Danube

[BryanZ]

Enjoyed a good, but not great, meal at Danube tonight. I dined with a party of four and ordered for the table off the regular tasting menu. I was able to try everything on the menu and found dishes ranging from good to very good, with nothing being truly extraordinary.

For myself I ordered:

Waltz of Appetizers: Kumamoto Oyster with Apple Mint Gelee, Foie Gras Terrine with Crisp Porcini, Japanese Yellowtail with Wasabi Tobiko, Crisp Portuguese Sardine

Maine Day Boat Lobster with Sunchoke, Mango, Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms

and a Saffron Curry Broth

Veal Wiener Schnitzel with Austrian Crescent Potatoes Cucumber Salad, Mixed Greens and Lingonberries

Some sort of elderberry foam and citrus sorbet palate cleanser

A chocolate-hazelnut cake (I don't have a more accurate description of these last two, as they're not online, and I forgot to ask for a menu)

Danube is a restaurant of many faces. The space is certainly unique, if lacking the intimacy that Bouley's vaulted ceilings provide. Additionally, some of the food is quintessential David Bouley (the stand-out lobster dish), while other items are very satisfying but somewhat out of place for the gilded setting (the weiner schnitzel and the surprisingly delicious Portugese sardine), and still others seem ill-conceived and betray the restaurant's strong reputation (the foie gras flan served to another diner lacked any assertive foie gras flavor nor was it smooth in texture).

The amuse offering--a slice of kanpachi with fennel, beet, and blood orange salad-was fine but not remarkable Perhaps paired with some other accompaniment it would have made a more lasting impression. We were also served a complimentary crepe dessert for the table to share and a variety of petit fours at the conclusion of the meal. I would have preferred another flight of amuses at the beginning of the meal to the common, but still tasty, sweets at the end of the meal, however. The ladies also received a lemon loaf (bigger than usual, I think) to purportedly celebrate Mother's Day with (or something)

Service, too, was competent but lacked warmth. Dishes were not explained after being set down, bread came quickly initially but a request for more was not fulfilled until several minutes later (when it was brought out it was the same batch from before, so it's not as if they were waiting for rolls straight from the oven), and the movements and demeanor of the staff were not as refined as in the city's other top restaurants. These are slight criticisms, granted, but for a restaurant with such high aspirations simple issues like these should be taken care of.

Overall, Danube is still an admirable restaurant. It's $85 tasting menu is a relatively good value in a city where $100+ is the norm among 3- and 4-star locales. In my world, Danube is a very strong 2-star, low 3-star, perhaps a little less enjoyable than its sister restaurant on the other side of the block. Still, the space is striking, the food is strong, and the vibe is downtown super-chic.

[Todd36]

Had dinner there Thursday night. The slow cooked salmon was a standout, as was the lobster soup. I'd say it's a strong three star. Better food than I've had recently at Eleven Madison Park, Gotham Bar and Grill or Perry Street (which comes closest). And I enjoyed it more than Yasuda, which given how much I like sushi........

[Todd36]

To update my own review. Had the tasting menu Friday night, with the wine pairing. Mixed this time. The mixed app plate was not interesting, except that the two oyster dishes were fantastic. On the fish course, lobster was tough and not what it should have been. Salmon poached in olive oil was fantastic. The pork schnitzel was OK, I've had better for 10% of the price. Baby pig was decent. Desserts were fine. Service was off. A disappointment overall.