FoodWineArt magazine dines out in New York
FoodWineArt magazine sampled the dining scene in New York City for Thanksgiving week. We enjoyed longtime favorites, such as Gramercy Tavern, as well as trying new restaurants for us, such as Saxon + Parole.
The food was delicious an eclectic: from a lamb burger at The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, to the lunch tasting menu at Gramercy Tavern, to fresh local oysters at Saxon + Parole, to authentic Italian dishes at Maialino in Gramercy Park and French dishes at Brasserie Les Hales. A memorable breakfast was Maialino’s Salsiccia: FungoVegetarian Mushroom Sausage, Hash Brown & Sunnyside Egg.
Desserts were innovative, such as S’mores at Saxon + Parole: warm chocolate pudding, graham cracker, marshmallow and whiskey barrel smoke. Or Chocolate, Peanut Butter Mousse, Banana Cake and Concord Grape Sorbet from Gramercy Tavern.
The craft cocktails were sublime, such as a “Pear Spritz” at Saxon + Parole: Pear Spritz. It is made with Death’s Door white whisky, riesling, pear brandy, quince shrub, vanilla and dry cider. Or a “Bohemian Sidecar” at the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, made with Hennessey cognac and triple sec with fresh lime juice and a wisp of absinthe.
We’re going to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at Katz’ Deli, featuring traditional favorites, Jewish specialties and everything in-between. We have much to be thankful for. Here’s a rundown on where we ate:
GRAMERCY TAVERN
One of America’s most beloved restaurants, Gramercy Tavern has welcomed guests to enjoy its contemporary American cuisine, warm hospitality, and unparalleled service for close to two decades. Chef Michael Anthony’s fiercely seasonal menu consists of elegant dishes with a rustic influence that showcase the restaurant’s relationships with local farms and purveyors.
The restaurant can be enjoyed through two distinct dining experiences: the Tavern and the Dining Room. The Tavern serves an à la carte menu in a casual, walk-in setting and offers a daily four-course tasting menu at dinner. The Dining Room offers fixed-price and tasting menus with an à la carte option at lunch.
Opened in 1994 by legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer in a historic landmark building, the restaurant is designed by Bentel & Bentel with murals from artist Robert Kushner and vibrant floral arrangements from Roberta Bendavid.
THE BRESLIN BAR & DINING ROOM
In 2009, April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman opened The Breslin Bar & Dining Room in the Ace Hotel in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. The Breslin earned a Michelin star, wonderful press, and the adoration of regulars (and new guests, too).
The hearty, meat-centric menu at The Breslin has a strong emphasis on artisanal products, small growers, and seasonality. We love “nose-to-tail” cooking. Try their handmade terrines, sausages, and charcuterie and you’ll see why. Rich, salty, roasted flavors make us happy.
Before moving to New York, April spent the summer of 2003 in Berkeley, California at the legendary Chez Panisse. In February 2004, April and restaurateur Ken Friedman opened New York City’s first gastropub, The Spotted Pig. Under April’s direction, The Spotted Pig has earned one star from the Michelin Guide for six consecutive years, and since 2010,
•SAXON + PAROLE
Saxon + Parole is Executive Chef Brad Farmerie’s take on a traditional grill, featuring ‘grilled domestic meats and aquatic delights’. The menu explores traditional grill fare, with a focus on domestic meat and seafood, as well as seasonal and sustainable produce. Diners can expect a global twist in the seasoning, cooking methods, and ingredients – highlighted in dishes such as 28-day dry-aged NY strip steak with bone-marrow béarnaise, and Heritage Farms USA roasted pork chop with goat cheese polenta. Saxon + Parole also is winner of World’s “Best Restaurant Bar” at the 2013 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
•DIPLOMATS DINING ROOM AT THE UN
It isn’t every day that the public get to sit with ambassadors, delegates, and other international dignitaries, but that’s precisely what the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations offers. The Delegates Dining Room offers eclectic and globally inspired cuisine with breathtaking views of the East River, including Roosevelt Island with its new Four Freedoms Park, and the Long Island City waterfront.
For full details click HERE for a slideshow. We also enjoyed the historic artifacts. For example, the entrance to the dining room includes a silver Dallah (Omani-style Coffee Pot) from the Sultanate of Oman in 1973.
•MAIALINO
Gramercy Park Hotel’s on-site restaurant is New York’s acclaimed Italian trattoria Maialino from restaurateur Danny Meyer’s celebrated Union Square Hospitality Group. The elegant eatery, whose name means “little pig”, captures the warmth and style of Rome’s traditional trattoria from its rustic oak panels to its tiled floors to its centerpiece, the cucina,which features a Salami, Cheese and Antipasto Station on one side and a Coffee, Dessert, and Bread Station on the other.
The restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Nick Anderer, who draws inspiration from classic dishes found throughout Rome and sources fresh, seasonal ingredients from the Greenmarket and local farms. The menu offers everything from light antipasti to robust entrees, including Carpaccio di Polpo (Octopus and Heirloom Tomato Salad), Carciofi Alla Romana (Braised Artichokes) and one of the house specialties, Malfatti alla Maialino (Suckling Pig Ragu).
The menu also features specialty Cocktails and a carefully curated all-Italian Wine List with hundreds of selections from exceptional producers and vintages.
•BRASSERIE LES HALES
Bustling and lively, Brasserie Les Halles is a typical Parisian brasserie serving fresh and simple dishes of France’s everyday cuisine. Brasserie Les Halles is the home base of Chef-at-large Anthony Bourdain, author of the best selling Kitchen Confidential (Bloomsbury, May 2000) host of the TV Show, No Reservations. Bourdain is also the co-author of the Brasserie Les Halles Cookbook (Bloomsbury, 2004) with proprietor Philippe Lajaunie.
Source: Each restaurant; photos by SierraCulture.com
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