Although it's rare for me to dine out two nights in a row these days, I had the chance to try two fantastic restaurants back-to-back this past week.
The first was Nougatine at Jean Georges, just off Columbus Circle at the literal commencement of Central Park West. The occasion was a friend's 27th birthday, and although I kind of wanted to punch him in the face for lamenting the fact that he was turning 27 (said friend needs to check back with me once he crosses the threshold of 30), I was more than glad to celebrate him and have a delicious meal in a gorgeous setting.
I should mention that, although the setting is indeed beautiful, it is not stuffy. You can forego the tie and leave the top button unbuttoned. Hell, you could probably leave the jacket at home, too, unlike the more formal Jean Georges Restaurant next door. But don't believe any online reviews that call the atmosphere and suggested attire "casual." While we were waiting to be seated, a tourist, decked out in an A&F baseball cap, made the mistake of popping in and asking the host if he could wear said cap at the bar. He was unceremoniously told, "No. You can check it, if you'd like."
Although Nougatine does not have a separate gluten free menu, they were more than willing to accommodate gluten intolerant diners, like yours truly. A call ahead to the restaurant was all it took to give them a heads up. In fact, our server had already been informed about my allergy before we were seated and was able to point out every appetizer and entree on the menu that was free of gluten before I even had to ask. It was truly impressive.
There were other little, subtle things that they did throughout the meal--such as not putting the basket of bread right next to me, knowing that I couldn't indulge--that made the entire evening enjoyable.
As for the meal: Like butt-ah.
I started with a roasted beet and Greek yogurt salad that was wonderfully sweet and tangy. I followed that with perfectly cooked Scottish Salmon served with wilted spinach, crispy skillet potatoes, and the most amazing, lick-the-plate-worthy passion fruit puree that was tangy and sweet with just a hint of heat a la jalapeños. All of this was capped off by a bowl of decadent nectarine sorbet, which tasted like the sweetest, ripest nectarine ever, fresh out of the ice box.
All in all, if you're a Celiac looking to splurge, rest assured that Nougatine will take very good care of you.
Part 2: Viva Mexico!
So, as if gorging myself on Nougatine goodness wasn't enough, I joined friends the following evening for an impromptu late dinner at Rosa Mexicano First Avenue on the East Side.
Now, as you may know, Rosa Mexicano has several outposts in the city (and along the east coast, I found out). My first experience was at the one near Lincoln Center, and I can't say that I was overly impressed. It was chic and trendy with a too-small bar area and a floor-to-ceiling piece of art that involves falling water and tiny men in various stages of a swan dive. As Moe Szyslak from the Simpsons might put it, "Weird for the sake of weird." (Those who are fanatics will know this comes from the "Flaming Moe's" episode from season 3...)
But I digress.
The original East Side location barely resembles the West Side trend fest; it is much more subdued, yet thoughtfully upscale. In other words, no weird-abstract-diver-water sculpture walls, but also no borderline-offensive sombreros & cacti kitsch.
The greatest thing about Rosa Mexicano--and this goes for all locations--is that it has a separate Gluten Free menu that has a huge number of choices to fit a variety of tastes and palates. If you're vegetarian and gluten free, there's something for you. If you require that your food had to have a pulse at some point AND you're also gluten free, there's something for you... You get the drift.
I ordered the tasty Pollo a la Parrilla (aka "Chicken from the Grill")--skewered chicken and poblano peppers marinated in lemon, garlic, and oregano, served over a bed of brown rice. It was delicious and light, and perfect for a late meal.
The only misstep--and, thankfully, it didn't lead to me getting sick--was that the host forgot to inform the server of my allergy before he took our appetizer order: their signature chips and guacamole, which is prepared fresh at your table.
About a quarter of the way through diving into the chips and guac (which is chunky and fantastic), the server arrived at the table with a panicked look on his face and inquired about my allergy. Apparently, the chips hadn't been fried in a separate fryer and the fear was that they had been contaminated.
As I said, I didn't get sick. But it left me a little wracked with nerves for the remainder of the meal. I'm sure others of you have experienced this: You put your faith in your server and the chef to deliver a meal that is safe, only to find out that somewhere along the way, the chain of communication was broken, and someone grabbed the wrong dish from the window, or put your entree on the same grill with items dripping in flour, or decided that your plate was missing the hulking dinner roll that all of the other plates received...
In any regard, the meal at Rosa Mexicano was largely fantastic, and I would definitely give the place another shot.
Nougatine at Jean Georges
1 Central Park West,
Rosa Mexicano
1063 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 753-7407
