We made our way recently to another new Upper West Side restaurant: Recipe. Recipe had not crossed my radar screen until I read Julia Moskin’s review. I made a reservation immediately after reading the review, eager to take advantage of the restaurant’s free BYOB policy (complicit if not explicit) until the liquor license arrives. Recipe is perfectly quaint (for example: the itsy bitsy clothespin that held the menu together and the “tap water” bottle pictured above) – it’s one of those restaurants that transports you temporarily from the hustle and bustle of NYC to somewhere more rustic and peaceful like the Berkshires.
Enhancing our dining experience was the arrival of Gael Greene at the table next to us midway through our meal – dining next to a well-known food critic is a thrill that only a foodie can appreciate and made me feel very “in the know.” Dinner was a delight. I was not blown away by anything we ate, but there were no misses and the prices are very palatable.
Recipe is a great neighborhood spot – I’m not sure that it warrants a trek from a neighborhood like the West Village that has a deep bench of comparably accomplished neighborhood restaurants, but if you live anywhere in the radius of the UWS, make haste. We are looking forward to returning again soon and often. Here’s what we ate with a few pictures to whet your appetite.
- Chilled Corn Soup (the details are hazy on this one…it was a special)
- Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella Tart – basil pesto, black truffle oil
- Artic Char (also a special)
- Grilled Hangar Steak – baby zucchini, cipollini onion, haricot vert, ancho romesco
- Chocolate Pignoli Tartine
Tomato & Mozzarella Tart
Hangar Steak
Artic Char
This food looks terrific. What a great experience. Looking forward to sampling some of these things in Cyprus.