best meal ever.... i absolutely never write these things...but as a public service, i'll do so.
my wife & i were in town to see jersey boys for our anniversary & had the pleasure of having dinner at gracie's.
i have eaten at the best restaurants all over the world and after last night, i have to say that gracie's ranks at the top.
we had the 5 course tasting menu ($75) and it was a bargain! everything was chef recommended, so each course was a surprise to us. everything - and i mean everything - ranged from "excellent" to "took my breath away".
start with a cocktail - they mix them very well, so you can taste both the flavor and the liquor - and they are presented with just enough ice (to make it cold). they had several different varieties of bread (the crackle crust was out of this world, as opposed to the foccacia, which was only magnificent). the wait staff was accomodating - making sure your drinks were refilled and bringing out additional bread without swarming.
then the courses - simply unbelievable. the smoked salmon with the poached quail egg was beautifully presented & simply delicious. the handmade gnocchis with mushrooms had a refreshing hint of lemon zest. the hit of the evening was the seared sea scallops and razor clams - i mean, i would never make this at home - it had so many ingredients diced up fine (chorizon sausage, shallots, etc.) but when i was done, i flagged down one of the wait staff to ask for 2 slices of baguette and simply lapped up the sauce from the plate.
finally came the lamb tenderloins with fresh summer vegetables and a reduction that was out of this world. this was preceeded by a raspberry sorbet that not only cleaned the palate, but was quite flavorful. if there weren't other people around, i would probably have licked the plate, but instead satisfied myself with the excellent cava that i chose with the meal.
at this point, i turned to my wife and said that this meal definitely was in my "top 5", maybe a tad behind cafe benoit and french laundry. then came the coffee and dessert - home run! i'm sure folks know what i mean when they say they've had agreatmeal, but either the coffee and / or dessert do not measure up. well, these did - and then some. the desert was an olive oil cake, with a dollop of honey ice cream, granola, strawberries and an indescribable balsamic vinegar drizzle. and the coffee was so good i said "why yes, i'll have a second cup."
afterwards, while my wife used the powder room, i was sneaking a peak in the kitchen, watching the chef and his proteges in a bee hive of activity. the general manager came over - concerned - to ask me if anything was wrong. i assured him that all was well and shared with him my thoughts regarding this simply incredible establishment.
great attention is paid to every detail, although if you are looking for agreatview, you won't find it here - it's in an emerging neighboorhood not far from downtown. still, the decor was interesting (faux marble, tin ceilings, exposed wood, etc.) without being either too casual (for such a nice restaurant) or too snobby / tired (like the chantecleer or some other such place).
i can't say enough about this place, so i'll just say this - it was simply the best meal i ever had. go there and put yourselves in their hands - let them wow you! you'll never forget it.