No salad as a meal – Eat vicariously: Illustrated

Try to make a reservation at the popular Waverly Inn and Garden and you may find its telephone number hard to come by. The unlisted restaurant hides behind an understated facade in a residential city block in the Greenwich Village. Its popularity arguably a result of being out of reach for the unpopular crowd. While mere mortals may have a hard time getting in; movie stars, socialites and billionaires have tables guaranteed. Once inside, celebrity spotting is assured. No wonder the paparazzi line up every night outside the door, come rain or shine. For obvious reasons, cameras are not welcomed inside; hence the illustrated reenactment that follows.

Located under an apartment building, the restaurant is accessible only through a discreet door, a few steps below ground level. Right next to it, a metal plaque proudly announces “The Waverly Inn. Since 1920”. There are 3 sections inside; the bar, the main dining room and a covered garden (nicknamed “Siberia” for seating the less glamorous clientele, according to the New York Times,). The atmosphere is of a bohemian 1920s private club with hints of classic American taverns. Dimly lit by wall sconces under low, beamed ceilings. Except for the airy, vine covered garden, the somewhat claustrophobic space seems to come from a Harry Potter passage. All walls covered with turn of the century portraits–or at least made to look that way.

Hobnobbing with People Magazine’s A/B lists is a mix of preppy New Yorkers and 50-somethings sporting tall lacquered hairdos, oversized pearl necklaces and their best eveningwear.

The sharp wait staff buzzes around the dim dining room, as if trained to seeing in the dark –and being oblivious to the glaring celebrities.

The menu

The words “Preview Menu” are printed in capital letters above and below the single-page sheet. Technically, The Waverly is not officially open. A clever excuse for creating an extra sense of exclusivity. But the allure seems to fade away when it comes to the food. Nothing sounds exceptional on the menu, except maybe the prices. Like a mac-and-cheese for sixty-five dollars. One I undoubtedly had to try.

The meal

In one word, average. Sloppy presentations, uninspiring flavors, little inventiveness. Far from fine dining. One of the appetizers recommended was an Heirloom tomato salad that, although described eloquently by our waiter, is plain and carelessly presented.

The Grilled salmon toro with wild mushrooms is a better choice. Although slightly charred, it is tender and juicy. Mushrooms and greens are somewhat soggy though, laid on the plate with no ceremony.

Now for the $65 Mac-and-cheese. In all fairness, it is topped with fresh shaved black truffles. But not enough truffles if you ask me. I follow Thomas Keller’s school of thought that such prime ingredients should be served with no economy for their true appreciation. At The Waverly, the table-shaved truffle is no match for the pungent mac-and-cheese. It’s flavor disappearing almost completely. All in all this is a tasty dish, just not worth sixty-five dollars.

I also tried the Cedar plank brook trout with roasted carrots. Another miss. Points for the presentation but overall it was dry and uninteresting.

For dessert, the Vermont Chevre Cheesecake Berry coulis is good but nothing more than ordinary. Despite the prominent goat cheese taste, the dessert lacked complexity of flavors.

In short

In one of the most alluring restaurants in NY, the food is far from glamorous. But if you don’t mind paying high-prices for ordinary American food, The Waverly is definitely worth going once, for the experience. Even for the celebrity-immune, you will still enjoy the authentic old-school New York ambiance. That if you know someone that knows someone that can get you in, of course.

The Waverly Inn and Garden is at 16 Bank St.

We had just sat down at our table. As I pulled out my camera to photograph the menu, the bright dining room lights were quickly dimmed down to candle-lit intensity. Blogger alert! Proper photography was suddenly out of the question. The simple task of reading the menu proved challenging –our waiter extended her flashlight. So in view of the unforeseen censorship, all I can offer are illustrative reenactments of the experience. Questionably accurate provided my faint visual memory.

Town is technically a hotel restaurant, but it hardly feels that way. Located inside the Chambers in midtown Manhattan, its concealed design provides for a nice sense of exclusivity. The private entrance leads to a small bar; behind it, a suspended walnut staircase shows the way to the downstairs dining room. Despite the impressive high-ceilings, floor space is tight. And in good discount airlines fashion, it was designed to include the maximum number of seats.

This floor design yields a curious side effect. The sharply dressed wait staff has to stand on the outskirts of the room, waiting for a reason to contend with the winding spaces between tables. The strange lineup resembles a military formation, off-putting to say the least. Eat your broccoli!

All in all, Town provides attentive service in an elegant atmosphere; for the most part. Our dinner was peppered with a few mishaps not expected for a high-end restaurant. Menus forgotten on the table, dishes presented with inelegance and tap water poured after we had ordered sparkling.

The menu (or what I could barely see of it)

The restaurant has a good selection of what it calls Dynamic American Cuisine. Despite the minimalist descriptions, the menu is inventive and appetizing, the type that makes you want to try a few different things. Nothing is highlighted but the restaurant has a few declared signature dishes listed on their website.

The meal

Three varieties of bread are served promptly after ordering. The individually baked mini rolls include brioche and Jalapeño / Cheese.

To start, an amuse bouche of Almond gazpacho with chorizo oil and baby cilantro. The taste is bland but not bad. It’s in the presentation though that the concept falls apart. The soup is served in a plastic glass shot that makes it feel instantly cheap. Hasbro tea party cheap.

As an appetizer, the Foie gras terrine / picked cherry / cherry syrup / chocolate salt sounded like a good choice. The minimalist presentation is appetizing and the foie gras is lusciously creamy, despite a few unexpected tough veins I had to go through. On the side, the accompanying toasts lacked crunchiness.

The Risotto of escargots / sweet garlic / black truffles is one of the restaurants signature dishes. Served in a generous portion, the dish is finished at the table with the snails poured over the rice. Granted ours was vigorously scooped by a not so graceful food runner.

For main course, a good surprise was the Lobster wrapped monkfish / smoked corn puree / chanterelle. A beautiful combination of flavors accentuated by the sweet corn puree and buttery sauce. Perfectly cooked and artfully finished with a saffron-color foam.

For the final course, the restaurant offers 4 categories with a few choices under each. They include cheeses with accoutrements, ice creams and sorbets, tarts and chocolate desserts.

Our waitress suggested the Vanilla and chocolate beignets. They were delicious. Served warm, dusted with sugar, crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy inside. Each fritter is actually filled with vanilla or chocolate cream. So far, NYC’s best beignet.

In short

The privacy of the lower level dining room is somewhat compromised by the overly tight table arrangement. Service is professional but feels out of synch at times. All is worth overlooking for a taste of Geoffrey Zakarian’s inventive and sophisticated cuisine. You won’t forget the food. Even under dim light.

Town closed in April 2009.
It was located at 15 West 56th Street, NY