B
lue Hill Restaurant : At a stone’s throwaway distance from Washington Square Park, Blue Hill is a calm and beautiful place in an enticing little space below street level. You just enter and you wonder what the restaurant really wants to portray. Is it merely a casual hangout which is quite visible looking at the people smiling and giggling at the bar? Or is it a dining hub meant to be taken seriously by professional food connoiseurs devouring menus so indulgently? Well, may be, it is a bit of both and that’s what makes it particularly stand out. The dining room is lined with bricks which gives it a simple and warm look. The servers are very amicable and the food is totally relishable. The signature vegetable salad is a must try which depicts the farm to table policy of the place very well. Do not forget to gorge on squash soup with marshmallow, and Jerusalem artichoke with smoked cheese and bacon bits. There is an entrée presented in the form of a milk-fed pig with Gold Ball turnips and parsnip. Desserts are delectable and include delicacies such as scrumptious chocolate bread pudding with chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, Honeycrisp apples with milk jam, almond cake and honey ice cream. Nom.Nom. Mmmmmmm. There are a few wines to choose from but they are worth the time.
Charlie Bird Restaurant:
The glitz and glam of the town throng this place, like a food heaven. Chef Ryan Hardy, of the Little Nell in Aspen fame, cooks his spins on Italian and American cuisines. The 90s hip hop is in on air while you chew on fresh spaghetti and sausage, duck and sage,Tuscan beef rib-eye with smoked kale and anchovy butter. Do not miss out on the roasted chicken which has become the signature dish of this place, for all its juicy meaty flavours and rich textures.Wine aficianados will be impressed with their French and Italian labels.
Daniel Restaurant:
Renowned Chef Daniel Boulud has over a dozen restaurants to his name, all across the world, but Daniel is the one that is the epitome of greatness out of all the rest. The staff is prim and proper, the cuisine is refined and ravishing and the guests are no less than the who’s who of the city, who flock to the restaurant to enjoy the dinner-theatre revelation. Adam Tihany is behind the stunning decor of the extravagant dining room. The Spanish artwork of Manolo Valdes adorns the walls, the soothing shades of whites and browns appeal, and the intricate flower-do makes the interiors all the more tempting. There is a seven-course tasting menu which begins with the Long Island fluke, sea urchins and caviar. Try the Dover sole which is baked slowly and teamed up with a green-peppercorn-brown butter lettuce coulis, which tastes delightfully amazing. After the scrumptious meal, when you crave for the dessert, you will not be disappointed either. Devour the chocolate biscuit fondant, Alpaco sabayon and dark cocoa sorbet. Wine list is like an endless array with more than 2000 options.
Felidia Restaurant:
Owned by Lidia Bastianich, cookbook author and co-owner of Esca and Becco in New York and Lidia’s in Kansas City and Pittsburgh,this bi-level restaurant is state of the art in its own stead. The chef , Fortunato Nicotra, spins out wonderfully appetizing dishes each time you visit this place. Seasonal trufffle menus or a family style Sunday supper, every experience is worth soaking in. Do try the yellowfin tuna grilled on one side “Palermitana” style with caponata, as well as roasted calf’s liver with polenta, farro and shallot gratin. Dig into mini cannoli, tiramisu or burrata cheese cake for dessert. Wine list is a long one and never tiring! Sept 21, 2015 – Gabriel Kreuther for Bloomberg Pursuits::
Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant:
This place has been designed by the well-celebrated designer Glen Coben and is divided into two sections — a laid-back casual bar space donning a menu which shows off Kreuther’s acclaimed tartes flambées, and a gorgeous, airy main room that portrays somewhat the chef’s upbringing and values (storks and lighting symbolize Alsace and hospitality, wooden beams stand for Y-frame homes) — the place offers a gastronomic experience which redefines Manhattan fine dining.
The details are beautifully done, which you can see as much in the cream coloured banquettes as in the fun choices in silverware and glassware. Each dish has been designed to astound you and hook you by its aesthetic appeal and mesmerize you into its own world of culinary heaven. Try roasted diver scallops with Pacific red crab, lardo and spiced pumpkin. Desserts called by titillating names such as Fantasy, Classic and Ethereal are similarly satiating with texture and composition. Directed by Emilie Perrier, a 30-page French-focused wine list, lit on an iPad-like device, is offered multiple times.
