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541 Amsterdam Avenue, corner of 86th Street
212/724.4707
about $40 for two, without drinks, without tip
An institution more than just a trendy brunch place, Barney Greengrass serves the best smoked sturgeon in the city. The fish is perfect with scrambled eggs and onions even at $14 a pop. It’s probably the only place I’d actually enjoy salmon and lox with potatoes and not cringe at the $44 bill for two at the end. (No worries, that includes coffee and orange juice plus toasted bagels and cream cheese.) If you like your caviar, this is the place to order them. They even deliver overnight to your house in the Hamptons, you know, if you actually have a home in the Hamptons.
Matzo ball soup
Cameron’s salmon with eggs and onions
They don’t need your business at Barney Greengrass. They do well with just the upper west side residents lining up outside during the weekends. The service is too hasty but attentive in that New York City kind of way; don’t expect to be buttered up here unless you’re a regular or if your name is Richard Dreyfuss. (I only name him because I’ve seen him eat here during one of my visits.) The maître d’ screams to get your attention when it’s your turn to be seated but the food is too good–and the day is too early–to pay attention to such trivial matters.
Filed under New York Restaurant Reviews · Print This Post
70 West 71st Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
212/579.8751
about $100 for two, with two drinks, without tip
After a half bottle of Moillard, we just couldn’t shake off the idea of lamb for dinner. Fortunately, Pasha was around the corner of the wine bar we were in. Even with the coat-check girl’s attitude, (If they find you a table, it will be uncomfortable because you don’t have a reservation.) we enjoyed their grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts and currants. I’m going to have to copy this appetizer, also known as yaprak sarmai. We also shared the artichoke braised in lemon while we devoured their delicious bread in virgin olive oil. For a main course, I don’t think I’ve ever had a better hunkar begendi, baby lamb with puréed grilled eggplant. The smokiness of the eggplant was a great compliment to the tomatoes that were braised with the lamb. The meat was tender but not overdone.
Minus the coat-check girl–there’s a reason why she’s stuck with the coats–the service was notable. Perhaps it was quick because the maître d’ told us he would need our table after an hour even before we were seated but it didn’t feel like the waiters rushed us. They let us enjoy our meal and we actually did.
