Cafe Gray
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
Dinner: 2/6/07
To quote one of the people I was dining with: it's not a cafe and its not gray inside.
The first step to enjoying your evening at Cafe Gray is to get past the fact that you are smack dab in the middle of a mall. The time warner center, to pick up on my sourpuss complaints from yesterday about how the city is being ruined left and right, is one of the worst man-made inventions since 'NSync. When I was a kid growing up, malls were places in the burbs. The City was the City. And you went to the City because you could find places that couldnt be found anywhere else. So laments the corporate lawyer that hates corporate america.
Assuming you can get past the ambience of the building, you should be in for a nice treat. The room is big and open and the kitchen is in the room with you. This is a touch that is becoming cliche'd around the city, but its still one that gives me a good chuckle. There is something cool about being able to see the kitchen and smell the foods cooking while you wait and discuss the ins and outs of dividend swaps and collateral movements under your ISDA with the broker that is taking you there.
I have to recommend going during the day, however, because the room looks out on central park (from the 3rd floor mind you). And all you see is a reflection of yourself when you look out the windows at night. Normally this is not a problem for me, but I think we can all agree that Central Park probably is more fun to look at than me.
Minor complaint about the room: a few too many mirrors for my taste. Bordered a bit uncomfortably on a 1984 bar mitzvah at a country club on Long Island, but it toed the line carefully and didnt quite cross the line. I suppose it was an elegant room. But it's close.
On to the service and food: service was slow but impeccable when it was there. I had three people clearing plates, filling water glasses, etc. This is a bit much for me, but obviously some places are like this. Another thing: apparently fancy places now think that "tap water" means bottled Fiji water. There are no pitchers there. The guys walk around with plastic bottles of Fiji water and pour them into your glasses. Now, I like Fiji water but this is not environmentally sensitive and its not my thing. Do other people like it? Probably. And Fiji water is pretty darn good.
For food I started with the risotto which I tend to find too buttery and creamy at most places. This risotto worked though and started the meal off with a bang. I started to get excited because notwithstanding the 600 word treatise above, obviously, the food is why i am there. A little buttery, a little al dente, incredibly fresh mushrooms, and booyah a great start. Next the entree: the short ribs. This is their signature dish. I think they need to find a new signature dish. Uninpsired frenchy tower of ribs. I suppose I am letting my blue collar show, but i like my short ribs braised and the way nature intended it. I know. I know. How can I complain about frenchy style when I went to a frenchy place? I really cant. This was not a steakhouse. But that being said, i dont think French has to be synonymous with overly drenched in sauce and butter, does it? And thats what these short ribs were. The ribs underneath were incredibly tender and delicious, so its clear that the food is good here. It just becomes a question of whether you can dig on the sauces. Maybe a different night in a different mood it would have worked for me.
The wine was fine. We asked for suggestions. Got a red and a white. Nothing great. Didnt handle the ordering so I dont know if we went completely overboard on the bottles (which would have been disappointing) or if they were reasonably priced (which would have been about right for the wine we drank).
I did not eat dessert because sauce complaints notwithstanding, I eat whatever food you put in front of me and by the time desert came around I had devoured everything on the short rib plate and thought I would explode. Check came and we left.
In all, a nice evening. A nice dinner. I didnt pay so I didnt pay close attention to the prices and so I dont know how highly i would recommend a trip out of the way to this place with your better halves. I assume it is your standard expensive NY place where you drop 250-300 if you go with your wife and all things considered (room, food, service) I would say its worth it to check it out. Don't forget on the way out you can stop at Banana Republic to pick up some blue dress shirts and white blouses. An obvious plus.
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
Dinner: 2/6/07
To quote one of the people I was dining with: it's not a cafe and its not gray inside.
The first step to enjoying your evening at Cafe Gray is to get past the fact that you are smack dab in the middle of a mall. The time warner center, to pick up on my sourpuss complaints from yesterday about how the city is being ruined left and right, is one of the worst man-made inventions since 'NSync. When I was a kid growing up, malls were places in the burbs. The City was the City. And you went to the City because you could find places that couldnt be found anywhere else. So laments the corporate lawyer that hates corporate america.
Assuming you can get past the ambience of the building, you should be in for a nice treat. The room is big and open and the kitchen is in the room with you. This is a touch that is becoming cliche'd around the city, but its still one that gives me a good chuckle. There is something cool about being able to see the kitchen and smell the foods cooking while you wait and discuss the ins and outs of dividend swaps and collateral movements under your ISDA with the broker that is taking you there.
I have to recommend going during the day, however, because the room looks out on central park (from the 3rd floor mind you). And all you see is a reflection of yourself when you look out the windows at night. Normally this is not a problem for me, but I think we can all agree that Central Park probably is more fun to look at than me.
Minor complaint about the room: a few too many mirrors for my taste. Bordered a bit uncomfortably on a 1984 bar mitzvah at a country club on Long Island, but it toed the line carefully and didnt quite cross the line. I suppose it was an elegant room. But it's close.
On to the service and food: service was slow but impeccable when it was there. I had three people clearing plates, filling water glasses, etc. This is a bit much for me, but obviously some places are like this. Another thing: apparently fancy places now think that "tap water" means bottled Fiji water. There are no pitchers there. The guys walk around with plastic bottles of Fiji water and pour them into your glasses. Now, I like Fiji water but this is not environmentally sensitive and its not my thing. Do other people like it? Probably. And Fiji water is pretty darn good.
For food I started with the risotto which I tend to find too buttery and creamy at most places. This risotto worked though and started the meal off with a bang. I started to get excited because notwithstanding the 600 word treatise above, obviously, the food is why i am there. A little buttery, a little al dente, incredibly fresh mushrooms, and booyah a great start. Next the entree: the short ribs. This is their signature dish. I think they need to find a new signature dish. Uninpsired frenchy tower of ribs. I suppose I am letting my blue collar show, but i like my short ribs braised and the way nature intended it. I know. I know. How can I complain about frenchy style when I went to a frenchy place? I really cant. This was not a steakhouse. But that being said, i dont think French has to be synonymous with overly drenched in sauce and butter, does it? And thats what these short ribs were. The ribs underneath were incredibly tender and delicious, so its clear that the food is good here. It just becomes a question of whether you can dig on the sauces. Maybe a different night in a different mood it would have worked for me.
The wine was fine. We asked for suggestions. Got a red and a white. Nothing great. Didnt handle the ordering so I dont know if we went completely overboard on the bottles (which would have been disappointing) or if they were reasonably priced (which would have been about right for the wine we drank).
I did not eat dessert because sauce complaints notwithstanding, I eat whatever food you put in front of me and by the time desert came around I had devoured everything on the short rib plate and thought I would explode. Check came and we left.
In all, a nice evening. A nice dinner. I didnt pay so I didnt pay close attention to the prices and so I dont know how highly i would recommend a trip out of the way to this place with your better halves. I assume it is your standard expensive NY place where you drop 250-300 if you go with your wife and all things considered (room, food, service) I would say its worth it to check it out. Don't forget on the way out you can stop at Banana Republic to pick up some blue dress shirts and white blouses. An obvious plus.
2 comments:
Time Warner Center is the coolest place to hangout in the entire city - Arcade Fire rules!
I'd rather look at you than Central Park anyday!
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