Edible enlightenment from our eatery experts and colleagues Monie Begley, Richard Nalley and Randall Lane, as well as brothers Bob, Kip and Tim.
Marcel
945 Madison Ave., at 75th St. (Tel.: 212-951-0099)
There’s one thing this recently opened restaurant on the subterranean level at Sotheby’s is: confusing. Is this a posh new eatery, though the food is fairly unmemorable? Is this a gallery, as all the artwork on the walls is for sale? Is this an upmarket housewares depot, as all the tableware is for sale? This eatery is a partnership of the design firm of Roman and Williams and Sotheby’s—neither known for its culinary experience. The restaurant takes the first name of Marcel Breuer, the iconic architect who designed the building in which it is housed. The setting is fairly stunning; dining here is elegant and appealing. However, service is spotty, with dirty dishes sitting on the table for well over 15 minutes after the main course. The fare isn’t noteworthy or unique, except for the onion soup with its madcap, enormous puff pastry lid. The salade de homard has skimpy pieces of lobster tossed on greens with some green beans, and the steak filet is awfully small, though perfectly cooked. All sides are $22, which brings us to the cost: Lunch for two came to nearly $500, including one drink each—a glass of champagne (not Cristal) and a glass of Chablis. There are many other places to go that aren’t trying to sell everything!
Alice
126 West 13th St. (Tel.: 212-691-4886)
This isn’t Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant, where you can get anything you want; “Alice” is an Italian term for anchovy. This sexy Village hideaway serves a killer linguine vongole, a perfect branzino and a mean pistachio and passion fruit mousse. It’s certain that many of the diners are drawn in by Alice’s famous “date night” allure—everybody looking good in its cove-lit, fern-laden, low-ceilinged rooms.
Sojourn Social
1708 Second Ave., between 88th & 89th streets (Tel.: 212-537-7750)
This slightly smaller version of Sammy Musovic’s now-closed Sojourn is packed nightly and has a clever menu of American, French, Italian and Mexican specialties. Begin with crispy calamari fritti, the duck rillette croquettes served with a mustard aioli or a mezze trio of dips with pita bread and fresh vegetables. Follow with a seasonal spring pea salad. A rich lamb bolognese is served on a generous mound of pappardelle with ricotta. The Long Island duck is deliciously prepared and served with Swiss chard whipped potatoes. The chef’s special burger of Angus beef is a juicy delight on a brioche bun with all the fixins. The zeppoli with vanilla crème Anglaise makes for a perfect finish to your meal.
Bistro Vendôme
405 East 58th St., between First & York avenues (Tel.: 212-935-9100)
This quaint European bistro offers a menu that would do any similarly modest establishment in Paris proud. The mussels Provençale and the steak tartar are absolutely first-rate. The desserts are divine, especially the fluffy floating island, the perfect profiteroles, the crusty crème brûlée and the Trou Normand, a yummy apple sorbet slathered in Calvados. Fun signature cocktails, good service and the fine fare make it easy to understand why this is a neighborhood favorite.
Wainwright’s Tavern
1278 Third Ave., between 73rd & 74th streets (Tel.: 646-449-0753)
This is a delightful and welcome new neighborhood hang. The fare is traditional and scrumptious. Begin with the luscious gazpacho—a great way to kick off juicy baby back ribs—the zingy duck liver terrine or the summer crab cake with corn succotash and basil aioli. Next up is the perfectly prepared steak au poivre, with fries, of course. For fish lovers both a pan-seared salmon and trout almondine are on offer. The half-chicken is simply roasted and served with a mound of mashed potatoes. Leave room for either the sticky toffee pudding or the plate of profiteroles—or both.
Bungalow
24 First Ave., between 1st & 2nd streets (Contact: info@bungalowny.com)
Vikas Khanna might be the most famous Indian chef in the world, and Bungalow feels like a visit to one of his television sets. He greets diners at the glamorous bar, indulges patrons’ selfie requests and then takes them on an Indian food tour. Don’t miss out on the lamb chops—they live up to the hype.
Pavin 86
1663 First Ave., between 86th & 87th streets (Tel.: 646-368-1666)
A small, family-owned restaurant that prides itself on unhurried Italian meals of impressive creativity. Begin with a trio of polpette—meatballs in a delicious housemade ragù (best split among diners). The pastas are featured and not to be missed. Pici alla carbonara is a creamy-sauced pasta sprinkled with crispy guanciale and Pecorino Romano. A must is the risotto di zucchine, a perfectly cooked risotto with zucchini covered in a rich gorgonzola fondue. For protein don’t miss the pollo al tartufo, a simply executed chicken breast in a truffle sauce. The classic tiramisu is the perfect sweet ending. The staff is gracious and proud to offer wine pairing with each of the offerings. A visit here is a joy.