Veritas

[jogoode]

As we are looking over the menu, Melissa tells us we're better off ordering off the menu instead of ala carte. I'm somewhat suspicious but Melissa steers us right. As we're all talking I mention how I prefer appetizers over entrees and she suggest we order 4 apps and split a main course. Done.

Hi Lreda,

I've always wondered whether ordering a lot of appetizers instead of an app and a main, as I always want to do but never try to do, is hard on the kitchen. I imagine that you're a good person to ask! Is an all-appetizer dinner or lunch a reasonable request to make? Is it better to do at the bar or a table? Thanks!

[Lreda]

As a restaurant owner I feel appetizers are a better way of introducing my customers to my different styles of cooking or a chance for them to try something they normally wouldn't try if they had to pay main course prices. As far as the bar or dining room to have a all-app meal I think you have to make your decision based on the size of the table or the bar. Is there enough room to share dishes all at once? Will the restaurant, if they're smart, allow you to have appetizers in courses as we did.

[jogoode]

As far as the bar or dining room to have a all-app meal I think you have to make your decision based on the size of the table or the bar. Is there enough room to share dishes all at once?

Aha! Will they serve me all the apps at once or might they serve 5 apps as five courses?

Now back to Veritas...I'm excited to go and sit at the bar. How were the sweetbreads?

[Lreda]

Sure they'll serve you 5 apps in a row. Why would any restaurant have a problem with that. You actually spending more money on 5 apps then an app and a entree. The sweetbreads by the way were outstanding as was the whole dining experience.

[Bux]

Sure they'll serve you 5 apps in a row. Why would any restaurant have a problem with that. You actually spending more money on 5 apps then an app and a entree.

I always wondered if there was more profit in the main courses or it there was more profit proportionately in either appetizers or mains. I know when my mother got older she often ordered two appetizers. Obviously that's less income for the house, but I've wondered if there's a reason a restaurant would prefer you ordered a $15 and a $30 course rather than three $15 courses. The former takes less time to eat and for a restaurant interested in turning tables, that might be a consideration. For the moment, I'll assume the bottom line is the main interest.

[tommy]

had a first and very good meal at veritas a few weeks ago, on lreda's recommendation .

a couple of things stuck out:

- excellent sweetbreads. best i've ever had.

- i was presented with a dish i didn't order. it took me a longish time to hunt down anyone in the small room, and finally flagged the sommelier. he rushed off to find the server. it was her fault, as far as we could figure out, but i accepted the dish, as i figured it was bound to be good. it was

- a bottle of wine was presented to me *after* being opened. i've never, ever, ever, had this happen unless the place totally sucked. i don't characterize Veritas as "totally sucking". i was at a loss, but accepted the bottle and moved on.

i was left with a strange, dirty feeling after 400 dollars.

[Felonius]

- a bottle of wine was presented to me *after* being opened.  i've never, ever, ever, had this happen unless the place totally sucked.  i don't characterize Veritas as "totally sucking".  i was at a loss, but accepted the bottle and moved on.

That's especially bizarre considering that Veritas is a wine-driven restaurant, very small, and that one of the sommeliers usually handles every wine order other than the more inexpensive bar pours by the bottle. What sort of wine was it that had been opened? Did they apologize or acknowledge the mistake in any way?

This happened to me once at Bouley, and they had brought the wrong damn bottle! They opened a Peter Michael Chardonnay rather the than the Sauvignon Blanc I'd ordered, brought it to the table without showing me, and then poured it for everyone. My first sip had me wondering if I was losing my taste buds or my mind, until I saw the bottle. When I brought it to their attention, the captain implied that it was my fault for ordering the wrong wine and refused to bring the wine I'd ordered (Peter Michael "L'Apres-Midi" Sauvignon Blanc). This was doubly annoying given the fact both wines were over $100 per bottle. This was the final straw in a long series of service gaffes at Bouley. I've never been back.

Having said that, I've never had other than exemplary service at Veritas.

Edited April 1, 2004 by Felonius (log)

[tommy]

That's especially bizarre considering that Veritas is a wine-driven restaurant, very small, and that one of the sommeliers usually handles every wine order other than the more inexpensive bar pours by the bottle. What sort of wine was it that had been opened? Did they apologize or acknowledge the mistake in any way?

very bizarre indeed.

given that i had consulted with the sommelier from go on orchestrating the different wines we were drinking, even odder.

the bottle, iirc, was from rhone at about 85 dollars or so. as luck might not have it, i had even thought twice about the bottle, and was going to refuse it and order another. obviously that didn't happen.

i didn't detect anything from the sommelier that might suggest that he knew he messed up. on top of that, our server seemed a bit inexperienced. so, while the food got high marks in my book, the service really fell flat. i'll chalk it up to an off night, but at $370, those mistakes just should not happen.

[SethG]

The wife and I had a very nice dinner at Veritas last night, accentuated by the fact that it was our first night out to dinner since, I think, last December.

We had no trouble with the wine service. We found ourselves in a sort of purgatory between the restaurant's excellent "Market" list, which contains great value choices, and the "Reserve" list, which contained page upon page of wines we couldn't afford. I wanted Burgundy, mostly because I figured that if a restaurant exists where we were could get a relatively reasonably priced bottle and not fall prey to the all-too-common Burgundy letdown, this would be the place. We were directed to several choices around and below our cutoff of a hundred bucks (did I mention that this was our first night out since December?) and we settled on a 1999 Volnay from La Pousse d'Or, which I believe translates into English as "the golden puss."

We were really happy with it. Others who actually know can tell me if we were directed well.

As for the food, the foie gras appetizer and the short rib entree really stood out as the big winners of the evening. I opted for the cheese course, and I thought it was very nice, but the real highlight of the dessert for me was the Sauternes we ordered by the glass. I'd never tasted Sauternes before, and I'm not really a dessert wine kind of guy, but I left very impressed.

I had forgotten how ugly the room is at Veritas. But it is intimate and pretty quiet. We had a very good time.

[ewindels]

What a treat to revisit this restaurant after several years and find it not only just as excellent as the original visits, but a blissful oasis in the clamorous scene that is New York dining lately. Here to my mind is the perfect dining out experience: small, quiet, subdued, elegant, Veritas eschews the current vogue for garishness, din, gimmicky food and preening, inept service. Best of all, chef Scott Bryant actually works there, and actually in the kitchen: surely a revolutionary idea amongst his colleagues most of whom haven’t seen the inside of their kitchens in eons in their frantic pursuit of book deals, television appearances, party invitations, merchandise tie-ins, etc.

Happily there is little revolutionary in Bryant’s cooking, either conceptually or executionally. The menu consists of high quality ingredients treated straight-forwardly but with a deluxe touch. Of course the point of the food is to pair it with a selection from the absurdly thick wine list, which for the novice oenophile (me) was so intimidating that after peeking quickly into it I retreated in terror and put ourselves in the hands of the sommelier, who couldn’t have been nicer and recommended a terrific white Burgundy. We were also comped a round of dessert wines: a port, a Tokaj, and two somethings which by that time in the meal I couldn’t remember anyway!

What can I say? Everything was superb. The chilled gazpacho surpassed any version I’ve had before, the ricotta ravioli were sublime, the warm asparagus were luscious, and my crisp sweetbreads (no, not deep fried as insinuated on the Sweetbreads thread but expertly sautéed) were quite simply perfect, bathed in a rich black truffle sauce so decadent that I almost licked the plate. My three companions all had fish entrees: two cods and one striped bass. Not being a fish connoisseur I can only say that they were all lovely, even if I thought the saffron aioli on the bass was the best part of the dish. Not one of them could hold a candle to my short ribs, which were so silky and luscious they made me giggle.

Quality didn’t slack at the desserts: honey roasted nectarines, the chocolate soufflé (really a molten chocolate cake); the black pepper shortcake (somewhat low on the strawberries but satisfying nonetheless), and a dish of berry sorbet so flavorful it has us pounding the table.

$120 a person with tax and tip. This included three drinks at the table and my separate single glass of cabernet franc. A trifle given the overall excellence of the experience. If you haven't been, go. Now.

[Daniel]

Havent gone, always wanted to.. Nice review, you definately made me want to go..

Edited August 10, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[bigred93]

Wife and I went a couple nights ago and we can reiterate what's been said here on this forum (sometimes, said long ago). From the sounds of it, not much has changed... from my perspective as well the foie and the short ribs were two standouts on the menu, although neither my wife nor I found any items to be weak or lacking. (She had the hamachi tartare and the chicken with polenta and trumpet mushrooms - both excellent.)

The wine list was truly fantastic, although we wound up ordering by the glass. Not many places you can get d'Yquem by the glass... and I had not heard of a number of the varietals on that list (tocai friulano? touriga franca?) so despite all the temptations on the main market and reserve lists - magnum of 1900 Margaux anyone? we decided to go with variety.

I very much appreciated the small scale of the room and the spare design, although Veritas like many other NYC restaurants suffers from the scourge of lining up its two-tops against the wall, 6" apart. The staff was attentive and friendly. The only two nits of the whole experience came at the end, and probably my own pet peeves - taking the signed folio while we were still seated (lady, we tipped 20%, but can you please wait until we leave to check to make sure?) and that the only time we saw any of the wine staff was when the sommelier came to clear empty glasses as we were enjoying the lovely macaroons they gave as a parting taste. I guess if we're by-the-glass rubes we don't rate sommelier attention when you have patrons who need help figuring out which vintage Latour to order, but the combination of the two felt slightly off to me. Especially with a 2/3 full restaurant and no guests waiting at the host station - it's not like they needed to turn the table, yet they were behaving as if they did. Perhaps, like with the crammed-together 2 tops, this is just how things are in New York and I need to adjust my expectations away from a more leisurely and intimate experience...

Anyhow, those were pretty small issues in the context of an overall wonderful meal. I'd love to go back and would highly recommend it, especially for wine lovers.

[mikeycook]

Going to Veritas tonight and was curious for feedback on a few dishes I am considering.

I saw that the foie gras and the short ribs get excellent marks. I no longer see sweetbreads on the menu, which is a disappointment (I love sweetbreads ), but I was curious if anyone has had any of the following dishes.

Chilled Lobster Salad - This has peas, but I assume it is different from the lobster and english peas dish that was spoken of a couple of years ago.

Crispy Tender Pork - Does anyone know what cut this is? I am hoping for belly, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't order it if it isn't.

Roasted Saddle of Lamb - I am leaning towards the short ribs or this (although the venison looks good as well).

I'll report back on my meal. Plan to drink red burgundy exclusively tonight.

Edited February 3, 2006 by mikeycook (log)

[mikeycook]

Really enjoyed dinner at Veritas on Friday. My first and second courses could hardly have been better and the four of us (my wife and another couple) all enjoyed our meal immensely.

The crispy, tender pork was, in fact, pork belly and it was wonderful, in the sherry-vinegar-based sauce. It was not sliced thinly as I have had it most times, but in a thick slab, maybe an inch-and-a-half thick and maybe 3 x 1 1/2 wide. Completely delicious in a "how embarassing would it me to my dinner colleagues if I licked my plate" way (I resisted).

I had the short ribs in barolo wine as my entree. I can understand the praise it has gotten here. It was beyond fork tender. As I started to cut into it, I asked myself how they had gotten it onto the place without it disintegrating.

My wife had the ravioli with tarragon and hon-shimeji mushrooms which I (and she) thought was excellent. She and the other lady in our party had the lamb and my male counterpart had the black pepper venison. I thought I would have been happy with ordering either after tasting them (although they didn't compare to my short ribs IMHO).

For the wine, we had two bottles. In both cases I picked our 6-8 wines and asked the sommelier to help me pick from them (was generally looking for wines under $120). For the first wine, we wanted a red burgundy, so I asked from among a Nicolas Potel Charmes-Chambertin, a Denis Mortet Gevrey and a few Cortons and the sommerlier instantly recommended the Mortet. It was a delicious wine, graceful, but powerful enough to hold up to the belly (although a little bittersweet after hearing of his death earlier in the week).

Since everyone was having a heavy red meat dish, I asked the sommelier about a few Chateauneuf-du-Pape (there were quite a few in my price range, a lot of nice 98s and 00s) and we settled on a 98 Clos des Papes. Drinking very well, a great combination of fruit and earthiness.

All in all, while there are plenty of pricey wine options, there is a huge amount to choose from within lower price ranges, even if you wanted to focus on a specific region and/or time period.

That being said, I thought it was worth visiting for the food alone and the fact that it has such a great wine list is just another great reason to go. Definitely will be looking for an opportunity to go again soon.

[Daniel]

We didnt confirm our reservation this morning.. We received a call at 10 am telling us to call before 2.. We called about an hour ago and they gave our table away.. Is this possible? I am speaking with the manager at 4.. What are my chances, how could they have given the table away with in an hour?

[mikeycook]

We didnt confirm our reservation this morning.. We received a call at 10 am telling us to call before 2.. We called about an hour ago and they gave our table away.. Is this possible? I am speaking with the manager at 4.. What are my chances, how could they have given the table away with in an hour?

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Certainly it is possible. Veritas is a very small room and I am sure tables are in demand. That being said, you would think they would give you some leeway on the time. They probably told other people to call back after 2 to see if tables were available. Very sorry to hear that. I hope you are able to get in.

[Daniel]

Nice, Tim the manager.. A little snotty, but he let us back in.. Decided to lecture me on how to confirm a reservation.. Because of my girlfriend I bit my lip and allowed him his unproffessional power trip.. Whatever..

Edited February 15, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Ok.. So I am in the middle of a meeting and I am still really pissed. I cant let this go.. The woman on the phone Megan was extremely rude to my girlfriend.. This guy Tim lectured me, called my girlfriend a liar, and raised his voice.. I seriously calmly sat there and took it..

The spitefull side of me wanted to just not show up for my reservation.. But I am better then that and him for that matter.. I called him, told him I was unhappy with how I was treated and he still called my girlfriend a liar after that and offered no apology.. I will never go here.. Its sad because I wanted to go..

After reading in Kitchen Confidential how precise and what a perfectionist the owner/chef is.. I would expect the service to be the same..Tell me that cripsy pork wasnt that good Mikey

Edited February 15, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[mikeycook]

Tell me that cripsy pork wasnt that good Mikey 

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Ok. I won't tell you.

Seriously, I would do exactly the same thing. I would also consider writing a letter to the owner. Either give someone a reservation or say "Sorry, we can't accommodate you." Personal attacks on your girlfriend are totally uncool.

So sorry to hear about your experience.

[Daniel]

The whole situation was handled so poorly.. I really am just so turned off by them.. I also wanted to correct a statement I made earlier.. When making the reservation we told them that we wont confirm because of our busy schedule.. Then at the message that was left this morning it gave no mention of giving away our table..

The bottom line is, they had the table the whole time and wanted to teach us a lesson or something by taking it away? The girl Megan was so rude to my girlfriend and the guy was so rude to me.. Personal attacks, accusations, raising his voice, and then lecturing me.. He cut me off when I was speaking and was truly hurtful.. I guess they are just so busy they dont need my business.. The beauty of New York is all the options I have..

And thats all I have to say about that..

Edited February 16, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[ASM NY]

Sorry to hear you went through all that.

In my opinion, regardless on how good the food may be, poor service, and particular the type of experience you went through just make the meal impossible to enjoy. Especially when they think they can lecture you.

Spend your money elsewhere, you will be happier for it.

[Daniel]

Sorry to hear you went through all that.

In my opinion, regardless on how good the food may be, poor service, and particular the type of experience you went through just make the meal impossible to enjoy. Especially when they think they can lecture you.

Spend your money elsewhere, you will be happier for it.

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Particularly in a small restaurant like Veritas, with only 15 tables or so.. The baby pool gets alot warmer then the ocean, when someone desides to pee in it..

Edited February 18, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[gaf]

Breathing Room New York City Entry #102 Veritas

Whenever I fly, I think about New York restaurants. The same economic malaise that has turned jets into cattle cars has transformed many restaurants, even those with soaring aspirations, into sardine cans. Perhaps one can understand this desire with downtown boîtes like Prune, Momofuku, or Fatty Crab where sweat is part of the equity, yet the intimacy of strangers can be quite disconcerting at a restaurant like Veritas with its $76 three-course prix fixe and its tempting and extensive reserve list. Veritas is a restaurant where one can easily spend $200+/person, yet hear more of one's neighbors' conversations than that of one's partner. With tables tightly arranged along a banquette, the acoustics are not designed for private intimacies.

The frugality of interior real estate does much to hide the real human virtues of Veritas. Perhaps the economics of rent seeking demands such a packing, but one can't help but think that here is a case in which less is more. Were a goodly quarter of the tables to vanish, Veritas would become a strikingly serene restaurant. One wall of the quiet, elegant room displays a set of contemporary paintings hung on exposed brick; opposite are niches filled with exquisite glass bowls and vases.

The staff manages the tight space with aplomb. We appreciated the sommelier who directed us to a Clos Rougeard Saumer Champigny "Les Poyeaux" 2001, a Cabernet Franc that we would have been unlikely to select but that matched the meal with grace, substance, and a light but firm touch.

As for the food, for a restaurant that is known for its wine list, Chef Scott Bryan does quite well. His menu is not designed to distract from the grape, but his dishes have a modest flair, and with a three course prix fixe, presenting eight appetizers and eight entrees (and two specials), the kitchen staff will not be overly challenged. None of the dishes were transcendent, but both the appetizers and entrees were well-conceived and stalwart.

An amuse of Marinated Calamari, Eggplant Caviar, and Herbs was both modest and charming. The micro squids were tender and the eggplant (reprised in the entree) added an intriguing smoky flavor. I wouldn't consume eggplant and squid all night, but this was a bright and flavorful start.

Chilled Lobster Salad with Smashed Avocado, Peppercress, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Ginger ($8 supplement) seemed ideal on paper. The tastes promised a challenging combination. In execution, the appetizer was worthy but not sublime. The shellfish was hidden by a haystack of cress, and the avocado was, as promised, smashed into paste. Although the grapefruit and ginger added impish complexity to the lobster, the dish might have been brilliant with a more inspired presentation.

I enjoyed my Roasted Saddle of Lamb with Provençal Vegetables (a modified ratatouille of eggplant and summer squash), Flageolet Bean Purée, Garlic Confit, and Rosemary. These were ingredients that blended well, and if they weren't daring, they matched a robust red wine. The lamb, cooked medium rare, was intense and perfectly tender. It was a most satisfying late spring entree.

Pastry Chef Dalia Jurgensen's dessert demonstrated excess caution. Fresh Raspberry Tart with Toasted Almond Milk Ice was strikingly mundane. A tart of similar quality could have been had at dozens of quality bakeries throughout this town. Nothing was wrong, but there was no zest, no value added. The Almond Milk Ice was a puzzle. With a rich tart, why skimp with a skim gelato. The ice was thin and there was no deep flavor to compensate for the absence of dairy fat. It was a scoop that one might expect at a self-denying vegetarian bistro.

The strength of Veritas is its cellar, and we regretted that we only shared a single bottle. The courses, sturdy enough not to distract, demonstrate that food goes with wine, and not only the reverse. But after learning of the lives of our neighbors, we had to wonder whether at Veritas the wine has more room to breathe than the customers.

Veritas

43 East 20th Street (at Broadway)

Manhattan (Flatiron)

212-353-3700

My Webpage: Vealcheeks

[ulterior epicure]

When did Chef Puglin arrive at Veritas from l'AdJR?

[oakapple]

When did Chef Puglin arrive at Veritas from l'AdJR?

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Last June, per the Times. Edited January 9, 2009 by oakapple (log)