March

[dbrociner]

Just wanted to echo the praise for this restaurant. I've been several times and while the price is astoundingly high, the value is even higher. One example: I'm allergic to tree nuts and on one visit almost all the desserts had nuts including a plate of candied pecans that were placed on the table after the regular dessert was served. I jokingly said to our waiter that I should be brought a chocolate sundae to make up for all the things I couldn't eat. Without blinking an eye he asked if I really wanted one. I was too stuffed to take him up on the offer but thought it was amazing none the less.

[Ron Johnson]

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.

The courses are sized appropriately to allow one to sample all six courses comfortably. I believe we had eight or nine courses at Atelier the night before.

[SobaAddict70]

The rack of lamb was downright eloquent on the night I had it. The medium-rare meat, veering a bit closer to rare, was a gorgeous pale red, and it tasted as good as it looked. Its thin crust — a gossamer shawl more than a heavy coat — contained bread crumbs, mustard, garlic and something subtle, salty and seductive that I could not quite make out. This stealth ingredient, Mr. Nish later told me on the telephone, is anchovy paste, but only a bit.

March (Frank Bruni)

Soba

[Pan]

What do you all think? Is that a very good two-star review or a slightly temporizing three-star review? I'm guessing that he'll feel like a couple of things may need to change for him to award three stars in a full review, but this was definitely a good review, overall. I'll discuss it more in the Bruni, Babbo and Beyond thread.

Edited July 31, 2004 by Pan (log)

[SobaAddict70]

It sounded more like FOH issues than anything else.

The beggar's purse caught my eye.

Soba

[oakapple]

What do you all think? Is that a very good two-star review or a slightly temporizing three-star review? I'm guessing that he'll feel like a couple of things may need to change for him to award three stars in a full review, but this was definitely a good review, overall.

March is currently carrying three stars from its last full review. Bruni was surely aware of this. While the Times doesn't explicitly confirm previous star ratings in the Diner's Journal column, those columns often contain subtle — or not-so-subtle — signals.

In this review, I found no signal that Bruni thinks March's existing three-star rating is undeserved. Indeed, the review was overwhelmingly positive. He had a few complaints, but a three-star restaurant doesn't have to be perfect. His loudest complaint was that he didn't need "so very many reminders" of a chef whose food "speaks impressively for itself." That doesn't sound like a criterion for demotion to two stars.

(If you want to see what a demotion from three to two stars looks like, read Amanda Hesser's review of Montrachet or Marian Burros's review of Union Pacific, both dating from earlier this year. Or, for that matter, read Bruni's demotion of Bouley from four stars to three. Granted, those were full reviews, so you had no doubt that the restaurant was being demoted, but those columns had a clear indication of great disappointment, which was not the case here.)

Had there been no previous review to fall back on, I would agree that it was unclear whether this was "a very good two-star review or a slightly temporizing three-star review." But in the context of March's existing status, I've no doubt whatsoever that Bruni considers March to be still executing at the three-star level.

The occasion for the column seemed to be the hiring of a new chef de cuisine. There's probably only a relative handful of New York restaurants for which such a change would even warrant a Diner's Journal column. I therefore doubt that a full re-review is coming anytime soon. This review seemed to be a confirmation that March still deserves its three-star status. What's missing is for the Times to change its stupid policy, and allow the critic to explicitly say so in the D.J. column. Then, we wouldn't need to read tea-leaves.

Edited July 31, 2004 by oakapple (log)

[Pan]

What's missing is for the Times to change its stupid policy, and allow the critic to explicitly say so in the D.J. column. Then, we wouldn't need to read tea-leaves.

You're absolutely right. It's like Sovietology, back in the bad old days when it was so unclear what the line of succession there was that people had to fall back on analysing the physical position of each Politburo member at parades.

[oakapple]

March restaurant (405 East 58th St, just east of 1st Avenue) is an occasion place. I visited recently to celebrate a friend's birthday. Without question, we were treated lavishly. The maitre d' presented her with a bouquet of roses. Service throughout was impeccable. But for the price, none of the courses at March wowed us. Or perhaps, as my friend suggested, Wayne Nish's cuisine is just too subtle. Mind you, it was all good, but I expected to be transported, and we weren't.

March's menu is an interesting hybrid between the tasting menu and the prix fixe. You choose a number of courses, from three to six. ($68, $74, $85, or $102). Wine pairings are another $10 per course, although like anywhere you can just order from the wine list. You can order specific courses — listed in broad categories like "raw," "vegetarian," "shellfish," "fish," "poultry," and "meat," with about three or four options per category. Or, you can put yourself in the chef's hands.

We selected the four-course menu with wine pairings and allowed the chef to choose for us. Each of us got different items, and we swapped plates about halfway through each course. This, indeed, is encouraged at March. Another of the menu options is called the Five Course Dual Tasting Menu ($270 for two, including wines), with which it's assumed that a couple will share plates.

Now to the food ... and here I'm afraid I've failed as a food writer. It was five days ago, and I can't remember exactly what we had. The first plate for each of us was a cold item, then a fish course, then a meat course, then dessert. What were they? I don't recall, except that they were all very good without being transcendent. At these prices, I wanted at least some of the courses to reach culinary orgasm, and none did.

March is located in a gorgeous East Side townhouse. The tables are on three levels, with ample space between them. It is a lovely and romantic setting that makes you feel like you're in another world. The food failed to transport me, it is true, but I would still try March again on the right occasion.

Edited August 18, 2004 by oakapple (log)

[ariggsby]

Now to the food ... and here I'm afraid I've failed as a food writer. It was five days ago, and I can't remember exactly what we had. The first plate for each of us was a cold item, then a fish course, then a meat course, then dessert. What were they? I don't recall, except that they were all very good without being transcendent. At these prices, I wanted at least some of the courses to reach culinary orgasm, and none did.

I've been there once, about a year ago, and I guess I had a better experience; I certainly remember the food clearly. Sashimi (of some fish whose name I didn't recognize) with olive oil and some version of soy sauce; fried soft-shell crab; kobe-style (from Texas) tenderloin with a trumpet mushroom pan sauce; seared foie gras on pappadum with an Indian-flavored sauce; desert sampler with a walnut (?) tartlet, small molten choc. cake, and grapefruit and grapefruit sorbet in a grapefruit liqueur. At the beginning of the meal the waiter had sugested, somewhat pretentiously I thought at the time, that the only rule of ordering was not to have anything twice. As it happened, I was genuinely tempted by three of the main dishes (and the crab was merely really good).

The service was slightly lacking: general attitude plus the substantial supplement for the beef wasn't mentioned until about half an hour after I'd ordered it. Still, I very much looking forward to having a chance to go back.

[JohnL]

For years I had been a fan of March.

I haven't been in quite a while (so many restaurants so little time!).

Wondering if my impressions are seconded and still valid.

I thought the cooking was very very good. Nish's food was always creative but in a conservative way. And always satisfying and engaging. also a high level of consistancy.

The atmosphere romantic not a bit overdone--seemingly just right never obtrusive but more conducive to a nice experience.

The service top notch very professional and a good balance of formal and informal. I remember the reservations person inquiring as to whether or not my dinner was celebrating a special ocassion and there being flowers presented to my wife on her bitrthday etc. (nice touch).

and the wine list and wine service were very good.

I had some wonderful and innovative pairings Joe Scalice put together for a number of meals.

If I am not mistaken--Nish was one of the first to go to smaller plates and pair wines etc.

Also, it seems that March gets lost in the explosion of new restaurants (March has been around for quite a while now).

So--I do want to go back to March soon. It was nice to learn here at eGullet recently that Wayne Nish will be ecutive chef at Hudson House in Nyack as well.

Just wondering if anyone has been recently and what they thought.