We walked in at 10pm looking quite dapper. I wore my navy blue strapless dress with pleating at the bust. He in crisp jeans, nice coralish tan shirt with matching shoes.
We were asked if we wanted to wait at the bar, which seemed like a good idea at the time. We walked over to the bar and sat on two stools at the middle of the bar. We waited about 4 minutes and not a single bartender turned toward us. The taps are conveniently located at eye level and there is a lamp between the two of them so there’s no chance of catching a bartender’s eye. Mr. G finally got one to give us a menu and take our order. At 10:15, a waitress came to take our drinks and escort us to our table in the main dining room.
If our dinner were a few hours earlier, we would have had a perfect view of the sunset. The dining room had incredibly high ceilings and an old school painting of the Meatpacking/Chelsea area. There were also several paintings of roosters which I found to be very bizarre.
We get to the table and almost immediately the waiter brings pull-apart bread served in the same pan it was baked in! It was melt in your mouth good! It had a little bit of butter and sea salt on top and was incredibly soft.
After clearing the bread and taking our order, the waiter returns with the amuse Panna Cotta with lobster. Creamy sweet cheese with a tiny piece of lobster and a sweet yet savory sauce. Perfect way to start
A short while later, our appetizers arrived Spice-Roasted Lobster with Cabbage & Lobster Bordelaise and Butter-Poached Oysters with Celery Root "Tagliatelle" & American Caviar. The lobster was enough for 2 people and we probably would have been fine if we just got that, but I was happy we got the oysters too. The cabbage looked a lot more like bok choy which was well placed in the bordelaise. It absorbed the sauce quite well and was very juicy. The oysters were buttery and quite heavenly. The celery root was finely shredded and looked like noodles. The crunchiness played well with the soft texture of the oysters and caviar.
After waiting just enough time for the appetizer to fade away, but not long enough that you’re newly hungry, the main course Spice-Roasted Lola Duck with Cabbage, Chanterelles & Kumquat Chutney and Roasted Rabbit with Braised Fennel & Olives
You’ll notice a “spice-roasted” theme. It wasn’t intentional but boy was it delicious ;-) The duck was very tender. I asked them to cook it medium rare because pink meat makes me nervous. The kumquat chutney was really good and I must admit everything tasted even better when chased with champagne J It was literally like a party in my mouth. I had no choice but to try Mr. G’s rabbit. It was my first time eating rabbit and I have to say it tastes pretty much just like chicken. However, the sauce was pure deliciousness.
After such a wonderful meal, we were stuffed but could not pass up dessert. Instead of selecting something adventurous from the amazing dessert menu, we went with the Ice Cream Trio vanilla, caramel, creamsicle. Very very good. The creamsicle puts you back to the days of chasing the ice cream truck with a dollar hoping you catch it and they haven’t run out of what you want.
My only regret is that I was so captivated by the food that I forgot to take pictures! Otherwise, this was truly a meal fit for a king (and his queen). Thanks Mr. G!
Out of 10
Décor 8 (what was up with the roosters?!)
Food 10!!
Drinks 8
BONUS: We went to Union Square Ballroom for a birthday party. Talib Kweli was a guest DJ and he performed Get By!
P.S. While we didn’t ascribe any special significance to the day, I noted that a year earlier on the first Friday of April, Mr. G and I went to the Nuyorican Poets Café. While technically that was just another case of 2 friends hanging out, it was definitely the first time I felt sparks. A year later, here we are J
so EMO!
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