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Best Creative Tasting Menu in New York?

LPShanet

By LPShanet
in New York: Dining

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LPShanet

LPShanet

Posted
Posted

Am planning a dinner for a special occasion and wanted to go somewhere for a multi-course tasting menu of very creative and delicious fare. I have been to most of the expected places for such stuff in NY, and just wanted to compare opinions (and possibly spark debate?) on what everyone thinks are the best and most interesting. I am especially interested in food that isn't over the top heavy, and would like to focus on places that emphasize cutting edge creativity and perfect fresh ingredients. The obvious starting places for me in recent years have been:

Per Se

WD-50

Gilt (when Paul Liebrandt was still there)

Jean Georges (inner dining room only)

Obviously, there are many others I have tried (Daniel, Atelier, etc.) and ones I haven't (Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon), but thought I'd open with a few winners, and see if anyone has suggestions that are similar.

oakapple

oakapple

Posted
Posted

What exactly do you mean by "creative"? Most tasting menus I've had in NYC stay well within safe culinary boundaries. Many are nevertheless excellent, but if creative is what you want, the pickings are slim.

Cru and 11MP fall into the category of excellent tasting menus that I wouldn't really describe as "creative."

In the "creative" category, with Paul Liebrandt gone, WD-50 takes the palm. I can't comment on Urena, but according to repuatation, Alex is doing some things there that are out of the ordinary.

I found Asiate's tasting menu very enjoyable and interesting, but I suspect most readers here will find that a surprise recommendation.

The two best tasting menus I've had in the last year were Country and Tabla, and I would describe Tabla as the more creative of the two.

Marc Shepherd

http://nyjournal.squarespace.com/

Nathan

Nathan

Posted
Posted

yeah...I noted that on the Urena thread last year.

the whole molecular thing was just PR.

with that said, it is a little more innovative than most.

nothing is going to satisfy the OP's criterion like WD-50...but Urena will still come closer than most.

Vadouvan

Vadouvan

Posted
Posted (edited)

If you use the term "most creative" I personally dont find that phrase to be subject to interpretation, the obvious answer like an elephant on our coffee table is WD-50.

Perhaps the poster needs to define more succinctly cuisine, Refined Classic (Perse) Vs Modernist Creative (WD 50)....?

Other than that, it just becomes an opinion poll.

No ? :huh:

Edited by Vadouvan (log)
LPShanet

LPShanet

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I had purposely left things a little bit general, since I'm pretty sure if I'd narrowed my posting to just "Modernist Creative", the list would have included WD-50 and....well, WD-50. It's amazing to me that while NY is one of the finest culinary cities on the globe, and has so many great restaurants, there's almost nothing in that category here. As a native New Yorker, I am a bit peeved that a self-proclaimed "second city" like Chicago actually has a more vital culinary avante-garde (Alinea, Moto and several others) than we do.

Gilt was actually very interesting while Liebrandt was there, but I'm pretty sure they're going to "tone it down" a bit now.

So I'd say my preference would be for "Modernist Creative", but I'm very open to really good executions of more classic cooking. In terms of the dishes themselves, I've often found the inner dining room tasting menus at Jean Georges to fit this bill, although I haven't been back in over a year.

If you use the term "most creative" I personally dont find that phrase to be subject to interpretation, the obvious answer like an elephant on our coffee table is WD-50.

Perhaps the poster needs to define more succinctly  cuisine,  Refined Classic (Perse) Vs Modernist Creative (WD 50)....?

Other than that, it just becomes an opinion poll.

No ? :huh:

LPShanet

LPShanet

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Has anyone done the tasting thing at Alain Ducasse? I'd love to hear from this list, since opinions of non-foodies aren't likely to be that useful. I've heard mixed things, from VERY positive to fairly unimpressed. (As with sushi, I'd say this judgement is largely related to the reviewer's food enthusiasm and ability to appreciate this level of cooking, and is largely wasted on those who don't.)

Also, has anyone been to Gilt since Liebrandt's departure? Is it still similar? (Any ideas what his next venture will be?)

Nathan

Nathan

Posted
Posted (edited)

quite frankly, I don't think there's anything out there that you're unfamiliar with

edit: there is some place in Hoboken that people were talking about.

Edited by Nathan (log)
LPShanet

LPShanet

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Anyone out there know more about the place in Hoboken?

Also, has anyone done a tasting at Blue Hill lately?

quite frankly, I don't think there's anything out there that you're unfamiliar with

edit: there is some place in Hoboken that people were talking about.

robert40

robert40

Posted
Posted

Isn't it amazing how WD50 redefined the word 'creative' in NY in just a few short years? Only a few years ago the posters question would have likely been answered with a recommendation of Lespinasse or maybe Union Pacific. And before that Bouley.

Now with WD50 here in NY we no longer have a easy answer for what use to be a common question.

Bravo! What better mark could a restaurant leave on the industry then that.

Robert R

Vadouvan

Vadouvan

Posted
Posted (edited)

I say....

1. Take a dartboard

2. Write in the center "WD 50"

3. Write in the out lying concentric areas in order

Perse

JeanGeorges

Cru

Gilt

Ducasse.

4. Aim as best as you can for the center and throw 3 darts.

5.Restaurant with the most darts wins.

:wink:

Edited by Vadouvan (log)
Nathan

Nathan

Posted
Posted

Based on the Striped Bass, I don't think Gilt belongs on that list.

(when I ate there it was quite good...but not unlike 30 other restaurants in NY)

Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
Posted

I don't want to be a nudge, but now that it's clear that the criteria extend beyond "modernist" (so that there can be more than one choice, I guess), I think people are seriously underrating EMP. For example, I don't have much doubt that, at least IMO, it's significantly better than (the excellent) Cru.

jon777

jon777

Posted
Posted

Venue closed about 2 months ago.

Unfortunatley, the general population of Hoboken is not culinarily adventurous enough to support that type of high-end cuisine. Most NYers (hence "the horror, the horror") have a hard time leaving NYC for a meal and the NJ crowd that comes to Hoboken, is not the type of crowd that goes for that type of cuisine. While Hoboken has some very good restaurants (in varying ethnicities, it's not ready to support something as ambitious as Venue was).

As to the earlier comment on Country, I would agree that while an outstanding meal, probably not the type of meal that the OP is looking for.

The descriptions I've read of the new menus at 11 MP seem to be on the more creative side than the previous incarnation (I haven't been there in several years) and probably worth taking into consideration.

BryanZ

BryanZ

Posted
Posted

I'm kind of with Vadouvan here. As much as I love "creative" food, the short answer IS wd-50 now that Gilt is gone. This was more or less established in the first post.

Otherwise it's just a survey of the best of the really good tasting menus in the city. If I had to pick something that LPShanet didn't mention then I'd say 11MP like Sneakeater keeps referring to, mainly because it's a hell of a lot more "creative" than would expect and a hell of a lot better, too.

Bryan Zupon

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skiter53

skiter53

Posted
Posted
Venue closed about 2 months ago. 

Unfortunatley, the general population of Hoboken is not culinarily adventurous enough to support that type of high-end cuisine.  Most NYers (hence "the horror, the horror") have a hard time leaving NYC for a meal and the NJ crowd that comes to Hoboken, is not the type of crowd that goes for that type of cuisine.  While Hoboken has some very good restaurants (in varying ethnicities, it's not ready to support something as ambitious as Venue was).

As to the earlier comment on Country, I would agree that while an outstanding meal, probably not the type of meal that the OP is looking for. 

The descriptions I've read of the new menus at 11 MP seem to be on the more creative side than the previous incarnation (I haven't been there in several years) and probably worth taking into consideration.

What a pity, I just spent the last 30 minutes reading through the venue thread and looking forward to going soon. Is the chef opening a new place anytime soon?

Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

Don't overlook Nobu. The Nobu chefs produce wonderfully creative, individualized tasting (omakase) menus consisting of a wide range of raw and cooked dishes. Unlike the tastings at Western restaurants, it's normal at Nobu to be served dishes uniquely composed for you -- each chef does things a little differently. (Of course if it's your first time you'll also want to sample several of the Nobu classics, which are themselves quite creative and extraordinary -- though less unique these days now that they're so widely imitated.) You definitely do better if you sit at the sushi bar and upgrade from the menu prices: the menu lists $80, $100 and $120 omakase but if you specify $150 per person you'll get a longer and more interesting tasting. I've had slightly better peak experiences at Nobu Next Door than at Nobu, though I've had many great meals at both.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

jon777

jon777

Posted
Posted

What a pity, I just spent the last 30 minutes reading through the venue thread and looking forward to going soon.  Is the chef opening a new place anytime soon?

The chef does (or did) post on egullet (screenname: Jasper) as you can see from the Venue thread. According to very end of the Venue thread, he was regrouping and looking for investors for a new restaurant.

In the meantime, apparently from this thread he is working as a consultant for a steakhouse opening on Rt 17 in NJ...

Vadouvan

Vadouvan

Posted
Posted
Don't overlook Nobu.

And to add to Fat Guy's comments.......Clearly $$$$$ sensitivity isnt an issue here ?

Dont overlook Yasuda San either, name your price, he will make you some banging dishes.

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