3 weeks of Groceries or Gramercy Tavern?

Gramercy Tavern. For sure. Hands down. Even if this means I have to eat out of my freezer for a week...oh Lean Cuisine how I hate thee.

About 10 years ago (yes, I have been in NYC that long), my mom came to visit and asked me to make a resi at the best restaurant in town. I had no clue where to go. My idea of fine dining in the late 90's was Maryann's Mexican Cantina (all the UES locations have since closed). So, like anyone who needs to know something, I asked around. Everyone said either Gramercy Tavern or Union Square Cafe. One friend suggested I read something called Zagat (sadly, I did not know what this wonderful guide was back then). So, I picked Gramercy Tavern for one reason and one reason alone. A tavern meant colonial history, which I love, and I hoped a Ben Franklin look alike might be our server. In the end, Mom and I ended up having a lovely dinner but I was too young and too much of a brat to really appreciate the meal (that changes when you pay for it yourself).

2nd time around was an incredible dining experience! After checking-in with the host (they don't let anyone by without a full interrogation) I headed to the bar and had a glass of delicious Oregon Pinot ($12 bucks) while I awaited my 3 fabulous foodie friends. While at the bar I indulged in a bowl of the cumin sugar almonds that melted in my mouth. After all arrived, we tucked into our table and casually looked around for any celebs (nobody was there). Presented with leather bound menus, we all reviewed and decided to do the tasting menu--- a starter, an entree, and then a dessert for $86 bucks. 2 other tasting menus are available-one vegetarian and one chef's pick. Both looked really good but were north of $100 so we decided to be slightly conservative with our stomachs and wallets.

Our waitress could have passed for a young Sally Jessy Raphael. She had red glasses and the Sally hairdo. She was definitely an actress during the day judging by her body movements when we asked, "Beef or Pork"? Unlike my dinner mates who all ordered the Pork, I ordered the Sirloin two ways, grilled and then done short rib style. We finished our order by selecting a North Fork Sauvignon Blanc from Channing Daughters. Great wine for $38 bucks.

Starters: I had soft shell crabs with scallions and fingerling potatoes, Alicia had the black tagliatelle with chorizo, mussels, and calamari, and both Sarah and Martha had the lamb papardelle with olives and lemons. I cheated on my soft shells with a bite of the lamb pasta and wished I had ordered that instead! It was superb. To complement our starters, we were given the choice of rolls- olive or a ciabatta. My only complaint thus far was that they weren't warm and they were hard to chew.

Our entrees came soon after and the presentation was spot on. So much so that one server came back to my friend Alicia's dinner and moved the plate ever so slightly to make it perfect. My lovely sirloin rested on a bed of fresh summer peas that were so sweet and pretty I couldn't help but eat! My meat was v. juicy but not quite as juicy as the pork belly Sarah let me try. All 3 of my foodie friends ordered the pork which was prepared as both a rack of pork and also as the the pork belly. Both styles rested on heirloom cauliflower and some other kind of earthy veggie I can't even pronounce (kohlrabi). Judging by our immediate silence after our entrees came, I think we all agreed they were a hit.

Dessert was tough. Peanut butter or chocolate. What is a girl to do? I ordered the warm chocolate bread pudding that was beyond good. Sarah did a berry tart that was OK. Not enough custard to pull it all together. Martha and Alicia had the peanut butter semifreddo that gave them both sweet dreams that night. As a thank you for being such great diners, Sally Jessy gave us a free strawberry tart that was also delicious but not quite as good as my bread pudding or the peanut butter dream.

We all rolled out (literally) and Sarah and I climbed into our yellow chariot that took us uptown.

$150+ bucks later....Hello freezer, whatcha got in there?

Bottom line: Highly recommend. Go now with people you like (Dinner was 2 1/2 hours!) Feast like you haven't done before because you don't know when you will go back! The menu changes seasonally so one could justify 4 visits per year:) If the $86 bucks scares you, opt for the front tavern area where it is first come, first serve and the menu is al a carte. Both the tavern and main dining area are warm and inviting and if you let yourself dream a little, you might think you were at Hogwarts or somewhere else magical.

www.gramercytavern.com

Next Up: A restaurant called "Collage" located in the heart of historic St. Augustine, FL.