This is the third post in the New York Thanksgiving series. Other posts in this series include Momofuku Ssam Bar and Momofuku Ma Peche.There are some restaurants that just get it right.
I have heard about Gramercy Tavern since seemingly forever ago. This should not be a surprise.
After all, it's been open since 1994 and has won numerous awards since then. Zagat gives it a 28/30, which is extremely impressive considering the competitive New York market. For reference, consider the fact that Michelin three-star restaurants get similar scores: Per Se, Daniel, and Eleven Madison Park all similarly scored 28; Le Bernardin scored 29).
Gramercy Tavern also boasts one Michelin star as well as a three star rating from New York Times.
It's always been on my list, though for some reason I never made it out until that blustery, November Thanksgiving weekend last year when Bryan and I braved freezing temperatures to stand outside and watch the Macy's Parade.
The decor is cozy and comfortable. The front area, called the "Tavern", is bright and sunny, due to the huge windows at the front of the restaurant. The Tavern does not take reservations (walk-in only), and offers a la carte dining.
The inside area, the Dining Room, is darker and more cozy and romantic. The Dining Room offers tasting menus and fixed price menus, as well as a la carte during lunch. Here's the view from my seat, where you can see the Dining Room on the left and the Tavern on the right.
The inside area, the Dining Room, is darker and more cozy and romantic. The Dining Room offers tasting menus and fixed price menus, as well as a la carte during lunch. Here's the view from my seat, where you can see the Dining Room on the left and the Tavern on the right.
We went at lunch to the Dining Room, and were pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices considering the quality of the food we were getting. I started with this beautiful lobster dish served with diced apples and multicolored cauliflower over a beautiful parsnip purée.
Here's another view. Overall the dish was lovely - subtle yet everything was perfectly balanced and well seasoned. The lobster had perfect texture and the creamy parsnip puree was not too sweet.
Bryan ordered the homemade parpadelle dish with smoked duck, Brussels sprouts, and hazelnuts in a gorgeous duck jus sauce. It was excellent. The sauce had a beautifully rich umami flavor and thick ribbon pasta had the perfect al dente texture.
I absolutely loved my entree, which was a vivid green risotto made from barley in a green arugula oil sauce. Although it was just a tad oily it had a beautifully deep, rich mushroom flavor as well as tons of umami. I also really enjoyed the al dente texture of the barley.
Bryan got the lamb, which was beautifully cooked (look at that lovely rare meat!). It came with nicely charred sun chokes, a whole grain mustard that wasn't too spicy, and mushrooms. Overall the dish had excellent flavor.
We decided to share one dessert -the one called "Apple". It had many components of apple, including an apple "gel" tube on top, compressed apple, and thin slices of fresh apple. In the middle was a lychee rice pudding (with basmati rice blended within) on top of a black sesame crust. The overall dessert was quite light, and you needed to take pretty big bites to taste the whole complex realm of flavors. It was good.
We are so happy that they "forgot" and accidentally brought us an extra dessert, the Pear. I loved this one. I found it to be my favorite by a long shot. This dessert came with cubes of compressed pear, dried pear "chips", and a pear creme brûlée in the center. These were paired with a delicious caramel and a crumble "deconstructed" crust sprinkled throughout. I loved the complex mixture of flavors, textures, and even temperatures. It was excellent.
The desserts were a tough act to follow: maybe a bit too tough. I found the mignardises to be too sweet. Maybe I should have asked for some coffee. From left to right: nougat, macaron w/ poppyseeds, and a chocolate truffle filled with fruit.
Despite being slightly sweetened out at the end, I still left the restaurant extremely happy with my meal. The food was excellent, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. Appetizers range from $12 to $18; entrees range from $21 to $25; and desserts are $12 each. You can also get a 5-course tasting menu for $58.
Dinner tasting menus start at $92 for three courses, with special tasting menus costing either $120 (seasonal) or $102 (vegetarian).
The Tavern menu, which we did not try, has similar prices as the Dining Room lunch menu, but is available at night as well. They offer a fun looking 4-course dinner tasting menu for $48, which comes with an optional $20 beer pairing (fun!).I was very impressed with the food and would not hesitate to come back again. I am especially curious to try the Tavern menu, which looks pretty exciting. In general, I see Gramercy Tavern as the type of place where you know that anything you order will be very good - designed with thoughtful creativity and executed with precision. It's the type of place I could totally imagine visiting regularly if I lived in the area.Highly recommended.
We decided to share one dessert -the one called "Apple". It had many components of apple, including an apple "gel" tube on top, compressed apple, and thin slices of fresh apple. In the middle was a lychee rice pudding (with basmati rice blended within) on top of a black sesame crust. The overall dessert was quite light, and you needed to take pretty big bites to taste the whole complex realm of flavors. It was good.
We are so happy that they "forgot" and accidentally brought us an extra dessert, the Pear. I loved this one. I found it to be my favorite by a long shot. This dessert came with cubes of compressed pear, dried pear "chips", and a pear creme brûlée in the center. These were paired with a delicious caramel and a crumble "deconstructed" crust sprinkled throughout. I loved the complex mixture of flavors, textures, and even temperatures. It was excellent.
The desserts were a tough act to follow: maybe a bit too tough. I found the mignardises to be too sweet. Maybe I should have asked for some coffee. From left to right: nougat, macaron w/ poppyseeds, and a chocolate truffle filled with fruit.
Despite being slightly sweetened out at the end, I still left the restaurant extremely happy with my meal. The food was excellent, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. Appetizers range from $12 to $18; entrees range from $21 to $25; and desserts are $12 each. You can also get a 5-course tasting menu for $58.
Dinner tasting menus start at $92 for three courses, with special tasting menus costing either $120 (seasonal) or $102 (vegetarian).
The Tavern menu, which we did not try, has similar prices as the Dining Room lunch menu, but is available at night as well. They offer a fun looking 4-course dinner tasting menu for $48, which comes with an optional $20 beer pairing (fun!).I was very impressed with the food and would not hesitate to come back again. I am especially curious to try the Tavern menu, which looks pretty exciting. In general, I see Gramercy Tavern as the type of place where you know that anything you order will be very good - designed with thoughtful creativity and executed with precision. It's the type of place I could totally imagine visiting regularly if I lived in the area.Highly recommended.
Gramercy Tavern
Gramercy/Flatiron
42 E 20th St
New York, NY 10003
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