-red within, and topped with melted American, grilled onions, pickles, and a tangy "special sauce." The springy sesame seed bun more than holds its own under the assault.

Another great sandwich is the Chicken Sando, a huge stack of spicy fried thighs, oozing pimento cheese, plenty of pickles adding that nice hit of acid. The potato bun is a solid choice here, though they could turn up the heat even more and I wouldn't complain. You get a huge pile of first-rate fries with every sandwich--they're crisp and full-flavored, thanks to the beef tallow—though I cheated the second time around and asked to try the Salt Baked Potato instead, which was perfectly cooked and thick with butter, creme fraiche (yup: both), scallions, slices of parmesan, and chewy bacon bits.

Maybe the best thing I ate here, however, was the Not Chicken Parm, a spiral of chicken sausage with cracking skin and juicy meat inside, topped with an intense tomato confit and a big blob of burrata. The roasted broccoli rabe was an ideal accompaniment to this lovely deconstruction. If you want to split a starter, go for the outrageously rich Chicharrones, the bone-in pork belly prepared as a confit, then deep-fried, and drizzled with a bright, acidic green salsa. Or for something (slightly) lighter, the Grilled Romaine, blanketed in anchovy dressing, parmesan and breadcrumbs, is a salad that truly satisfies.

THE VERDICT
These butchers really know what they're doing in the kitchen. Dinette is a terrific restaurant that, though plenty lively, hasn't quite caught on yet, so you can probably still snag a seat right away any night of the week. There are some pricier steak-and-chop dishes available, but I didn't mess around with those. And though $23 seems high for a burger (even with all those fries), it's not a bad price for an entree in a full-service restaurant in the West Village of Manhattan in 2019.

Hudson and Charles is located at 522 Hudson Street, between Charles and West 10th, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and the Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. (929-600-5222; dinette.nyc)