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“V, The Steakhouse-- Closed”

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

feel like a slipper might be presented. It isn’t. But who cares that your foot will never see the inside of that magic shoe. Who needs a shoe’s promise of Prince Charming when you are blessed with really good meat (and a great bottle of wine) shared with your best girlfriends? Not I.

And it’s not just the first two courses that will get you. It’s dessert. My friend concluded that our next meal should actually begin with dessert. This friend also declared at the beginning of the meal: Team (she thinks eating is a sport), I think we need to order all of the sides! Whatdayasay? I believe she was expecting a huddle and a GO TEAM. We noted that there were a dozen sides. She shook her head. “WHADAYASAY Team!!!” was her response. It should also be noted that the phrase “mind-altering” was muttered many times by this friend as the meal progressed. Love her.

But back to those desserts, they are the creation of Joe Murphy, who was the opening pastry chef at Blue Fin and also opened Fresh, is now JG’s corporate pastry chef, and he demonstrates that steakhouse desserts can be basic in their elements, yet thrilling in their execution.

Do not under estimate the appeal of a bowl of berries ($8), floating in a clear, cool pool of lemongrass water, accented with kaffir lime and basil, and topped with a tangy quenelle of crème fraiche ice cream. The sweet and tart fruit—cherries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, tasted so fresh, so exciting, they sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine. Who reacts that way to fruit? Cheese? Maybe. Men? If I am lucky, but fruit? Never. Here’s to more fruit in my diet. (Men too, please.)

Loved the Lemon Meringue Composition ($9). A wide bowl filled with all the elements of the classic pie—a puff of meringue, a scoop of lemon curd, a pile of crumbled shortbread pie crust (yummy). Mix and match. Totally genius and deliciously fun. The ice cream sundae ($9) is taken up a notch to the realm of childish-adulthood with red wine ice cream, nuggets of crystallized pistachios and chocolate sauce that you pour on yourself (I meant, that you pour on the ice cream yourself. Get your mind our of the gutter!) There’s a terrific cheesecake plumped up with berries, there are chocolate beignets, and a deliciously twisted version of carrot cake—with a cream cheese cake base, topped with sweet-spiced carrot preserves and brown ... [more, click below]

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Posted: June 19, 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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