Tom Douglas

Eating New York: The Bar at the Modern/ by Shelley Lance, Blog Editor

Sunday morning we headed to MOMA where we enjoyed an excellent and extensive show of the works of photo journalist Henri Cartier Bresson and then had lunch at The Bar at the Modern. This is another Danny Meyer joint, though “joint” is perhaps not the right word for this sleek, sophisticated, and beautiful restaurant. (The Bar is the casual space. There’s also a pricier, fancier space called The Modern.) We’ve eaten here before, and we liked it enough for a return visit.  For one thing, you can combine an afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art with a lovely lunch, and that’s a deal that’s hard to beat. Also, to me, this place just feels like New York. When you are sitting here, where else in the world could you be but Manhattan?  For another thing, though the small plates concept is nothing new, I like the way the menu works.  It is simply divided into ONE, TWO, and THREE, with the items in the THREE column being a little larger and more substantial than the other columns, and you are invited to “construct your meal any way you’d like according to your appetite…”

I started with the Tart Flambee- an Alsation thin crusted tart, similar to a cracker-thin pizza, with creme fraiche, onion and bacon. It was delicious and quite large; I was glad that Frank was happy to share.  Frank had a flavorful wild mushroom soup with toasted chorizo ravioli which were served on a paper napkin folded like origami. I also enjoyed a saffron tagliatelle with cider braised rabbit and mushrooms. But the best dish might have been Frank’s nice, crispy sweetbreads with caramelized turnips, pain d’epice, and maple jus. I especially liked the thin little slice of pain d’epice, which tasted like a cross between a piece of pumpernickle bread and a gingersnap and was super delicious soaked with all the juices.

May 24th, 2010