The Tavern Within Gramercy Tavern
Written: Jul 28 '02 (Updated Jul 28 '02)
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Pros: Wonderful all-American dishes and awesome desserts. Warm, energetic vibe.
Cons: The Tavern's no-reservations policy translates into hour-long waits.
The Bottom Line: A taste of one of Manhattan’s best at half the cost, served in a cozy, gentrified tavern setting.
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| Epicure's Full Review: Gramercy Tavern |
Non-New Yorkers frequently have the misconception that in order to dine well in Manhattan you have to be loaded or on an expense account. They read about Jean-Georges or Daniel, and assume that no one can pass through those privileged doors without his or her platinum card in hand, when in fact many of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants actually cater to those with more modest budgets. Does that surprise you? Well, it shouldn’t…not since many of Manhattan’s finest began establishing casual counterparts to their white linen, silver candlestick dining rooms. Among the most successful ventures, I would include The Bread Bar at Tabla, Craftbar, Next Door Nobu, Nougatine and the Tavern Room at Gramercy Tavern.
Gramercy Tavern probably holds the distinction of being one of the first great restaurants to carve out a little space within the grander confines of its establishment to serve simpler, more affordable meals to discerning, budget-conscious diners. Opened in 1994 by restaurateur Danny Meyer and chef Tom Colicchio, Gramercy Tavern signaled a renewed interest in classic American cooking. Its dishes are down-to-earth rather than fanciful, and there are few ingredients on the menu that the general public would not recognize. Yet despite the egalitarian attitude of the restaurant, with prix fixe dinner menus starting at $65 per person, Gramercy Tavern is neither a restaurant that everyone can afford nor a place where one can easily become a “regular.” Enter the Tavern Room. Meyer and Colicchio were savvy to recognize this opportunity to transform their bar area into one of the most popular watering holes in the neighborhood. The liveliness of the Tavern adds immeasurably to the overall ambiance of the restaurant.
Without the Tavern, Gramercy Tavern would still be a marvelous institution of fine dining, but I think it would lack heart. The warmth and vibrancy of the Tavern reverberates off the sturdy ceiling beams, splashy, food-themed murals, and deep-hued, wooden tables. I recall having a delicious meal in the formal dining room of Gramercy Tavern two years ago, but for some reason the experience does not evoke the same feelings of fondness that I have when I think back to the intimate post-theater repast that Mr. Epicure and I had in the Tavern one wintry eve.
The ambiance of the Tavern is the ideal balance between simple and sophisticated, rustic and polished. There is an enchanting wooden table pushed up against the wall by the reception area. Last weekend, it looked like it had been plucked right out of a photo shoot for Country Living. An ethereal hydrangea, potted herbs, champagne colored candles, gracefully twisting vines, and miniature terra cotta pots filled with peach roses graced the table while baskets of pine cones, dried hydrangea and garlic bulbs decorated the floor space beneath.
I recommend starting off an evening at the Tavern with one of their tantalizing summer cocktails, like the Sparkling Campari Cocktail (campari, grapefruit, vodka with a splash of moscato) or the Pear Cobbler (other than pear liqueur, I’m not sure what else is in this drink). The house specials are written on a blackboard, hanging behind the handsome wooden bar, which incidentally spans the length of the entire room. During our last two visits (both on Friday nights), the bar was completely full and overflowing all the way until 11:00 p.m. Patrons have the option of dining at the bar if all of the small tables in the Tavern are taken, so more often than not you will see hopeful, hungry souls milling around the bar, trying to snag a seat. Neither the bar nor any other tables in the Tavern can be reserved, so the wait for dinner frequently approaches an hour. Even more of a reason to order that lovely summer cocktail.
Despite the welcoming ambiance of the bar, I still prefer to dine at one of the Tavern’s small tables. Most of them are oval-shaped, which makes them especially appealing because they are long horizontally so you have room for your plates, but short vertically so you can speak to your companion without shouting.
Once seated, a server will appear within minutes to take your drink order and provide you with menus. The service at the Tavern is unfailingly warm and friendly. I also noticed a decent number of women servers, which is often not the case at some of the more upscale restaurants in town although that is changing.
I have been having wonderful luck with summer soups lately. Every time I order one, I end up with a winner. The Tavern’s Chilled Pea Soup ($10) was no exception. The garden-fresh pea soup could not have wished for better companions than the smoky, grilled shrimp and smooth, pearly orzo that accompanied it. Tiny, diced tomatoes and bits of chive accented the soup, offsetting both the sweetness of the peas and the brininess of the shrimp. Despite being a “summer soup,” this dish was rather filling with all those ingredients. I had this soup, one other appetizer and a dessert, and I found that to be the perfect amount of food for me.
There is an earthy quality about the salads at the Tavern. We contemplated having the Fava Bean Salad ($10) served with Pecorino, walnut pesto and proscuitto brioche, but decided to go with the Artichoke, Cranberry Beans and Parmesan salad ($10) upon the advice of our server. Fresh, nutty Parmesan shavings played well to the woodsy, tangy chunks of artichokes, with the pebbly beans adding some textural diversity.
My favorite appetizer is probably the Grilled Scallops ($12). Two large, tender, milky-white scallops tasted of the sea without a hint of that metallic aftertaste that one sometimes encounters with scallops. Sweet beets, citrusy orange bits and sherry vinaigrette provided the perfect kaleidoscope of flavors in this dish.
“Fresh bacon?!” was the exclamation that I heard from many of the tables bordering ours. Of all the main courses, the Grilled Fresh Bacon ($17) just seemed to jump off the menu. I envisioned gigantic, mutant strips of crisp, smoked bacon dripping with deliciously unhealthy pork fat. In actuality, this dish wasn’t such a danger to our arteries. Mr. Epicure compared its flavor to that of a whole roasted pig. It was very robust and juicy, enhanced by the thin, crunchy skin that hugged the meat. It was served with fingerling potatoes, Romano beans and roasted tomatoes.
The Striped Bass ($17.50), a lean and flaky fish, was paired with an aromatic lemon-rosemary vinaigrette and an “eggplant caviar” that was simultaneously bitter and spicy. Though I enjoyed the bass, I passed on the caviar, finding the combination a bit disconcerting.
The Soft-shell Crab Sandwich ($16), on the other hand, was bursting with complementary flavors. Two soft-shell crabs shared the spotlight with two savory slivers of pancetta. A creamy remoulade joined them with the lettuce and tomatoes. I loved the crusty, airy ciabatta bread used for this sandwich, and as an additional treat, a spoonful of pickled carrots and Kirby cucumbers lay hidden in its shadow.
Gramercy Tavern offers one of the most impressive cheese selections in town. A full two-page cheese menu is presented with the dessert menu. In addition to the sheer number of choices, the Tavern’s cheese menu is unique in its concentration on cheeses produced in the U.S. During a recent visit, I immediately spotted two of my favorite American cheeses on the menu – Humboldt Fog from California (a mild, creamy goat cheese with middle and outer layers of vegetable ash) and Hudson Valley Camembert from the Old Chatham Shepherding Company (a gentle, fresh-flavored cow and sheep’s milk cheese, less buttery than most French Camembert). Both are award-winning cheeses.
On the recommendation of our server, we also tried the Robiolina (a meaty, earthy cow’s milk cheese produced in the Lombardy region of Italy) and Timson (a semi-soft, nutty cow’s milk cheese produced in Vermont). Our server captured the essence of each cheese in her descriptions, which both impressed me and reminded me of how difficult it is to be a server at a top restaurant in the city. Three kinds of sliced bread accompanied our plate of cheese – a plain, crusty white bread, a golden raisin and fennel bread, and a dried cranberry, raisin and walnut bread. Each cheese was outstanding! What a rarity to have such a vast quantity of quality cheeses from which to select. Our server even mentioned that the restaurant has a cheese sommelier, who modifies the offerings on a weekly basis.
I don’t think I’d be too off the mark if I said pastry chef Claudia Fleming has received as many accolades as Colicchio himself. In fact, Fleming is probably one of the best known pastry chefs in the country, having won the coveted Best Pastry Chef award from the James Beard Foundation two years in a row (2000 and 2001), and numerous other awards from various food-related publications. Unlike the complicated, architecturally challenging masterpieces that you might see in pastry competitions on the Food Network, Fleming’s creations are simple, sweet, sometimes rustic, always wholesome, sort of like your girl-next-door desserts. Another thing - Fleming seems to favor fruit desserts, which is just fine by me since that is my preference anyway.
On a recent visit, I had a magnificent Blueberry Shortcake ($8). The blueberries were large, sweet and juicy, the kind that leaves hopeless inky stains on white summer shirts. The shortcake was crumbly but not dry, with the texture of a good scone and an enticingly crunchy top. A divine crème fraiche united the blueberries and the shortcake. You can never go wrong with crème fraiche.
Crème fraiche plays an important role in another of Fleming’s fruit desserts, the Peach Tatin ($8). Cradled in a round puff pastry shell, tree-ripened peach slices crowned with black pepper crème fraiche made for a delectable combination. The black pepper provided a subtle kick to the dessert. A swirl of basil syrup finished it off.
The Nectarine and Cherry Crisp for Two ($10) is so generously sized that it can easily serve three. Our server brought it to our table piping hot in a shallow copper skillet. As we broke through the crumble crust, we could see (and smell!) the bubbling fruit juices at the bottom of the dish. Amazingly fresh nectarine chunks and pitted cherry halves served as the filling for this homey dessert. I probably could have done without the intensely flavored verbena ice cream that accompanied the crisp, but otherwise this dessert is one that we all wish our moms could make.
After eight years of unqualified success, the Tavern is clearly still going strong with no hint of slowing down. A promising sign for our economy or merely an indication of how essential good food is to one’s well-being?
Address: 42 East 20th Street, New York, NY
Telephone: 212- 477-0777
Attire: Smart casual
Child Friendly: We have never seen any children during our visits here.
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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