Upland
Upland is honestly one of my favorite places I've been to over the past few months. The layout of the venue is open and casual and the vibe was very lively and energetic the night we went. I usually don't comment on the service (prefer to focus on the food...) but our waiter was extremely personable and engaging throughout our entire meal without approaching the line of being too overbearing. The food and wine was also on point - not sure what all this "California-inspired" cuisine really means, but it was a great balance between "the classics" and innovation. Best part of the night? The bread. May or may not have polished off two whole loaves...
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| Unfortunately this was one of those prototypical NYC restaurants that loves dim / candle-lit lighting.. Warm and crusty potato bread; Beef Tartare, black trumpet mushroom, puffed farro, anchovy + egg yolk |
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| Roasted Short Rib (for two), castelvetrano olives, walnuts, celery + horseradish Whole Crispy Mushroom; Estrella pasta, chicken liver, sherry, rosemary + sage; Chocolate tart |
Aquavit
I also had the opportunity to visit Aquavit, the modern Nordic establishment that just earned its second Michelin star this year. Good food, good wine and good conversation made it the perfect reunion for the Senior Eating Club. It was my first experience with the suddenly popular "New Nordic" cuisine, and I found that it involved a lot of smoke and seafood, which was more or less what I expected but was still executed very well. We opted for the Chef's Tasting to get a true experience of what Aquavit had to offer, and though I have to honestly say that it wasn't exciting enough to warrant a return visit anytime soon, the food was all very good and the dessert was definitely something to remember (and the only thing that I would strongly consider going back for).
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| Amuse Bouche and bread, can't remember what these were, but they weren't mindblowing (bread was solid though!) |
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| Foie gras, diver scallop, smoked gravlax, elderflower + IPA, sweetbreads + pear |
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| Langoustine, duck + cauliflower, another foam drink I can't remember... |
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| Doughnuts, Arctic Bird's Nest, Cheese + Cracker + Fruit compote |
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