There's no doubt that NYC is a fabulous culinary wonderland. There are so many restaurants competing for demanding, discriminating palates, that there are plenty of opportunities for memorable dishes and dining experiences.
But I think I finally found "The One," as in my Favorite Restaurant in the city. And it's hard, because so many serve awesome food. But Gramercy Tavern is just so good that it stood out as The One that is the best. Usually most NYC restaurant are pretty solid, they might slip up in an appetizer or dessert, but Gramercy Tavern was firing on all cylinders. Every single dish was just so good. They've perfected the art of comforting yet complex American style cooking like no other!
In addition to the food, the service was great. The staff wasn't all snobby and full of attitude, they were very warm and friendly, very much service with a smile oriented like the good old American way. I would say the crowd was a little older, probably the youngest people were in their late 20s, but it wasn't like a business power dinner crowd or anything like that. People were dressed nicely but casually and the vibe was very comfortable.
You have the option of either choosing a tasting menu, a vegetarian tasting menu, or ordering a la carte an appetizer, entree and dessert. We went for the a la carte option and ordered the the smoke trout and handmade pappardelle for appetizers and the rack of pork & braised belly and striped bass for entrees. Wow, the smoked trout blew my mind, the fish had this great subtle smoked flavor yet still managed to have a great fillet-like texture (as opposed to a gelatinous form that something like smoked salmon sometimes assumes). I could seriously have this for lunch or dinner everyday. The pappardelle was amazing as well, the pasta was nice and chewy without being too al dente, and the delicious ragu just melted all over the noodles. I loved the striped bass as well, the fish was warm and the outside was light and crisp, yet the meat inside was flavorful without being too salty or spiced up and the delicious flakey chunks were heavenly. The pork was sinfully succulent--not a bad word to say about anything here!
And of course, the dessert was amazing!! The warm chocolate bread pudding with cacao nib ice cream was out of this world. It was just the most perfect chocolate dessert ever--just warm, oozing with delicious ribbons of chocolate, a dish that conjures up those memories of childhood enjoying the simple pleasures of pudding. The Grand Marnier marscapone cheesecake was delicious as well, the hint of citrus flavors was fabulous with the delicious rich creaminess. And to top it all off--they gave us a complimentary third dessert of the delicious apple tarte tartin with sour ice cream, just because we were curious about it and couldn't decide!! Wow, how could you not pick this restaurant as the best restaurant in NYC?? Just excellent on all levels. You'd be stupid not to have dinner here, fight for your reservation now. Fantastic. The best food coma of my quarter life existence.
(Pictures courtesy of www.nymag.com)
Gramercy Tavern
42 E. 20th St. (Park Avenue South and Broadway)
Rating (out of 5 stars):*****
Style: High End Casual American
Prices: $82 for a la carte, $110 for tasting menu ($88 for vegetarian)
Summary: Perfection in fine American style food--the buck stops here.