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“The Waverly Inn”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	West Village	Moderate	Great

MY DINNER AT THE WAVERLY INN

At this point, you’ve probably heard all there is to hear about The Waverly Inn, Graydon Carter’s snug and cozy American restaurant in the old Ye Waverly Inn space. While the restaurant isn’t even technically open yet—the menu still reads “Preview”—it’s been serving since early January, and it’s the “who” that the restaurant has been serving that’s been getting most of the press. The place is overrun with celebrities, a first rate collection of politicians, movie-makers, actors, journalists, athletes, models, artists, and the like. Sadly, commoners like us don’t really get to eat at The Waverly unless either you (a) know Mr. Carter or one of his people, (b) know the chef, John DeLucie, (c) know someone in six degrees of separation of these two men, or (d) stop by on an off night at an early time and try to snag a table from Emil, the "host." (I use the term"host" losely. He's not the friendliest of types.) Yes, there’s now a published phone number but the tables you will be offered will be 6:30 or 10:30 (if at all). More often, you will be offered nothing. The fact that you may not be able to get a table at The Waverly Inn is truly sad because the food is quite spectacular and it should be shared so that it can be adored by many, not few.

Indeed, when dinner begins with a basket of steaming hot homemade biscuits that you may (and by all means should) slather with whipped honey butter, who cares that you are eating feet from Jennifer Connelly? When a gorgeous fillet of Dover sole ($39) is cooked so that its flesh is flaky and moist to the point of being almost creamy, who really cares that Carly Simon is signing CDs as she leaves? When the fish is served with a bright beautiful buttery and yet somehow delicate lemony hollandaise sauce, and haricot verts that are snappy, fresh, and vibrant and make you consider an all string bean diet, does it matter that Walter Cronkite is dining in the Solarium by the fire? I think not.

So the shame of The Waverly Inn is that Graydon Carter has opened a terrific restaurant—the room is snug and warm, I’d say English manor house chic—that is not in the real sense of the word, “open” to the public. Craig and I were talking about my review of the restaurant this morning and he made a point that I am thinking of now, as I write t ... [more, click below]

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Posted: February 11, 2007

Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   

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