two new york mainstays.

gotham bar and grill

it’s as plain as day why gotham bar and grill is a perennial favorite.  its appearance indicates impeccable taste, a quality that the restaurant prides itself in for every aspect of the dining experience.  simply being in the place gives the sense of being in good hands.  the dining room is effortlessly modern, a nearly monochromatic color palette with punctuations of contrast, its high ceilings “draped” with space light curtain covers–in short, it’s gorgeous.  flowers, a dim orange lighting scheme, and waitstaff uniforms consisting  pin stripes and lavendar add an aesthetic touch of whimsy that speak to the restaurant’s ambiance.  everything here is designed for its diners to have a good time.

a special note on the service: at what other restaurant would your waiter look up and print out information on the flowers that make up the centerpiece?  our waiters were extremely personable, cracking jokes and making it seem as though our happiness was their priority.  absolutely wonderful.

we were a party of 10, and one of the stipulations of large-group dining at gotham is a pre-set menu.  for a three course meal, we had to choose a selection of three dishes for each course from the a la carte menu.  i started with an alaskan king crab risotto w/ braised artichokes, prosciutto di parma and pickled ramps.  few things are more delicious than perfectly cooked (see: succulent) hunks of alaskan king crab meat, unless of course it’s strewn throughout risotto, its richness cut with the briney smoothness of braised artichoke, the saltiness of warmed prosciutto, and what doesn’t benefit from the addition of pickled ramps?  a little more filling than i like my first course to be but fantastic nonetheless.  other options were the tuna tartare and beef carpaccio (the best beef carpaccio i’ve had).  as a main course, i had 5 spice peking duck breast w/ a hoisin ginger glaze, seared foie gras (!!!), roast plum, and chinese long grain rice. duck is among my favorite proteins, and this was exceptional.  all duck breast should be accompanied by a huge piece of seared foie gras.  the roast plum was a touch i’d never had before.  other options: roast pork chop that was served with a really delicious grilled mango with a touch of scotch bonnet pepper, and a perfectly cooked black cod.

dessert: among the other diners was my cousin cherie, who has the most unsatiable sweet tooth i’ve ever come acrossd.  we ended up ordering the entire dessert menu save for the cheese plate and the chocolate cake.  our favorite was the rhubarb and pineapple souffle w/ pavlova, rose jam, and strawberry ice cream. the s’more and meyer lemon pudding were delectable as well.

easily my favorite of the more casual fine dining restaurants in new york–infinitely better than wd~50–and one i plan to frequent in the future.

gotham bar and grill
12 e 12th st
new york, ny 10003

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prune

i’ve wanted to dine at prune ever since i saw anthony bourdain and co. munch on buttered radishes and marrow bones there on no reservations.  smaller than small–that is to say, cute as a button–there’s an endearing dilapedatedness to the restaurant that i’ve always loved about neighborhood eateries.  prune is tightly packed but homey, and given the nature of the food and the kind of environment they aspire for, it’s the perfect setting.

we started with a dish of radishes w/ sweet butter and kosher salt, the simplicity of which speaks volumes for what it is that prune seems to be about–unpretentious and delicious foods made in reverence to the ingredients on the plate, adorned with little else.  fried sweetbreads w/ bacon and capers are, in fact (or at least to my knowledge) the best sweetbreads in new york city.  roasted marrow bones w/ parsley salad and sea salt coat the palate with its fatty goodness.  poissun “pot au feu” w/ spring vegetables, parsley dumplings, and liver stuffing came in a fantastic broth and the vegetables were lovely.  the poissun however was pretty unremarkable.  as far as preparation of poultry goes, boiled is my least favorite.  for dessert, i had a ricotta ice cream with salted caramel croutons.

food is the absolute star at prune, simplicity and awesome flavor over trendiness or arbitrary technique/complexity.

prune
54 e 1st st
new york, ny 10003

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