NYC, Jean-Georges

Why do weekends in NYC always go by so quickly?  Granted, they are always fun: food, friends, frenetic energy.  But each trip always reminds me of a college cram session, where you try to condense as much as possible in a short amount of time, rarely retaining it long-term.

Two weekends ago was no different.  Arrive Thursday night, wish a beloved friend a happy birthday, go to bed at 2AM.  Wake up the next day to see another friend and have a negligible pastry, then hurry  to Columbus Circle for a 2:30 lunch reservation at Jean-Georges, which in my mind, is the best lunch deal for fine dining there is in NYC.

Now before I get into the juicy details about the food and service, here's how the rest of Friday flew past: a leisurely stroll back to the apartment, then down to the West Village for a meal at Blue Ribbon Bakery: fried chicken, brussels sprouts with bacon, fine bread, watercress and endive salad with blue cheese.  Not too shabby for what I called "first dinner."

Then it was onto The Tasting Room in the East Village for a few glasses of wine.  This place is hands-down my favorite wine bar in the city.  Dark, candlelit, interesting small plates for nibbling, brick walls, and a bartender who was knowledgeable, friendly, and so down-to-earth she had us all cheering for a woman in the bar who had just quit her job.  Fun times.

After The Tasting Room, I zipped back to the West Village for a late night "second dinner" at The Spotted Pig.  I think all second dinners have to have bacon and fries.  And they didn't disappoint us with their burger, gnudi, bacon wrapped dates and prunes, salad with fried duck egg and bacon.  I LOVE PIG.  Oh, and the bottle of sparkling rosé and prosecco didn't hurt either.

Rolling back home and falling into bed at 4AM is so unlike me, yet that's exactly what we did.  I think it took me a few days to recover and has confirmed how un-NYC I am.

We hit The Smith for brunch the next day (recommended) and Shake Shack for, what else, a shake and a burger.  Overall, it was an eating weekend for the books.  The first day back in Boston, my body was telling me that I had eaten too much, and it wasn't until I had a bowl of tomato soup with quinoa and tons and tons of vegetables that it relaxed and relished the much-needed nutrients and vitamins.

I was lazy with the food shots, so all I have are photos of our lunch at Jean-Georges, such a steal at $28 for two courses.  We were tucked into a booth and sat side-by-side, likening the experience to dinner theater.  Except for one small misstep with stringy white asparagus (which the sommelier apologized for), the service was excellent, from the hosts to the man who de-crumbed our table with a little manual crumb vacuum.  Enjoy!

   
The riveting light fixture and the gorgeous table arrangement.

Foie Gras Brulée, Dried Sour Cherries,
Candied Pistachios, White Port Gelée
(my favorite dish that day)

Peekytoe Crab Fritters, Honeycrisp Apples, Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette

Crispy Artic Char, Miso Pommes Purée, Apple-Jalapeno Jus

Parmesan Crusted Confit Leg of Chicken,
White Asparagus, Basil & Lemon Butter

Citrus Dessert: Chocolate Poppy Seed Cake, Meyer Lemon Curd, Halva Powder,
Kaffir Lime Infused Jicama Noodles, Tangerine, Limoncello Granité

Chocolate, Vanilla, Lemon Poppy Seed Macarons
Bonus Desserts, the best kind!

Chocolate, Lemon, and Vanilla Marshmallows from the Marshmallow CART. 
Snipped to order.  No joke.

Vanilla, Honey, Bergamont, and one chocolate we can't remember. 
All delicious.

Bon Appétit!

Comments

[cindym]

hi christine! hope you're well - i'm going to NY next month and I just made my Jean-Georges lunch reservations. Thanks for the hot tip!

[Bed Wetting Solutions]

Christine, you have my mouth drooling with those photos of those exquisite dishes.

Thanks.