Jean-Georges ***

Dining Room

Jean-Georges
1 Central Park W
New York, NY 10023
(212) 299-3900
Official Site

World renowned chef and restaurateur Jean-George Vongerichten has amassed a gastronomic empire across the US and a handful more in different continents. In New York City alone, he has eight restaurants with more openings on the horizon. His flagship restaurant Jean-Georges in Columbus Circle is in the elite group of the crème de la crème of New York City fine dining establishments.

Highly praised by the city’s dining purist and critics, this restaurant has been a three stars Michelin recipient for the past nine years and one of the select few to be awarded four stars by the New York Times.

Dining Room

Situated in the lobby of Trump International Hotel and Tower, Jean-Georges contemporary subdued dining room is frequented by business men and women during lunch and food buffs and guests on celebratory dinner in the evening.

Dining Room

The restaurant is designed with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows that provide natural light which brighten up the dining room during afternoon service. Tables covered in smooth white table cloths with fresh flowers on top are paired with brownish grey leather seats and booths. Two alcoves, reserved for intimate dining, complete the simple but elegant interior.

French born Chef Vongerichten has worked in some of the top kitchens in France, but his travels to Asia are what developed his love for the continent’s cuisine. His experience has created a fusion that defines the character of each dish at Jean-Georges. A combination of Asian ingredients and flavors alongside with French cooking techniques are both innovative and creative.

Jean-Georges haute cuisine is both light and flavor packed. The use of heavy cream that is associated with French cuisine is replaced with savory sauce that brings an exotic taste to each plate.

Having visited Jean-Georges a few times, I was able to sample numerous items on their menu. The dishes are carefully crafted and the kitchen’s attention to details is immaculate. To start, their Peekytoe Crab Dumplings swimming in Myer Lemon juice was flavorful! Succulent pieces of crab meat went well with the Meyer lemon juice sauce. There’s also the Sea Scallops with caramelized cauliflower and caper-raisins emulsions. The scallops were adequately seared and the caramelized cauliflower had a nice texture and combined with the emulsion became a successful union.

Fish dishes like the Sea Trout draped in trout eggs with lemon foam and olive oil was enjoyable. The light taste of the trout was flavored by the subtle saltiness of trout eggs and balanced by the lemon foam. The Hamachi Sashimi was so fresh, its smoky buttery taste married with the distinct flavor of the avocado and the bitterness of the radish making this a stellar dish. Black Bass crusted with nuts and seeds, sweet and sour jus had a balance of texture and flavors. The bass was cooked perfectly and beautifully complimented by its sweet and sour sauce.

Hamachi Sashimi Black Bass

A dish that caught my eyes was the Foie Gras Brulée with fig jam. This was an exceptional dish. It showed the creativity of the restaurant. The buttery foie gras that was caramelized tasted equally as good as it sound. While the Sesame Crusted Foie Gras might not be on the same level as the aforementioned, the nuttiness from the sesame crust was enough to make it a worthwhile dish.

Foie Gras Brulée Sesame Crusted Foie Gras

The hearty Japanese Risotto with porcini marmalade was less creamier than an average risotto and very light. This dish is a classic example of the East meets West cuisine at Jean-Georges. Licorice Braised Sweetbreads were nicely cooked and the baby carrots, ginger and shiitake mushrooms gave it an additional earthy flavor.

Japanese Risotto

Entrées like the Colorado Lamb with smoked chili glaze, broccoli rabe and pistachios and The Duck Breast topped with cracked Jordan almonds, amaretto ju and foie gras were both carved table side before serving. There were a lot of elements on both plates that complimented each other perfectly. Lamb meat was tender and clean, while the duck breast was moist and soft. Both dishes were full of flavor.

Colorado Lamb Duck Breast

The restaurants greatness continued with their desserts. Here the guests were allowed to choose one base ingredient to create four kinds of desserts. I selected the Caramel that consists of a gelée, crème brulée, ginger bread and strudel as well as the Citrus that was made up of sorbet, crème caramel, apple confit and torte. None of the two quartet are less than the other and both put an outstanding sweet ending to my already remarkable meals at Jean-Georges.

There are several dining options at Jean-Georges, for lunch there’s a $39 two course ($19 for each additional course) and a $148 tasting menu. The two courses was an affordable way to experience a restaurant of this caliber. Dinner on the other hand is more expensive, $118 three course pre-fixe plus desert and two kinds of tasting menus valued at $198 each. Both lunch and dinner menu are identical, though serving size in the evening is slightly larger.

Dessert:

Their predominantly French wine list is impressive with reasonable prices. You can get a bottle of both red and white below $80. Wine by glass is offered at price point and average about $14 a glass.

As a member of the Relais & Chateux you can expect a luxurious experience. From the minute you walked in you are pampered by its professional and knowledgeable staff. Service is formal, typical of a fine dining establishment were the servers are engaged to a certain point. They know when it’s time to leave the table and let you savor the moment.

At Jean-Georges guest are guaranteed a stellar meal whether they are paying for a $39 lunch or an $118 dinner. In my visits there was no drop in level of the food and service from previous ones, their consistency is second to none.

High quality ingredients and creative flavors are jammed into dishes that can only be found in this restaurant. When paired with impeccable services it makes this fine dining venue a gastronomic destination.

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be considered. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a medication prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you must ask your druggist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In supplement, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are as a rule able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may include erectile disfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.

Marea **

DSCN4261

Famous for his Italian fare and homemade pasta, Chef Michael White has created a restaurant empire in New York City that has been welcomed whole heartedly by this city’s serious diners. Marea, the flagship of his Altamarea restaurant group, on Central Park West is one of the top seafood and Italian restaurants in New York City. It has been a recipient of two Michelin stars for the past four years, a Three Star review from the NY Times, and one of the only few Relais & Châteaux certified dining establishments in the world. The praises in the culinary universe for Marea is immeasurable.

Opening in 2009 during the height of the recession when fine dining is said to be on respirators, it was the most ambitious and riskiest project of Chef White’s career. Fast forward to today, Marea is a busy restaurant and frequented by the New York City elite, moguls, and celebrities. On the weekend, the lounge in the front of the restaurant and its gold onyx bar is congested with patrons while more people are being ushered to the dining room way after 10 pm.

Housed in the old San Demonico space, this pescatarian haven is accessible through revolving doors where hostesses greet each guest with a friendly smile. After the welcoming festivities are over, guests are led to an elegant dining room where the tables are covered in white table cloths surrounded by lush chocolate leather seats and glossy rosewood flooring and walls. Sea shells are on display in the dining area and windows large enough to provide a back drop of Central Park. I couldn’t help but notice when I last visited Marea for dinner that hip-hop music was the choice of tunes in the restaurant. I never expected that.

The restaurant’s menu is significant and derived from the coast of Italy. A $99 four-course pri-fixe during dinner, where guests can design their own courses, is a brilliant way to get a taste of Chef White’s cooking. Between two people you can sample up to eight dishes.

All the dishes that I’ve had here were remarkable, beginning with the raw plates like the Tuna Tartare made with Blue Fin tuna, it was so fresh that it taste of the ocean was apparent. On the other hand The Dentice, or Pacific snapper, was cut thinly and given a citrusy touch. The seafood is fresh, as if it were caught from their natural habitat a few hours ago.

The antipasti dishes like the Polipo, octopus grilled to a nice texture and worked well with the pickled red onions. The Goberra Rosso is a large sautéed Mediterranean red prawn which was meaty and delicious. Next, I enjoyed the Nova Scotia lobster with Buratta cheese also known as Astice. A rule of thumb in the culinary world is to never mix seafood with cheese, but here, the Burratta and lobster were a perfect marriage making this an amazing dish.

Chef Michael White’s fresh pasta is just as advertised which is handmade daily in the restaurant. The Garganelli with crabs and sea urchin in a light sauce blended rightfully. Of course, you can’t come to this restaurant without having the Fusili pasta with braised octopus and bone marrow. This signature dish is raved about in the online community, along with the Astice, and I must say that I’m in agreement with what’s being said.

A variety of fish dishes, or main plates, are available to choose from. Ippogloso, or halibut, is a tender dish served with a salsa verde sauce which added moisture and additional flavor to the fish. Rombo, a dish highlighting a hearty fish called turbot. Turbot, similar to cod with its big flaky meat, holds together well but is very mild in flavor. It could easily get lost among strong herbs. The turbot was pan seared and accompanied by market green beans on a tangy lentil bean sauce. It seemed to get better and better as you continued to eat. The large sea scallops, Capesante, was also pan seared until just done and arranged on peaches, Chanterelle mushrooms, and garlic. These unique flavors added an additional layer of sweetness to the already tender, sweet scallops. Amazing!

The desserts are handled by Executive Pastry Chef Robert Truitt who was previously at Corton in Tribeca, also a two Michelin star restaurant. His desserts, like the Semifreddo Di Nocciola with hazelnut, chocolate, and mascarpone cheese and the Strati Di Cioccolato made with dark chocolate crema, salted caramel, and coffee crumble with gelato, as well as the Bamboloni , bite-sized round donuts with a side of dipping chocolate and spiced honey leaves a lasting impression after a fantastic meal at Marea.

Their wine list is massive and can become overwhelming as you flip through the many pages. Dominated by different regions of Italy, there are bottles that are priced as low as thirty dollars to as high as five figures. If opting for the dinner pri-fixe, have it paired with wine for a manageable $55 as a recommendation.

The service is professional and relaxed, engaging and not overly intrusive. Exactly what’s expected in a restaurant of this caliber.

Not only did Marea survive the worst recession to ever hit the globe, it also collected numerous accolades along the way. The consistency in providing New York City diners with the freshest seafood available and properly executing every plate that is put in front of their guests has made Marea one of the top restaurants in New York City.

Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-5100
Official Website

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be elaborate. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a medication set to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you should ask your pharmacist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In complement, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are mostly able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may include erectile disfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.