March

[Mao]

Have never been.  Am going with my sisters for sibling meal.  Are there things people would steer me toward?

[tommy]

um, one of my favorites.  that may or may not mean much to you.  but i do highly recommend it.  i haven't been back since they expanded a while ago, but i'm hoping it's even better (read: roomier) than it was!

i hope you go.

edit:  ok, so re-reading i suppose you *are* going.  are you familiar with the menu?  the selections aren't delimited into "apps" and "entrees".  this makes for a very exciting dining experience, imho.  wayne nish generally has a bit of an asian slant (although he doesn't recognize that fact if you ask him), and often those dishes can be very interesting.  on my most recent visit, however, there was nothing that seemed "asian" influenced.  it was all good though.  all very good.  

[mogsob]

A lobster dish in (I think) a sauce made from Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is remarkable and usually on the menu.  I think I would order two of those so you don't have to share.  And do the wine matching . . . clearly the best way to go.

[Mao]

when you the selections aren't limited to appets and main courses, what do you mean exactly?  Is the menu broken down like Craft?

[tommy]

the menu is a list of probably 12 items or so.  all complete units in and of themselves.  they are listed, generally speaking, from lighter fare to heavier fare, so you have an idea of what type of dish it might be.  so the first few dishes on the menu might be salads, then moving through scallaps maybe, up through possibly duck or something obviously more substantial.  enen the more substantial dishes aren't huge, so you will most likely have the chance to order 4 or 5 dishes or so...  unless my memory is totally shot.

and as mogsob suggests, pairing with wines is fun, and generally easier, considering you'll have several courses.

the tasting room in NYC has a menu set up the same way, although each of their selections comes in a small or large size.  at march, each selection is the size that it is.

now that you're *completely* confused.  

[jordyn]

March is very likely my favorite restaurant in the world.  Part of this undoubtedly has to do with the fact that there are many excellent places at which I have not yet eaten; and part is because it's a remarkable dining experience.

Tommy has already pointed out the oddity of the menu, although I think that that there are more likely twenty dishes on the menu than twelve.  I have generally avoided trying to figure out the right thing to do with the menu by simply asking for one of their multi course "dual tasting menus" (each of you will get a different dish per course) with the wine pairing.  I've done this with the six and seven course dual tasting menus, and have found this to be the right amount of excellent food, with careful attention paid to the match between the wine and the food.

[tommy]

behold, the power of the internet.  click me.

[Mao]

My sister and I ended up trying the tasting menu for 2, which if you follow Tommy's link below, is one of the ways of working one's way through the myriad dishes available.  We also did the accompanying wine tasting.  

Mogsob, you were spot on about the Lobster in Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.  Absolutely fabulous.  I thought the rest of the meal was also very, very good.  There were no imperfections and the combinations of ingredients was clever, worked and was often interesting.   Still, for me the cooking lacked something in the way of soul and risktaking.  I am the devil who started the Craft is dull thread, and I think a bit of that criticism, though much less so, applies here too.  I realized I walked away from the meal with food memories of the lobster only, and a whole bunch of nitpicks.  Its probably just my mood, so you will excuse me. The kitchen seemed to me to be producing food that was once but no longer experimental--March falls into my restaurants in a state of being, not becoming, catagory, based soley on ( I am sure) an erroneous 1st impression.  I ate at Bouley midweek, and in the inevitable comparison that comes with close proximity in time, March fares rather poorly, despite the fact that Bouley botched 2 out of 4 dishes I ate: the other 2 he pulled off--the Phyllo crusted shrimp and then the lamb--were so memorably good and passionate, yet infused that my jaw dropped.  With the exception of the lobster, there was nothing else I ate that startled me or made me wonder how the kitchen did that at March.  Everything I ate felt like it had come from a cookbook of years past, and despite the freshness of ingredients lacked vitality. Desserts were very competent, but again no jaw drop vs midweek, where Bouley's current dessert form is unearthly. Maybe its not fair to compare the two, but it was inevitable for me, since the meals were so back to back.

I thought the space was great and indeed very private.  The wine tasting course was also superb.  One riesling was knock your socks off good.  Our server was also very good, though a bit pushy.  We had just ordered the wine and two person tasting menu which was 140 a person.  At which point the server suggested that we also order these 2 other tastings with lobster and black truffles. These are $20 each and separate from the tasting menu.  I felt these were being unnecessarily pushed upon me, however. I think I overreacted a bit, because I was dubious, and having just eaten my way through Paris during black truffle season, I asked him why they were offering these black truffle centered bites when black truffles' season is over.  I suppose it was an aggresive question in response to an aggresive push to order two items that struck me as expensive and of dubious value.  His presponse was that they were black truffles, which were good any time.  We ordered them anyway, and they were OK.   I probably should have just passed.  

Anyway, I will go back and try again sometime.  I loved the space, and think the kicthen is definately worth another try.  The kicthen has a lot of skill, maybe next time it will have more of the passion I saw in the lobster.

[tommy]

thanks for reporting back.  i haven't been to march in probably 2 years and you've reminded me to return.

[mogsob]

Mao, I agree entirely with the Craft is dull statement, and partially agree with your critique of March.  (BTW, I get the whole "best ingredients, simply prepared thing, but when I can find flaws in the preparation and the ingredients, something is wrong).

For me, the magic at March is in the wine parings not necessarily the food on its own merits (the lobster dish notwithstanding).  I always come away with a new wine or a new paring idea.  I also love the room and service (the pushy service I think is an aberration).

[Aaron T]

I took my sister to March restaurant for her birthday dinner last week and we enjoyed it, although probably won't be back.

On a wednesday night it appeared that reservations were not necessary as 40% of the tables were never occupied. The crowd was older than us (we are in our mid 20s) but we like to try a different very good restaurant each year for this occasion.

We enjoyed the create your own tasting menu concept. It is probable that we didn't get as much out of the experience as optimal because we do not have very much knowledge about wine and my sister doesn't drink. We each opted for 3 courses + dessert ($68 ) and I opted to get the paired wines option for $40.

Service was friendly and tables were widely spaced (we sat upstairs), I think I would have been upset had we been 2 inches from another table as some of the banquette seating is arranged on the main floor of the restaurant.

Dinner began with a 3-part amuse: a bit of smoked salmon, some goat cheese on a toast and half a small spring-roll sized roll of lobster puree. The goat cheese was my fave of the 3. (i skipped the lobster puree one as I don't eat shellfish).

I had hirame sashimi with olive oil and white soy sauce as my first course. It was really nice. I was not familiar with hirame, which is a white fish. It was paired with glass of cold sake. The fish tasted very fresh and I liked the marinade. My sister had a crab dish (it wasn't crab cakes) that I didn't try.

My second course was simmered yellowtail which was good, but I preferred my first fish course. It was served with a California chardonnay. My sister got seared bluefin tuna, which was quite delicious. The caramel soy sauce did not overwhelm the fish. The fish dishes used a lot of soy sauces, which I like.

For our meat course, we split rack of lamb with potato puree and venison with fingerling potatos. The venison just didn't taste good to either of us (and I love venison, particularly the version at Wallse here in NYC). The lamb was paired with a Spanish red that was enjoyable. The lamb was prepared nicely - medium rare - with a lot of juices - mmm. We were somewhat disappointed because our highlight and lowlight came in the same course. (fyi the lamb is an $8 supp) I think the disappointing venison certainly colored our impression of the evening.

There was a palate cleansing gift from the chef before dessert.

For dessert I had grapefruit & grapefruit sorbet. It was a refreshing way to end the meal. My sister had a walnut tart which she enjoyed but I was too full to taste. Served with my dessert was an icewine made from muscat grapes. It was a sweet way to end the meal.

With the check came almond clusters. We were very full and couldn't have contemplated eating another course. I just didn't feel that it was a good value relative to the other options in its price range. I guess I'd rather go back to Town, Ilo, Eleven Madison, Le Bernadin etc. for the same bucks.

Interestingly we had been to Peacock Alley in the Waldorf before it closed and it had the same menu concept of creating your own meal and we preferred it, probably because everything we ate there was remarkable. It certainly was a loss to NYC when chef Gras moved to San Francisco.

I did not bring a notepad so I do not know the producers of the wines that were offered, although I did appreciate the obvious investment in their (paired) wines by the glass program.

[SobaAddict70]

I'm a little confused as to how you don't consider March to be a good value, when 95% of your report is favorable. Or maybe I'm missing something that's obvious to others?

SA

[jordyn]

Hey, March is very good, but it ain't cheap. I always surprise myself with how much I managed to spend there, even relying on wine pairings rather than buying expensive wine.

I think Aaron's point was that the found the other places he listed to be a better value than March. This is a fair subjective assessment, although I personally would disagree with some of the places he prefers.

Aaron: Can you comment on how successful you thought the wine pairings were with the food you ordered?

[Aaron T]

My chief complaint, even aside from the venison, was also quite subjective - I just didn't find the food or atmosphere very exciting. I don't mean in a flavors jumping at you in a Patria kinda way (as per cabrales & jordyn's interesting posts on another thread), but more that everything was good in a ritz carlton kind of way, rather boring and sedate.

I didn't think anything was bad (except for that pesky venison), just that nothing blew my socks off in that - I wish I had another forkful - way. My favorite part of the meal were the lamb chops, which were good in the way that all good lamb chops I have enjoyed were good, and I certainly wouldn't return for that dish.

I thought the wine pairings were well done. I thought the sake pairing was an interesting touch combining the japanese style dish & drink. I can't remember the name of the sake, but it wasn't one I'd tried at Sakagura (not that they don't have it). The sake, chardonnay, and dessert wine seemed to match better than the red, to my uneducated palate.

I just didn't find March to be special. Maybe it is just a matter of taste but in the past year I have had meals I have enjoyed more at Annisa, Wallse, Blue Hill and the others I mentioned previously.

[SobaAddict70]

Much better. Thanks for the clarification.

SA

[tommy]

i'm beginning to not like aaron very much anymore.

[Rail Paul]

i'm beginning to not like aaron very much anymore. 

Tommy -

Aaron's always been very straightforward in his comments. His reviews have been on the mark. Very much like you in that regard.

And, he's never tossed a soup wonton at me...

Paul

[tommy]

i'm beginning to not like aaron very much anymore.  

And, he's never tossed a soup wonton at me...

Paul

c'mon. you caught it. no ham, no fowl.

[southern girl]

March (405 E. 58th St) will begin serving lunch week after next...the menu will be derived from the evening menu...serving 12-2, Monday through Friday...$39 Prix fixe and a la carte available. Chef Wayne Nish will be in the kitchen.

Edited April 11, 2003 by southern girl (log)

[tommy]

that is fantastic news, and it sounds like quite a deal. a bit more than the 20.02 specials we love so much (but are hard to come by), but no doubt a great deal nonetheless.

[Elissa]

Indeed: a magnificent dinner for two at March five or six months ago set me back 430 (omg) We didn't even havce a bottle of wine: we had the glasses that more or less went with our dinners. And we left feeling sated but not at all ripped off. Which made me think that I ought to mint my own OHMIGOD currency, just for such occasions.

This opportunity, to eat rediculously well for 10% the regular cost, ought not be overlooked.

g-u-l -(l)

(e) t -e- e- r

m

o

u

s

e

edit:typo

Edited April 11, 2003 by lissome (log)

[DavidJS]

Be sure to un-do that belt buckle and remind yourself in Outlook to hit the gym the next day. Cuz March serves ALOT of food. Enough to feed a dozen supermodels!

Lissome, is that a Britney Spears avatar?!?

Edited April 11, 2003 by DavidJS (log)

[Ron Johnson]

I had dinner at March last Saturday night. It was the best meal of the weekend.

We never looked at menus, just told the captain to have the chef make whatever and for him to pair wines with each course. We got six courses plus amuse and pre-dessert treats. At each course we each received a different dish so we ended up being served twelve dishes total and had excellent and sometimes rather esoteric wines paired with each one.

With coffee and after-dinner drinks my bill was less than $400.00. I am not sure what was comped other than the Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne.

The service was impeccable, the food was perfect, and the wines were interesting. I can't ask for much more than that in a meal.

Over the weekend when I have more time, I will post more in depth on each dish and the wine that was paired with it.

[tommy]

ron, glad you enjoyed march so much, which i've often said is my favorite restaurant in the city.

now, don't tell anyone about.

[DavidJS]

Ron, I'm surprised you didn't take any doggie bags with you cuz I doubt I can ever finish a 6 course meal. When I was in Paris being served a 4 course meal paralyzed my body from lifting off my seat. But it was the BEST meal I ever had.