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“Cafe Gray”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Midtown	Break the Bank	Off the Charts

poon over and fold into the risotto. (If you are sly, you can lick the silver pot, which is worth the stares.) Kalamansi-cured yellowtail with rock salt and chile oil ($16) was among the top favorites of the table—sheer sleek slices of fish in a sweet-tart marinade, perfectly balanced against a spicy punch of chiles. Of the two soups we sampled, the Lobster Chowder ($13) was good—though a tad too creamy for my tastes—but the hands down star was the chilled coulis of two tomatoes and three basils garnished with fried eggplant. Cool, fresh, and disarmingly simple, the coulis fills your mouth and your mind with the essence of the late summer tomato—sweet, bright, sunny fruit. This dish was exquisite.

Moving into main courses brings the need for more superlatives though. Incredibly moist and tender pork shank ($28) is simmered in stout with maple syrup and served on a savory bean stew reminiscent of cassoulet. This is a must have. It is hearty hit that goes straight for the comfort zone, tasting like it has been stewed over a blazing hearth on the clear and cold winter night. Langoustines and seared salt cod with leeks, roasted sweet potatoes, lime and port ($29) takes you in the complete opposite direction as the pork shank. You go from earthy, savory and familiar, to sweet and sour, and very avant-garde. I liked this dish a lot—the unapologetically sweet and sour notes against the cod and lobster—but there were some at the table who were not as taken with the dish, claiming it was too cloying. The same argument was made about the braised shortribs with meaux mustard sauce and soft grits ($34), but I aggressively disagreed with my friend the chef on this one. I loved the pungent tamarind-tomato chutney-like sauce that topped off the ridiculously tender shortribs. And the contrast with the mustard sauce was right on. It reminded me of Persian food where richly spiced sweet-tart flavors often dress slow-cooked meats.

On the other hand the sautéed lamb chops ($31) found no negative voices. Juicy in the center and nicely seared, they are served on a vibrant Moroccan-spiced carrot emulsion and a gorgeous eggplant tart—circular ribbons of eggplant folded in on one another to form a stunning vegetable tart like something by the nature artist Andy Goldsworthy. But let us not forget the puffed rice crusted fluke ($24)—perhaps my favorite dish on the menu—a meaty and moist plank of fluke rob ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 10, 2004

Other restaurants in Midtown :
+ Lever House   + Aquavit   + RM   + Joseph's (formerly Citarella The Restaurant)   + Town   + Artisanal   + The Oyster Bar   + Geisha   + David Burke and Donatella Restaurant   + Riingo   + Amma   + Cafe Sabarsky   + The Stone Rose Lounge   + BLT Steak   + V, The Steakhouse-- Closed   + Bar Masa   + Cafe Gray   + The Bar Room at The Modern   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + Bistro du Vent-- Closed   + Shaburi   + Xing   + The Modern   + Bar Americain   + Alto   + Park Blue   + Mainland-- Closed   + Nobu 57   + Quality Meats   + Dona-- CLOSED   + Daisy May's   + 7Square-- CLOSED   + Amalia   + Fireside   + Anthos   + Patroon   + BLT Market   + Toloache   + Mia Dona   + Park Avenue Summer   + Convivio   + The Oak Room by guest reviewer Julie Besonen   + At Vermilion by guest reviewer Elaine Weiner   + Lunching at Inakaya, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Marea, by Guest Reviewer Susan Kane Walkush   + Le Bernardin   + New York Central -- A Reason To Eat at the Grand Hyatt Again   + Pampano Botaneria by Dara Pollak   

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