Verbena and Bar Demi (Closed)

[cabrales]

I'd appreciate members' input on the less formal affiliate of Verbena, Bar Demi. It is located (125 1/2 East 17th) fairly close to Verbena (54 Irving Place, between 17th and 18th).

[jordyn]

Cabrales: I've been once before, and am thinking of stopping in tonight because I have late-ish dinner plans.

Bar Demi has quite a nice selection of wines by the half bottle (probably as many as I have ever seen anywhere), and upscale snack food. They also have "flights" of food--a few dishes that are designed to be paired with a specific type of wine. I think all of the food comes out of Verbena's kitchen. The space is extremely cozy and quite attractive in a minimalist sort of way.

I believe fellow egulleter, nesita, is the manager of Bar Demi.

Here is a webpage about Bar Demi.

[Robert Nesta Marley]

"extremely cozy" is an understatement......good thing i'm short, or else i'd take up too much square footage.

yes, we share verbena's kitchen; one may order off the more substantial restaurant menu in these hipper digs, although we hold our own with tastings of this and that (see website in earlier post).

most notable are the over 70 half-bottle offerings, including a '97 amarone (zenato); '97 calera p noir, mills vineyard; a cuilleron condrieu (VV).........see for yourself. but tell me who you are, will you?

oh, and i pimp a 15 piece cheese board, too.

[cabrales]

jordyn -- Thanks. I've been trying to not eat and drink to "normal" capacity on some nights, at least for a while. Thus, places like Bar Demi and Veritas bar, neither of which I have visited, are becoming somewhat more appealing.

[Wilfrid]

I didn't realise that's where you were, Nesita. It's a sweet little place.

[jordyn]

jordyn -- Thanks. I've been trying to not eat and drink to "normal" capacity on some nights, at least for a while. Thus, places like Bar Demi and Veritas bar, neither of which I have visited, are becoming somewhat more appealing. 

Cabrales: Not sure what a "normal" capacity is. I'm under the impression that the bar at Veritas serves roughly the same food as in the main room (although you can order a la carte instead of a three course prix fixe). Bar Demi, on the other hand, definitely has more bar-like food, although it's a sophisticated sort of bar food.

Another option that has been mentioned elsewhere and that I sampled on Tuesday is the "Chef Behind Bar" event on Tuesdays at merge. The food is fairly good, and one of the best values in the City at $1 per "bite". Of course, the wine selection is not nearly as good as the other places that you mentioned.

[cabrales]

I noted the following on Verbena's website. The $27/person Sunday prix fixe brunch appears to be a potentially good way to sample the food at the restaurant. Members should verify prior to reliance. The indicative menu includes:

House Baked Scones

Choice of Orange or Grapefruit Juices, Mimosa, Bloody Mary, or Verbena Royale

Choice of Appetizer and Entree

A. Appetizers

Mixed Lettuce Salad with soft herbs, and sherry vinaigrette

Daily Soup

House-Cured Salmon Gravlax with buckwheat blini, radishes, mustard oil

Duck and Shiitake Mushroom Country Pate, with thai basil, marinated carrots and parker house toast (this appears interesting)

Parma Prosciutto with market fruit and balsamic syrup

B. Entrées

Crispy Duck Confit with brunch potatoes, bitter greens and roasted onion jus (this might be good as well)

Crispy Fishcakes, with sesame lotus root, mixed lettuces and ponzu vinaigrette

Spicy Halibut and Sweet Corn Crepes, with red bell pepper, english peas and fine herb emulsion

10 oz. Grilled Sirloin Burger, with house-baked brioche bun, grilled onion and herbed fries

Cinnamon French Toast with caramelized apples and toasted almonds

Buttermilk Pancakes with strawberries rhubarb compote and whipped creme fraiche

Rolled Spinach Souffle with snow peas and mushroom nage

Forest Mushroom and Ricotta Cheese Omlette with tomato fondue and brunch potatoes

Verbena Croque Monsieur, layered sandwich terrine of black forest ham and fontina cheese

Roasted Turkey Steak with spinach, mushrooms, lemon and sage

http://verbenarestaurant.citysearch.com/5.html

[rozrapp]

House Baked Scones

A. Appetizers

Duck and Shiitake Mushroom Country Pate, with thai basil, marinated carrots and parker house toast (this appears interesting)

B. Entrées

Crispy Duck Confit with brunch potatoes, bitter greens and roasted onion jus (this might be good as well)

Roasted Turkey Steak with spinach, mushrooms, lemon and sage

Verbena has always been one of our favorite Sunday brunch places. However, the last time we had brunch there during the summer, our meal was less than satisfactory. The menu then was exactly the same as what Cabrales has listed.

House baked scones were a little on the dry side. The pate was tasty and was the best thing we had. My husband said his turkey steak lacked flavor. My duck confit was quite dried out, the potatoes were boring, and the bitter greens did not have a lick of dressing. Since I prefer my salad greens with dressing, I asked the server if the kitchen could provide some vinaigrette. What she brought me was not a well-made version. We did not order dessert which is available for an extra charge. A very disappointing experience.

[TCD]

I found that Verbena has really dropped off post the Forley/Otsuka wedding. Also friends who dined there at least monthly have stopped going altogether. Too many cooks . . . .

[rozrapp]

I found that Verbena has really dropped off post the Forley/Otsuka wedding.  Also friends who dined there at least monthly have stopped going altogether.  Too many cooks . . . .

I head that the couple recently had a baby, so Forley has not been in the kitchen for some time. Perhaps it's not a question of "too many cooks," but rather the better cook -- or, at least, the cook whose food is more appealing -- is missing in action.

[Rachel Perlow]

Jason and I decided to take in an early dinner at Verbena on Saturday night (we arrived actually before they opened, around 5:15, we had seen a Broadway matinee, so were the first patrons in the house). We had never been there before and wanted to go and thank them for doing such a great job on their eGullet Q&A. First off, it is a lovely cozy little restaurant. The seating is a mix of tables and very comfortable banquettes, and there are candles all over the place, except at the tables themselves. Not in the mood for alcohol, I started with a Yuzu Lemonade ($3.50), which has an interesting herbal note from the lemon verbena, it reminded me of the lemon soda I've had at Vietnamese restaurants. Jason had a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout (6.00), which was a very dark beer. I could taste the chocolate in it, but it mostly tasted like beer to me (I don't like beer).

Michael Otsuka came out to say hello shortly after we were seated and we had a nice chat about their restaurant and that evening's menu, eGullet and all our dogs (they link to the Greenwich Village French Bulldog Association on the Verbena website). For appetizers, I ordered the Country Duck and Shiitake Mushroom Pate (9.50), while Jason ordered the special of Pan Roasted Prince Edward Island Mussels with Chorizo (10.00). However, before our appetizers arrived we were offered tastings of several items. I don't know which would normally come as an amuse and which Michael sent out just to us. I just wanted to disclose this part, because he was very generous and we were not charged for these items -- I'll mark them with a star, but include the menu price, if available -- but I want to be able to comment on them and give my opinion.

The first amuse was *South African Pickled Cherry Peppers filled with goat cheese mousse and drizzled with thyme oil. The peppers were quite sweet tasting, at first. The heat of them hit you after you had swallowed them down. The filling of goat cheese was incredibly sweet and buttery, making a nice contrast with the tartness of the peppers. A review of the "Demi Bites" menu (mini appetizers from Bar Demi, their wine bar around the corner) shows that the goat cheese mouse usually fills endive leaves. This was followed by espresso cups filled with the soup of the day, *Saffron Scented Fish Soup (9.50 - for a normal portion, I'm sure). This was simply delicious. I had been tempted to order is as my appetizer so was very happy to be able to have a little taste of it. It was exactly the soup de poisson I searched for when we visited St. Martin, and I highly recommend you try it if it is on the menu when you go to Verbena. Next came a Chinese soup spoon full of *Pear-Ginger "Chutney" (it was raw) topped with Duck Prosciutto. Jason liked this more than I did -- I'm not a prosciutto person, but the pear relish was very nice.

Finally, our actual appetizers arrived. The PEI mussels in Jason's appetizer were exceptional. According to the description by Chef Otsuka, they were thrown into a hot dry pan to begin cooking. As soon as they opened and released some of their juices, the dish was finished with Spanish chorizo, lemon (yuzu?) juice and herbs. I could hardly get a taste of his dish, he was being very possessive , but the mussel I had was very sweet and fresh, although we both thought the finished sauce was a bit too tart. My duck pate came with new twist on the traditional accompaniments of cornichon. The pickles were minced and mixed with whole mustard seeds creating a sour and sweet relish. The Parker House toast arrived at the table hot. However, the white bread seemed ordinary compared the bread plate with the roasted(?) garlic and red lentil dipping oil. Anyway, back to the pate, it was a delicious rendition of a meat pate. The mushrooms must have been ground up with the meat, as they weren't independently noticeable. I had also considered ordering the *Chilled Hudson Valley Foie Gras Torchon (14.00), and Michael must have been reading my mind, because a tasting of that is what came out next. The plate was composed of a ½ inch thick round slice of foie served on top of toasted brioche with cranberry-cherry chutney in between. The menu says it is to be accompanied by mache, but instead we had slivers of Belgian endive. This was a very rich foie, tasting more of butter than liver. I tried valiantly not to finish the foie, so I could leave some room for my main dish and pre-ordered dessert. Oy.

Sage and Lemon Studded Turkey Steak (22.50) and a special of Lamb Beggar's Purse (27.00) were our mains. We both felt the turkey was exceptional. You hardly ever see turkey on menus except in November, this was an attempt to make a real, new-American cuisine dish out of a seldom used ingredient. The turkey breast was larded with sage and lemon peel and came out thickly sliced and very tender. This was served atop spinach and mushrooms with pancetta lending additional flavor. Really, a lovely dish. My lamb, on the other hand, was rather a disappointment. It was lamb shoulder cut into small pieces, inside a braised napa cabbage leaf served over a stew of white beans, black trumpet mushrooms and roasted beets. The lamb was from a local producer (the farm was listed on the menu, but I don't have that page) and I suppose the meat was either roasted or braised, regardless it was well-done, but not soft like braised meat I've had before, which is why I lean towards thinking it was roasted. But I don't think it was cooked within the cabbage leaf in which it was presented. Actually, the meat was rather sinewy -- which was the disappointing part -- I felt it should have been better trimmed. The accompaniments, on the other hand, were delicious. I really enjoyed the beets and the mushrooms, and the white beans were perfectly cooked, tender to the bite, but still maintaining their shape.

You can really tell that vegetable preparations are the restaurant's forte. Although there is only one vegetarian main course on the menu, a Braised Vegetable Strudel, there are also several side dishes which can be ordered as a tasting for a main course, or as family style sides. And, in addition to the 3 course prix fixe and four course tasting menu, there is also a vegetarian tasting menu.

For dessert, we ordered the Pear Upside Down Cake (8.00) and the Seasonal Tart of Huckleberries (8.00). Both of these have to be ordered when you order the rest of your meal. I'm sure if we waited until dessert time we wouldn't have ordered both, because with all the tastings we were offered, we were rather full. The service had been efficient and friendly throughout the evening, so we just requested a little break before they brought out dessert. I preferred the huckleberry tart with verbena sorbet to the much sweeter cake with accompanying roasted pear, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. They also had a nice selection of teas, prepared before being brought to the table, the way I prefer. They do offer a cheese plate, but there was just no way, not after all that fois gras! I think next time we go I would like to try their fish preparations. As the mussels and fish soup were superb, I'm sure the trout, bass or monkfish would have been more to my taste as a main course the other night.

PS - Diane arrived towards the end of our meal and we got to say hello to her and Olivia too. What a cute baby, I can't blame her for taking some time away from the kitchen in order to spend as much time with her as possible.

Verbena Restaurant

54 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

(212) 260-5454

[Jason Perlow]

Jason had a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout (6.00), which was a very dark beer. I could taste the chocolate in it, but it mostly tasted like beer to me (I don't like beer).

I REALLY liked this beer a lot, very similar to a Guinness but perhaps not quite as bitter.

Next came a Chinese soup spoon full of *Pear-Ginger "Chutney" (it was raw) topped with Duck Prosciutto. Jason liked this more than I did -- I'm not a prosciutto person, but the pear relish was very nice.

Not being a huge fan of duck, I was a bit wary of this at first. Its very similar to a regular proscuitto, but richer and gamier. Not something I would want in larger amounts, the taste on the soup spoon with the pear relish was just right.

The PEI mussels in Jason's appetizer were exceptional. According to the description by Chef Otsuka, they were thrown into a hot dry pan to begin cooking. As soon as they opened and released some of their juices, the dish was finished with Spanish chorizo, lemon (yuzu?) juice and herbs. I could hardly get a taste of his dish, he was being very possessive , but the mussel I had was very sweet and fresh, although we both thought the finished sauce was a bit too tart.

Actually, I really liked the sauce -- I didn't think it was too tart at all. I was wiping it up with the bread (oh, the wonderful, wonderful bread and breadsticks at this place!) after I was done with the mussels! It was very acidic, but I think you need that for a mussels dish. There were also nice hints of fennel in the sauce as well.

We both felt the turkey was exceptional. You hardly ever see turkey on menus except in November, this was an attempt to make a real, new-American cuisine dish out of a seldom used ingredient. The turkey breast was larded with sage and lemon peel and came out thickly sliced and very tender. This was served atop spinach and mushrooms with pancetta lending additional flavor. Really, a lovely dish.

This dish was brillantly executed -- this is perhaps the most tender and moist turkey breast I have ever had. The herbs were actually threaded through the breast itself, allowing it to release their oils into the meat. The mushrooms were very plentiful in the sauce and the sauteed fresh spinach was perhaps some of the best I have ever had. I'd recommend this dish to anyone, especially to turkey breast naysayers. This is NOT your Thanksgiving turkey, folks.

[Wilfrid]

Interesting adaptation of an old technique in that turkey dish. I have read about (not eaten) veal sweetbreads larded with bacon and lemon peel; and I've read about, eaten and made fricandeau - veal larded with bacon. Adds flavor and moistness; what a good idea for turkey.

[Rachel Perlow]

It was clearly not just the flavor components which made this turkey dish great, it was the cooking technique. It was obviously watched carefully to be taken off heat at exactly the right moment, then rested properly before slicing. The timing difference between undercooked (pink, gagh!) and overcooked (dry) turkey is so brief, and the turkey Jason was served was not pink, but it was tender and juicy, like it was taken off heat the second it was no longer pink.

Jay - was the pancetta under the meat, mixed with the veg, or larded through with the herbs? I don't recall.

Edited March 4, 2003 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[Jason Perlow]

It was clearly not just the flavor components which made this turkey dish great, it was the cooking technique. It was obviously watched carefully to be taken off heat at exactly the right moment, then rested properly before slicing. The timing difference between undercooked (pink, gagh!) and overcooked (dry) turkey is so brief, and the turkey Jason was served was not pink, but it was tender and juicy, like it was taken off heat the second it was no longer pink.

Jay - was the pancetta under the meat, mixed with the veg, or larded through with the herbs? I don't recall.

it was mixed with the mushrooms surrounding the bed of spinach, finely chopped.

[Jason Perlow]

Interesting adaptation of an old technique in that turkey dish.  I have read about (not eaten) veal sweetbreads larded with bacon and lemon peel; and I've read about, eaten and made fricandeau - veal larded with bacon.  Adds flavor and moistness; what a good idea for turkey.

Actually bacon-wrapped turkey breast kebabs is a common Rodizio dish.

[rstarobi]

Jason had a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout (6.00), which was a very dark beer. I could taste the chocolate in it, but it mostly tasted like beer to me (I don't like beer).

Rachel, just a nitpick - the beer actually does not contain any chocolate - it uses a special blend of malts to give it a chocolate-y flavor. Pretty neat, actually, though I don't think this year's batch is quite as good as last year's.

[lxt]

Originally, I didn't intend to post on Verbena. However, my meal, the day before Rachel and Jason visited the restaurant, so contrasted with the wonderful experience they described that I decided to invest the time in rendering my impressions. Here they are:

An outside view of a multitude of candles flickering with inspiration in the window of the restaurant created a sense of alluring sanctuary with its warm glow and invoked pleasant memories of my dinner several years ago, raising images of a tranquil and inviting atmosphere with a fireplace, subdued colors and fresh flowers. A tiny illusion of a corridor separated from the main room by a glass partition with imprinted herbs and flowers was pleasantly familiar, but as soon as we entered the main room, the familiar song playing in my head got disrupted. The restaurant was redecorated and looked quite different from what I remembered, expressing the uncertainty of a rather dry and blunt contemporary style. My offspring, not yet aware of how to “butter” the truth with evasive euphemism, in all her charming innocence made a loud assertion that it looked like a diner. I couldn’t agree with her more. The new décor has taken the turn from cozy to functional. The fireplace was eliminated providing perhaps a little more space but depriving the interior of its original charm. Bare tables exposing their lacquered cork finish, in contrast to being covered with beautiful linen tablecloths that used to set a romantic tone, were unappealing and cold. Pale walls, candle-shaped lights hanging on long cords and striped and flowery banquettes matching the brown tone of the carpet completed the décor.

Our reservation was for 9 p.m. At the time we arrived, the restaurant was full and the solid noise produced by the chatting crowd under the pressure of low ceilings was transformed into a high-energy value where even a calibrated noise measurement system and a noise algorithm would’ve failed to render a noise level analysis. With a bit of exaggeration, it was almost similar to standing by the shuttle engine at the time of its launch.

We were seated at a table with relative privacy and were approached by a waitress almost immediately. A Bloomberg water, a cup of a hot tea and bread were what we expected to see on our table at some point and time that could have been considered reasonable. Apparently our perception of “reasonable” sharply differed from that of the restaurant staff. To their credit, they apologized for the delay at the end of our dinner.

I had fond memories of having a tasting menu at Verbena several years ago. A smooth transition from one course to another, with a gradually increasing intensity of flavors where a process of gentle amalgamation of savory and sweet with the addition of herbal overtone, was daring, interesting, and quite satisfying, and I decided to repeat the experience by choosing a four-course tasting menu with wine pairing. However, it seemed that this time there was no concept behind the tasting. The dishes chosen didn’t represent a natural progression of flavors nor did they make a statement other than being separate entries where one’s dining experience was to be extended from three independent courses to four independent courses. There was also practically no dish that didn’t raise a question, but let me start from the beginning.

As a result of my inquiring whether it was possible to add one more tasting-size dish, Saffron Scented Fish Soup, to the tasting menu, the soup was sent to our table as a starter compliments of the house. The gesture was very nice and appreciated by all of us.

Saffron Scented Fish Soup – tomato, parsley oil, Parmesan cheese.

A bright orange smooth but thick broth, laced with several strokes of deep-green parsley oil and a long, thin, dark-red tomato slice floating atop and adding to the beautifully vibrant combination of colors, was served in a tiny white espresso-like cup. The soup had a base of robust tomato, barely touched by saffron, and when taken in isolation had a mild, pureed-fish scented flavor. However, the combination of the broth and the parsley oil produced a surprising and not very favorable effect, in my opinion, of a sharp fish-oil tang. The point was that I did understand and appreciate the concept. I was even amused by the result of the transformation, but I was simply not pleased with the effect, which shocked my palate rather than indulging it.

For the amuse I was served Hidalgo Manzanilla Sherry Cocktail.

First course:

Foie Gras Torchon – cranberry/cherry chutney, mache, toasted brioche.

A rich and dense foie gras torchon with a smooth and velvety texture was almost uniformly and perfectly pink all the way through and was served with mache salad lightly drizzled with oil and vinegar and set on the left side of the cylinder-shaped foie gras. A chutney of whole cranberries and cherries enriched with citrus flavor from small cubes of lemon rind was presented in a separate round dish and was a nice accompaniment of light sweetness and acidity to the foie gras when spread on a toasted brioche. Sadly, the dish was the only highlight of my dinner.

I drank Jacquesson, ‘Brut Perfection’ NV (Epernay).

Second course:

Steamed Wild Striped Bass - shiitake mushrooms, ginger, scallions,

Chinese black beans.

The striped bass, awash in a dark-brown, soy-enhanced broth with floating edamame, slices of cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, was served in a deep soup plate, almost buried under shoots of thinly sliced ginger, black beans, and scallions. The fish was moist and so tender that upon plunging my fork into the flesh, the impression produced was that of pillow softness. The ginger lent the otherwise slightly bland fish an enlivening sharpness and the combination of soft Chinese black beans and crunchy green soy beans was very nice. What ruined the dish for me was the sauce. Originally I thought that the sauce was meant to be soy-enhanced; however in my case, it was soy-based and almost cloyingly sweet. The amount of sauce in the dish suggested that it was served as a soup rather than a simple sauce accompaniment, but the "soup" was almost undrinkable when eaten separately. Therefore, upon finishing the fish, you were left with a bowl of undrinkable liquid. It was rather puzzling. The sauce was also so intrusive in flavor that it completely overshadowed the fish and all I wanted to do was to rescue the beautiful fish with its beans and ginger to a separate plate.

The paired wine was Chardonnay, Talley, 'Estate' 2000 (Arroyo Grande).

Third course:

Australian Lamb Duo – carrots, fennel, creamy polenta, rosemary-lemon jus.

A lonely, tiny lamb chop and a puff pastry cylinder stuffed with strips of braised (?) lamb on a bed of carrots and fennel with several seeds of green peppercorn and fennel and several pieces of roasted (?) garlic were almost lost on a big serving plate. A creamy polenta was served in a separate dish, and seemed to exceed the size of its main counterpart by a factor of two. It just didn’t make any sense. Why not combine the side dish with the main one at least for presentation purposes and why make the side portion so large? The polenta was smooth and very gentle in texture and flavor and almost reminded me of a fluffy mashed potato, but it was still a side dish. Was the purpose to accentuate polenta as a possible main dish rather than an accompaniment to it? The lamb chop was overdone though tasty, and this tiny fellow might have been satisfying had he had some company on the plate.

The wine paired was Kilikanoon ‘Siblings’ Grenache-Shiraz 2001.

My consort ordered Roasted New Zealand Venison with celery root, mustard greens, sweet shallots, dried cherries and port glaze from the regular menu. The medallions of venison, served in a large, oval plate, were cooked medium rare on the rare side, topped with an abundance of celery root and were generously saturated with the port glaze. I can’t recall the side dish. The dish would’ve been fine had the glaze not been so disturbingly sweet. It wasn’t that sweetness that one would expect to pleasantly offset the gaminess of the meat, but rather a sharp bittersweet taste that seemed literally to overpower the flavor of venison. When I saw my consort carefully shaking the sauce off each medallion then using just a tiny bit of black pepper and the polenta served with my lamb, I realized that the venison dish needed some improvement.

Fourth course - Dessert:

Crème Brulée, Tea Cake, Sorbet.

Verbena infused crème brulée was served in a small glass with caramel tuiles on top. Three madeleines sprinkled with confectioner‘s sugar were lying on the side of the plate, and the sorbet with verbena flavor was served on a different plate. This dessert brought back the memories of my previous dinner of several years ago. The crème brulée had a smooth and delicate texture and the herbal flavor emphasized the lightness of the custard. The tuiles, on the other hand, were hard and too thick to play well with the light and airy crème brulée. The madeleines were saturated with oil, which I didn’t find pleasant as well. The sorbet was wonderful. Overall, I did enjoy this dessert.

The restaurant staff was nice enough to provide us with a copy of their current menu, but if I were to describe the service during our stay in several words, I’d say that it was quite uninspired. I had such wonderful memories of my previous visit to Verbena that I really wanted to like this place. I left with sadness in my heart as I realized that I probably won’t revisit Verbena for a while.

Edited March 7, 2003 by lxt (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

Interesting report. Obviously our differing descriptions of the decor of the restaurant were affected by the fact that it was our first visit to the restaurant whereas you are comparing it to how it was a few years ago. With regard to service, I'm sure it was also a factor that we arrived when the restaurant was empty and the staff fresh, whereas you arrived at the height of the dinner rush on a Friday night. I'm sure your feelings about some of the food was accurate as I didn't care for the lamb in my (different from your) main course either, although I think I enjoyed the fish soup more than you did. It didn't come to the table with the garnish you describe and wasn't at all "fishy," perhaps yours sat too long in back (another dining time factor)? Not that the dinner time should make the negatives excusable, just the opposite in fact, but it could be a reason.

[lxt]

Rachel, my description of the décor was not only comparative, but also represented the opinion of other members of my family who had never visited Verbena. None of us found the restaurant décor appealing. I do find contemporary decor engaging as long as it is done with style and taste. That simply wasn’t the case with Verbena, and it became especially obvious upon attempting to view all components as a single composition. One might enjoy the lacquered cork finish of the tables in isolation, but in combination with other components of the restaurant, this element simply loses its appeal. A contemporary table of this sort would require chairs, not banquettes. The room should have a certain highlight either in color or furniture or perhaps some art work to offset the blunt colors. There were little details that crossed my mind at the time that escape me now, but this is what I meant when referring to the “uncertainty of a rather dry and blunt contemporary style.”

In my opinion, any successful entrepreneur should account for busy nights. The fact that the staff wasn’t able to handle the pressure is a negative point that the restaurant should take into consideration. In comparison, though I can’t recall whether I first visited Verbena on Friday night, the restaurant was as busy, and the overall service was not only excellent, but I received the whole tour of Chef Forley’s technique and philosophy with a detailed explanation by the waitress of each course and its matched wine. Even assuming that now I could’ve received more attentive service on some other day, the tasting menu has a completely different purpose which doesn’t require such involvement from the service staff because the whole philosophy of the restaurant has changed, and in my opinion not for the better. The ingredients were great, but anything that required a little more than a plain rendition of them, in our experience, suffered from one or another fault.

The fish soup came garnished exactly in accordance with the menu description. It was of good quality. What I found peculiar was the attempt to modify the taste of the broth by adding the parsley oil, which I thought transformed a perfectly nice flavor into something less favorable. There was nothing wrong with the soup, nor there was anything wrong with the parsley oil separately. I simply didn’t find the combination of the two pleasing.

[rozrapp]

I discovered this when I called yesterday to make a reservation for brunch. When the recorded voice stated, "We are closed for business," at first, I thought that I had called too early in the day. However, once I heard the rest of the message, it became quite clear that they were "closed for business -- period." We have eaten there many times over the years, so this news made me quite sad. I think it's a real loss for NYC's culinary scene. Since the message included Diane and Michael's e-mail address, I wrote telling them how sorry I was about the closing and asking if they might tell me the reason. I added that I would understand if they preferred not to do so. I promptly received a message back from Diane saying that they had run into a problem with their landlord regarding renewal of their lease. They have no future plans at the moment, but she indicated that they would eventually do something.

[Rachel Perlow]

Is Bar Demi also closed then? I believe they shared the kitchen so I'd figure it is, but don't want to assume.

[JesseNYC]

Just goes to show how tenuous this industry is. A great place, with great operater/owners, and it can all go down the tubes due to greedy landlords. Seems like they were a victim of their own success. I hope they can find a new location, and get a great deal on their new lease, and that whatever moves into their old space causes nothing but trouble for the landlord.

[dimitri steinberg]

It's called the free market and the sanctity of property rights. That's the reason we have the most dynamic economy on earth and, more specifically, a zillion restaurants in NYC. The landlord is being rationale and if he/she can get a higher rent from another tenant, that is his/her prerogative. You'd be amazed at how much our entire way of, and quality of, life is dependent upon all those "greedy" people out there.

[Suzanne F]

Dimitri Steinberg: But the landlord only assumes there is a chance of getting a higher rent from another tenant; it is by no means guaranteed. Nor is it guaranteed that the new tenant will be as responsible as Verbena, make improvements in the property (as Verbena did), or keep the landlord's costs for maintenance and repair to a reasonable level. And if the new tenant turns out to be a bad tenant, the eviction process is costly.

Would it not have been better for the landlord to negotiate with the long-term tenant (Verbena), rather than now risk the uncertainty of how much rent will be received, and how soon?

BTW: "Property is theft." -- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon