103 W 77th St
New York, NY 10024-6909
(212) 362-3800
Liked it. Could grow to love it. It's definitely solid.
Amuse: vodka gelee, fried capers, American caviar and ... I think it was halibut sashimi?
First courses:
Pork Belly porcini mushrooms, kale, hen egg
Frisée and Bitter Lettuce hazelnuts, butternut squash, golden raisins
Mains:
Braised Striped Bass polenta, peanuts, lime, bacon
Rack and Leg of Lamb indian spices, winter tabouleh, yogurt
Dessert:
Brioche bread pudding
Chocolate fondant
Mignardise:
Coffee macarons
peanut butter granola to take home
The amuse were ok, not great. Fish was barely sashimi grade.
I loved elements of the crispy pork belly appetizer. The pork belly was absolutely lovely, as was the five spice(ish?) sauce, the porcini, kale and other ingredients. My sole complaint was that the poached egg was still cold on the inside. I like a runny yolk, but cold runny yolk is a different matter.
Frisee was solid--about as good as such a simple dish can get. Nicely dressed, not too much salad dressing.
I loved the lamb (perfectly tender, worked nicely with yogurt and tabouleh). I liked the sea bass. Great polenta, nice bacony sauce. The fish was a smidgen overcooked.
Chocolate fondant with frozen yogurt was good, though I'm not sure the sourness of the yogurt worked that well with the chocolate. Individually, each would have been lovey. In combination, it was just good.
The bread pudding really is that good. There's a thin layer of banana over top, and the brioche is perfectly integrated.
All in all a nice meal, though we had to wait 20 minutes past our reservation time for our table.
Service was perfect. And for the record, the white cheddar cornbread is a lovely choice for the bread plate. Its rustic, yet nuanced, flavors work perfectly with the homey style of the full flavored dishes.
