Perry Street

[John Talbott]

A vote from the hinterlands or center of the universe, depending on where you stand/sit/live. This is the sort of food that makes New York great; as our own William Ledeuil's makes us glow. Good product, nicely prepared, attentive waitstaff and reasonably priced. Can you ask for more?

[Nathan]

I just had lunch at PS. The menu has changed slightly....the arctic char dish is now a quite interesting, thoughtfully presented let-the-ingredients-speak-for-themselves quite dish. Very Blue Hill like, actually. Its the kind of plate the Tasting Room aspires to put out...

The lunch desserts have changed for the better as well. An entirely full room (albeit a walk-in will still be seated without difficulty). The secret is out.

[Todd36]

Had dinner there again last Saturday---it's very good. I love their Mozzarella---current version is being served with poached quince. I rate the place two to three stars and I am of the view that it is well priced. I also like their cocktails. I've now probably eaten here six times.

[jim07044]

I've got first-time dinner reservations for two people next Thursday. What's the scene and food like these days?

[Nathan]

terrific! the food anyway.

the "scene" is minimal...its never been that kind of place.

[ulterior epicure]

Can anyone link me to a current menu (lunch and dinner) for Perry Street? Menu Pages doesn't have it.

Thanks.

u.e.

[tupac17616]

Can anyone link me to a current menu (lunch and dinner) for Perry Street?  Menu Pages doesn't have it. 

Thanks.

u.e.

←

dinner? here ya go

[tupac17616]

actually, this one's got both

[ulterior epicure]

actually, this one's got both

Thanks tupac17616.

Can anyone attest to the accuracy (i.e. if this menu is current) of this version? It's such a tansitional time for produce, etc., I never know if online minus are up-to-date. And, as I'm sure is the case with a lot of restaurants, the selections may change daily...

Also, I just want to make sure that the $24 lunch prixe fixe is for a entree, main course and dessert?

u.e.

[BryanZ]

It is, it is. That's what makes it a particularly good deal, though I must admit the dessert offerings are rather simplistic. If you're going for lunch though, I'd consider JG, which I don't think you visited last time.

[ulterior epicure]

It is, it is.

That's obscene.

That's what makes it a particularly good deal, though I must admit the dessert offerings are rather simplistic.

No loss for me - I'm not really a sweet tooth... besides, I'll be feasting that night, so better to save up for later.

If you're going for lunch though, I'd consider JG, which I don't think you visited last time.

No, but I have lunched there on previous visits, and it is an equally smashing deal. Though, if I'm not mistaken, desserts there are not included in the price of the prixe-fixe. Thought I'd try another JGV establishment this time.

Edited April 14, 2007 by ulterior epicure (log)

[oakapple]

Can anyone attest to the accuracy (i.e. if this menu is current) of this version?  It's such a tansitional time for produce, etc., I never know if online minus are up-to-date.  And, as I'm sure is the case with a lot of restaurants, the selections may change daily...

←

Online menus are usually a bit outdated, especially for a place like Perry St., where it changes fairly frequently.

[BryanZ]

Then again, there are signature dishes at Perry St. like the tuna with sriracha, burger, etc that don't leave the menu all that often, if ever.

[raji]

I'm sure they'd fax you one if you pleaded your case. Or did your best Al Pacino impression.

[Nathan]

in my experience, the lunch menu changes at least weekly.

edit: the desserts...which are not printed, appear to change daily.

Edited April 16, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[ulterior epicure]

I recently had lunch at Perry Street. My lunchmate had been many times before (I'll let you out yourself).

With the exception of a couple of dishes, I found the meal to be rather unmemorable. (Unremarkable?)

The amuse bouche, a brilliant dual-shaded chilled pea soup with dill puree was quite good - and refreshing. The pea soup was lightly creamed and the dill puree, which took up a corner triangle of the rectangular dish was darker green. Both flavors were distinguishable and very good.

As many of you know, the 3-course lunch is $24, with each additional plate an extra $12. Between the two of us, we ordered an extra dish each.

Here's what we sampled:

Housemade Mozzerella: This was a sheet of house-made mozzerella filled with finely chopped Thai basil and rolled into a log. The log sits atop squares of sun-dried pineapple and was drizzled with a spicy chile-infused pineapple syrup.

The mozzerella was firm and chewy (but not hard) - not like the pliable squeeky soft fresh mozerella. This was more like a thick skin of protein - sort of like yuba. While the mozzerella was milky and neutral, it played nicely as a sounding board for the dazzlingly colourful flavors at play: sweet heat of the chile-infused pineapple syrup, the golden tropical warmth of the sun-dried pineapple, and the herby cinnamon spice of the Thai basil.

Coming from a Jean-Georges restaurant, the creativity and surprisingly successful combination of unlikely Eurasian ingredients doesn't surprise me in the least. By far, this was the most memorable dish we tried at this meal.

House-Cured Gravlax: I was quite shocked by the size of this course. Silky strips of house-cured salmon gravlax draped over a thick cut of toasted brioche. What you can't see initially, is that the brioche cleverly encases two barely coddled (poach is really too harsh a method to describe barely-cooked state of these eggs) eggs. The eggs were topped with a butter emulsion (think loose, whipped hollandaise) and then covered with the salmon.

Cutting throught he brioche unleashed an ooze of creamy yolk, foamy butter, and a tumble of cloud-like egg white.</a> The real treat for me was the thoughful bed of herbs that had been spread beneath the brioche - a mix of dill and tarragon, which became naturally incorporated into the buttery yolk mixture as you scooped up each bite.

This was an awesome, if not slightly heavy dish. The flavors were clean and well-balanced, although I could have done without so much of the butter. The textures were oustanding - creamy yolk, delicate egg whites, foamy butter, silky fish and the nice crunch of brioche.

Beef Tartare with Grilled Cheese: Beef (we don't know what kind) was nicely chopped - not minced or chunky, and served atop a seductively flavorful dollop of black olive and cornichon cream. While the black olive component was easily identifiable (not just because it was listed on the menu), but the cornichon component (which was not listed on the menu) elluded both my friend and me. After getting confirmation from our server, it all made sense - as cornichons are one of the essentials of a classic tartare. I'll also bet there was a tinge of garlic and shades of onion mixed in the puree.

The Gruyere toast was pretty straightforward, simple, and good. I especially like that the toast was crunchy and hadn't sogged beneath the warm cheese. My friend really enjoyed this course.

Chile Oil-Poached Snapper: This read better on the menu than it tasted. it also looked much better than it tasted. I was really wow'ed by the vibrant colour of the dish when it appeared.

I love fat-poached seafood. This cut of red snapper was no exception. The flesh was extremely soft and moist; I didn't even mind the moist skin, which I usually detest. The chile oil barely seeped in between the seams, and gently flavored the white meat. Despite the hot-orange colour, the oil wasn't that spicy (but, that's relative, as I am a spicy eater). The radishes, nicely shaved and perhaps gently marinated, were still nice and crunchy and added another layer of (different) heat.

While I enjoyed the vibrantly agressive spice and slightly bitter horseradish-like flavors, I felt that the dish lacked a counter-balance. It needed something salty, tangy, or sweet to counter the rather one-dimensional combination of chile oil and radishes. I had really anticipated that the chile oil would have had some bit of vinegar or acid added, but there was none.

Salmon with Maitake and Pepitos: This was a pretty straightfoward preparation of salmon - pan-fried so that the skin was nice and crisp and not a hint of fishiness. A slight squeeze of lemon was a nice garnish (I especially liked the thin cut of lemon - it made it extremely easy to squeeze, and provided just the right one-squeeze amount - no seeds and no excess drip or pulp). I also loved the grassy bell-peppery taste of the blistered pequillo pepito peppers.

I didn't enjoy the black sesame mustard as much as my companion. I'm very particular about the taste of sesame - especially the oil from sesame. I don't like too much of it. Black sesame triggers thoughts of Chinese desserts - like black sesame paste in glutinous rice balls, and black sesame brittle, both of which I love, but in a sweet context. Here, the sesame was a little overwhelming - the effect was more like a mayonnaise made of sesame oil rather than the "sesame mustard sauce" described on the menu. I love salmon and mustard and thought (from the read on the menu) that this might be a promising combination - but it wasn't for me. Thankfully, the way the salmon was plated, I easily avoided too much of the sauce by removing the fish off the sauce.

The maitake mushrom was the star of the plate for me. The fat cut of tender, but meaty hen of the woods mushroom had been nicely griddled and dusted with sesame seeds.

Hanger Steak: This was a disappointment and easily the least successful dish we tried. The hanger steak was tough and dense. The fava beans and the creamed basil was good but unremarkable (except that the basil was surprisingly mild in flavor), but the onion ring was really the only thing on the plate worth eating - interestingly, it tasted just like a Funyun. Imagine, a real onion ring that tastes like a reconstituted processed human-made junk food version of an onion ring. I don't know whether the folks at Funyun are really good at what they do or if Jean Georges has a wonderful way of mimicking junk food with his real ingredients.

Desserts were both (there are only two offered) unappealing to me.

Ricotta Cheesecake: My lunch companion ordered this after I flatly rejected the cheesecake option. In retrospect, I regret not having ordered it. I generally don't like cheesecake, but this ricotta version was much milder than the cream cheese version, which I absolutely detest.

I enjoyed the playfulness and refreshing flavors of this dish. I especially enjoyed the light airy crisp of the dehyrdrated strawberries that garnished the top of the cake and the sweet-tart confetti of rhubarb on the side. I didn't get a taste of the sorbet - I think it was rhubarb, but not sure. My companion didn't have any trouble scraping the plate clean.

Chocolate Pudding: Not bad, but ordinary. This chocolate pudding was dense - sort of like pot de cream. This square bowl of chocolate pudding was toppe half with sugared lavendar buds and half with barely whipped cream. Like all other dishes, the colours were spectacular - brilliant purple and brilliant white, side-by-side.

While the lavender excited me at first (especially the colour), it really didn't do much in terms of taste. They were like rock candy - I did enjoy the crisp contrast to the pudding, but they were over-sugary and rather flavorless. I was expecting a nice perfume of lavender. Nope. The whipped cream was foamy instead of sturdy - and very milky tasting, which actually worked with the lavender and chocolate. I took two half-spoonfuls and was done. Too rich.

I will note that without exception, every plate that came out was FULL OF COLOUR. It was truly a gorgeous meal. The colours were actually rainbow bright - unnaturally so. I'm sure no food dyes were used, so I can only be in awe of the freshness and creativity of the products.

Service was fine. Management was paranoic. My camera sent the manager scrambling over to remind us that the restaurant generally does not allow photos to be taken of the restaurant or its food. This is the first time that I've been told this. I reassured her that they are for personal use. To honor my word, no pictures, sorry.

Later, when I asked the server to see a copy of the menu, the manager came back to firmly inform me that the restaurant does not duplicate nor publish its menus. I told the manager that I simply wished to see a copy for reference, as my lunchmate and I had a question about a certain item on a dish.

Edited May 23, 2007 by ulterior epicure (log)

[ulterior epicure]

This is for my lunchmate, who had no idea what Funyuns are. You need to go to Jack's (?) near Madison Square Gardens!!

[Nathan]

alas, the lunch is nowhere near as good as it used to be (I imagine there's been some cost-cutting as it has become popular).

the mozzarella was terrific...as was the gravlax and the tartare...but then it went downhill...ah well. still well worth the price.

[ulterior epicure]

still well worth the price.

Agreed. Although, for $4 more, Jean Georges is definitely much better, IMO.

[Nathan]

I returned here for lunch...after taking a summer hiatus. I'm happy to report that, on Saturday at least, it's back to the usual stellar lunch.

the current mozzarella dish with roasted quince isn't quite as good as the old version with pineapple (which was exceedingly good) but is still quite good.

the peekytoe crab salad was a little boring (as peekytoe crab salads almost always are) but beautifully presented.

tenderloin with fava beans and a puree of greens was first-rate, cooked perfectly. highly recommend.

spotted a chicken dish being served to other diners which I'll have to return for this weekend...

watermelon ice was appropriate for the Indian Summer we're having.

apparently they have special lunch wine prices as well....my Cote du Rhone with the tenderloin turned out to be $5.

[ulterior epicure]

I returned here for lunch...after taking a summer hiatus.  I'm happy to report that, on Saturday at least, it's back to the usual stellar lunch.

the current mozzarella dish with roasted quince isn't quite as good as the old version with pineapple (which was exceedingly good) but is still quite good. 

the peekytoe crab salad was a little boring (as peekytoe crab salads almost always are) but beautifully presented.

tenderloin with fava beans and a puree of greens was first-rate, cooked perfectly.  highly recommend.

spotted a chicken dish being served to other diners which I'll have to return for this weekend...

watermelon ice was appropriate for the Indian Summer we're having.

apparently they have special lunch wine prices as well....my Cote du Rhone with the tenderloin turned out to be $5.

←

That's great to hear, Nathan.

Just curious, was that peekytoe crab salad served with tomato confit, by any chance???

[Nathan]

I returned here for lunch...after taking a summer hiatus.  I'm happy to report that, on Saturday at least, it's back to the usual stellar lunch.

the current mozzarella dish with roasted quince isn't quite as good as the old version with pineapple (which was exceedingly good) but is still quite good. 

the peekytoe crab salad was a little boring (as peekytoe crab salads almost always are) but beautifully presented.

tenderloin with fava beans and a puree of greens was first-rate, cooked perfectly.  highly recommend.

spotted a chicken dish being served to other diners which I'll have to return for this weekend...

watermelon ice was appropriate for the Indian Summer we're having.

apparently they have special lunch wine prices as well....my Cote du Rhone with the tenderloin turned out to be $5.

←

That's great to hear, Nathan.

Just curious, was that peekytoe crab salad served with tomato confit, by any chance???

←

no. not that I could taste anyway. just summer veggies.

[BryanZ]

This is not the first time I'm echoing Nathan's sentiments on brunch at Perry St. I dragged some friends down here from the Siberia that is the UES (seriously, I can get to Perry St. from my house in central NJ faster than I can from 88th and 1st), but we ended up having a really great time.

First, the wine specials are worth mentioning. A few of us split a totally serviceable $20 bottle of a French white that was perfect for brunch. Very light-bodied, inoffensive, and easy to drink both alone and with food. For $20, how can you say no? Glasses, as Nathan notes, are $5.

I tried several items today, some new and some old. The amuse was a standard butternut squash soup, elevated with a bit of spicy apple creme fraiche. A nice start. The current beef dish--slices of rare hangar steak atop pickled jalapeno and spinach, surrounded by a liquified gruyere poured tableside--was really delicious. The jalapeno did a great job cutting through the rich beef and cheese. A fillet of snapper poached in chili oil should be a JG staple, it's so evocative of his cooking. Tender fish with just a faint hint of spice is set off by crunchy and bitter radish.

A salmon dish with shishito peppers and maitake was a bit predictable and my pan-roasted chicken sandwich was good for what it was but not better than anything I could make at home. A safe option, if not a memorable one--the mainstay tuna burger is a better sandwich option.

The watermelon ice was a simple dessert. I wasn't crazy about it--it seemed just like an overly large palate cleanser--but it was refreshing and texturally diverse.

Still, Perry St. makes for a great brunch at a more than fair price. It certainly beats the chaos of getting brunch at other lesser, if more popular, establishments.

[Nathan]

there's a new beet, fresh ricotta and wasabi dish on the menu that is basically JG in a nutshell. just terrific.

[gatilgan]

I'm planning to visit Perry Street for a weekend lunch with my 2 toddlers (1.5 and 4 year olds).

Do you think the place is kid friendly?

I don't want to disturb other people's experiences if you think we'd be the only people with 2 toddlers.

I'd really appreciate if anyone can comment the restaurant's ability to provide a high chair as well.

Thanks in advance

Edited January 3, 2008 by gatilgan (log)