Aureole

34 East 61st Street; New York NY  212-319-1660
 

(June 10, 2008).  Who knows what finally lured us to this Upper East Side treasure but whatever it was we are now firm fans. 

As usual with a first visit, we had the tasting menu, at $38 for three courses this may be the lunch bargain of the western world. 

Our amuse bouche of smoked salmon belly with a chive sauce tipped us off that we were in for a treat.  Gary’s chilled asparagus and ricotta with a truffled leek vinaigrette was topped with a sunny side up egg and it all blended together well. 

Varian’s soft shell crabs were sauteed and served with mangoes and scallions and an Asian style soy lime vinaigrette. 

Gary’s saffron braised rabbit with paparadelle, chick peas olives and parsley made him homesick for Nice, while Varian’s grilled hangar steak with marinated onions, wilted baby spinach and a white bean puree couldn’t have been better. 

For dessert, Gary’s plate and a firm chocolate mouse with peanuts and syrup and ice cream with vanilla sauce.  Uncharacteristically, instead of cheese, Varian had a bowl of luscious fresh berries.

Throughout the meal we ordered our wines by the glass so we could experiment.  The four we tried, two each not four each thank you very much, were a 2007 rose from Mas de la Dame in les Baux and a Sauvignon Blanc Panacea from Napa.  The reds were a 2003 Chianti Classico Riserva and a 2005 Malbec and Cabernet from the Mendoza region of Argentina. 

The decor is quite understated, leaving room for some dramatic floral displays.  Alas, however, this intimate and relaxed address will soon be closing to move to a new one in the Bank of America Building at 42nd and 6th.  Lunches will be served at this address only for the next month or two, so get there while you can.

 

 

 

 

 

Oceana, NYC 2

When we went to Oceana in December, Linda and I decided that it is the best fish and seafood restaurant in New York. Our return visit with John on May 20, 2008 reconfirmed that opinion.

Aquavit, NYC

Aquavit always seems to get mixed reviews although the cuisine sounds interesting. So we tried it on May 18, 2008, with David and Frédérique. It was terrific. 

The Café Sabarsky, NYC

This Viennese Café is part of the Neue Galerie, the museum of Austrian and German art next to our apartment building at 86^th Street and Fifth Avenue. It does a good business all day long serving Viennese pastries, but it also has a breakfast menu from 9 to 11 and then meals, Schmankerln, until closing, which is at 6 or 9 depending on the day (or at 5 if there is cabaret in the café that evening.)

Daniel, NYC

Daniel has two stars in the Michelin Guide. There are only three restaurants in New York rated above it with three stars. It is one of five restaurants receiving the top rating from the New York Times, although they have not reviewed it for seven years. It shares the top food rating with six others in Zagats. So one expects it to be quite special.

Oceana, NY

Margaret invited Marilee, Linda and me to Town Hall on West 43^rd  Street for the live broadcast of The Prairie Home Companion on Saturday evening, December 16, 2007.

Café Boulud, NY 2

John and Françoise asked us to dinner at Café Boulud December 11, 2007. Since our last visit, there have been two new chefs, a favorable review in The New York Times, a renewal of its Michelin star and inclusion in the top 25 in NY for food in Zagat’s.

JoJo

Jean-Georges Vongerichten was one of the first big celebrity chefs. He now has fifteen restaurants scattered about. The most ambitious is Jean-Georges in New York, which gets the top rating in both Zagats and Michelin, although we didn’t like it the one time we went a few years ago. His original restaurant is JoJo on East 64^th Street in a converted brownstone townhouse. It has a Michelin star and a good Zagats rating.  Linda and I went for dinner with George and Julie on November 27, 2007.

 

Giovanni Venti Cinque Restaurant – NYC

For the second dining event of my 67th birthday we went to Giovanni Venti Cinque Restaurant with Françoise and John. This restaurant is off the radar. It was dropped from the Zagats in 2007. It has a brief mention in the New York magazine listings. We had never been there, even though it is three blocks from our apartment. But we had a very nice evening.

La Grenouille – NYC

On July 19, 2007, Linda and I dined at La Grenouille, a classic old-fashioned midtown French restaurant. It still gets a 27 (ie: in the top 30 in NYC) for food in Zagats, which says: 

Among the last of the city’s “old guard”, this justly renowned Midtown French restaurant “serves up dreams” via “sublime” classic “haute cuisine” and “perfectly pitched service” in a “stunning”, “serene” space abloom with “famously” “gorgeous flowers.” 

L’Impero – NYC

45 Tudor City Place, New York

www.limpero.com 

On April 10, 2007, Linda and I dined at L’Impero. We were seated promptly; we each ordered a prosecco and were poured generous glasses.

The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons
99 East 52^nd Street
212-754-9494
http://www.fourseasonsrestaurant.com 

On February 20, 2007, Linda and I dined at The Four Seasons. We were seated promptly on a nice banquette in the pool room designed by legendary architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. We ordered two Kirs, which came with a slice of lemon peel as was done in American restaurants thirty years ago. We ordered our meal, including soufflés Grand Marnier for dessert.

Donguri 4

On February 13, 2007, we dined at Donguri with John and Carol. (For earlier Donguri posts see Nov. 17, 2006 and July 11, 2006.) The welcome was warm, as always, and we were soon seated at the round table in the front window.

Donguri 3

On November 17, 2006, four of us went to Donguri and it was excellent.  See the post from July 11, 2006, for background and previous visits. 

The Lever House Restaurant

One of my pet peeves is the “Egyptian tomb” interior architecture of the Musée d’Orsay.  It clashes with the beautiful old railway station and the nineteenth century art; it deadens the light and does not create nice rooms to display it.  But it is nowhere near as bad as The Lever House Restaurant, an Egyptian tomb encrustation on one of New York’s great architectural masterpieces, The Lever House. 

The Oyster Bar

The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station has been a solid fixture of midtown Manhattan eating since 1913. I often go there for a convenient, quick lunch at the counter when I am near 42nd Street. Three of us went for an unhurried lunch on August 15, 2006.  

Café Boulud

The area bounded by 65th Street and 96th Street between Fifth and Third Avenues must be one of the very wealthiest in the world, with a combination of old money, new money, foreign money, big brand-new money etc.  So it is a mystery why there is only one restaurant in it with a Zagats rating above 23.  The Café Boulud (Zagats rating: 27) has the area’s only Michelin star.   And it was also somewhat of a mystery why we had not been there for several years; as it is a fifteen minute stroll from our apartment.  And so we went for dinner on Sunday, August 13, 2006. 

Donguri 1 & 2

On November 9, 2005, we went to Donguri, 309 East 83rd Street.  (212-737-5656, closed Mondays, reservations required.)  This was our third dinner at this small (24 seats) “country Japanese” restaurant.   We really enjoyed it, as before.  It is expensive for such a little place, but one gets good value.  Even so, it is less than $100 per person, which is not bad for a very good meal in Manhattan. This third time we ordered à la carte with many of the same dishes as the first time.