It was a weekday in January 2010. I think it was January...could be December. Either way I think it was during winter recess. School was out and Jen decided to go to the Met. I was done early at work and joined her.
After living in NY for years we get use to crowds. Walking down the street...not the sidewalk to avoid the tourists. In times square is a very typical NYer thing. Oh and we mumble and as we do it cursing out said tourists.
I try not to, knowing the tourists trade helps the economy and keeps me from being unemployed.
i also like to think of myself as an ambassador to NYC...the kind nice friendly NY. It's self appointed.
Yet...I do grumble alot at crowded streets alot lately.
Jennifer hates crowds...extremely hates crowds. Will hit people to get them out of her way...not really hard. She's not mean...she just wants them to move.
This one January/December day we forgot that school was out. Which makes the museums extra crowded. Along with 1000's of kids and tourists this was not a good day to stroll around and look at art.
So we did what we usually do and went on a search for food.
The upper east side was my home for a number of years.
I actually liked it. Quiet, clean...expensive and not for everybody
Most people in NY hate it. The downtown snobs think only cool people live below 14th street.
It's probably true.
I was just never that cool, even if I tried I couldn't be.
I suggest we go to E.A.T.S. Nice little gourmet deli type place on Madison. Salad's and such.
We walk past the deli section and drool. Seems ok so far. Then the soup was cold at $15 a bowl...you'd think they could heat it up.
Salad's were pretty and pretty pricey.
Jen liked the bread.
Hated the people.
We left hungry.
So we strolled down Madison and ran into our favorite chocolate place...now yes, every chocolate place is our favorite. But this is purple and pretty and they have chocolate and bacon. How could that be wrong ?? It just isn't.
Vosges. We first discovered this after we went to Balthazar...one of my most favorite food experiences and one of my favorite Birthday dinners.
Vosges made the over priced EATS meal a faded memory.
We continue our stroll...stopping in the over priced shops. Window gazing at all the UES ladies and their babies.
I started wondering what I liked about the UES.
Everything always looked clean and pretty.
Yet cold and distant. I could have at one time in my life been them. The UES lady out for the day of lunch and fundraising.
But I would probably make fun of them and go downtown after lunch and find a dive bar and sit at Washington Square Park.
But that was a million and a half years ago.
My life is now consumed with food and art.
Chocolate is delicious but not a meal. I don't know why...it could be. But really it's basically the finale of a lovely concert. The encore. The punctuation after the thought.
I then mention I always wanted to go to David Burke's on 61st and Lex.
Jen as always says ...yes.
Mind you this was a winter day on our impromptu museum evening. We were dressed with a 4 star restaurant in mind. Yet...being as cool as you can be without living below 14th street. We walked in, handed our winter coats, hoodies and scarves for coat check and sat at a lovely booth in the back.
It was early enough and being on the UES, only the elderly and the really old rich dine at 5 PM in NY. No one seemed to notice that we might not be dressed for a night out on the town.
We were dressed like 2 girls from a bar...2 hungry girls.
The service was...well excellent. Many people serving and seemingly welcoming.
I believe I had the Prime Rib and Jen had the Roasted & Crispy Seawater soaked organic chicken. Yes...it was as good as it sounds.
If memory serves we had the cauliflower and broccoli rabe.
It may have been the chocolate cake for desert...it's usually always the chocolate cake for desert.
This was months ago and our mouths water when we hear David Burke mentioned.
What we remember was it was delicious and we were under dressed.
Perhaps it's time to try it again.
http://www.davidburketownhouse.com/info.html
Dinner menu:
MAIN DISHES
MUSTARD CRUSTED TUNA 30
coconut-kaffir lime basmati rice, baby bok choy, red seaweed
with sweet and sour blood orange sauce
PAN SEARED DOVER SOLE 44
corn and wild mushrooms, vegetable confit and kalamata olive purée
THE LOBSTER “STEAK” 41
shoestring potatoes, candied grapefruit, preserved lemon and black honey
ROASTED STUFFED ORGANIC HEN WITH BACON AND LOBSTER 38
asparagus and oven-dried tomato ragout
HANDMADE CAVATELLI & BRAISED SHORT RIBS 30
wild mushrooms, mushroom chips and truffle mousse
ROASTED & CRISPY SEAWATER SOAKED ORGANIC CHICKEN 29
succotash, chanterelle purée and natural jus
“BRONX” STYLE FILET MIGNON OF VEAL & VEAL CHEEK 36
orange infused cauliflower purée and pistachio ravioli
MEDITERRANEAN RACK OF LAMB 38
calamari, black olives and goat cheese orzo
ALMOND CRUSTED VENISON 37
beggar’s purse, smoked bacon, brussels sprouts and juniper berry-balsamic jus
CREEKSTONE FARMS BLACK ANGUS DRY AGED PRIME RIB EYE 39
fancy fries and petite caesar
CREAMED SPINACH
aged gouda
WHIPPED POTATOES
roasted garlic and lemon
CAULIFLOWER GRATINÉE
black forest ham and fine herb crust
TATER TOTS
aji amarillo and scallions
GARLICKY BROCCOLI RABE
lap chung
TEMPURA GREEN BEANS
sweet chili glaze
TOMATO SALAD
truffle balsamic
GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
apples and bacon
DESSERT
CARAMELIZED WARM APPLE TART 10
cider caramel and dulce de leche ice cream
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MOUSSE 11 orange blossom cream, candied kumquats and
tangerine sorbet
BUTTERSCOTCH PANNA COTTA 10
crunchy meringue and curried gelée
CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE 11
malted caramel, fleur de sel and guinness ice cream
VANILLA CREAM PIE 11 walnut rosemary oil, dates, meyer lemon sorbet
SPICED COCONUT CAKE 11
spiked coconut cream, huckleberries and blackberry sorbet
WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMONGRASS CRÈME BRÛLÉE 2
pineapple citrus salad, and candied Buddha’s hand
DRUNKEN DONUTS 15 chocolate baileys, “rasberritini” and sugar & spice cream
($10 supplement with prix fixe or in lieu of two desserts)
FRESH FRUIT & BERRIES 10 honey yogurt sorbet and blueberry-cranberry tea
ICE CREAM & SORBET
three scoops 11
five mini cones 12
DAVID BURKE’S CHEESECAKE LOLLIPOP TREE 18
bubblegum whipped cream and raspberries
($10 supplement with prix fixe or in lieu of two desserts)
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