Varietal

[FoodPassion]

Stopped in late to eat at the bar last night.

1.  I think this place has an identity crisis.  As the name indicates, management seems to intend this restaurant to be mainly a wine place.  After I sat down, a bartender gave me three menus:  the bar snacks menu, the dinner menu, and extensive wine-by-the-glass list.  "I assume you're here for this," he said, pointing to the wine list.  "Actually, I'm here for that," I said, pointing to the dinner menu.

But the identity crisis goes even beyond that.  It was clear that everybody at the bar was interested, particularly, in the dessert portion of the menu.  I wonder, when they hired Jordan Kahn, if the owners of this place realized that the desserts were going to steal the spotlight from the main dishes?

But the identity crisis goes even beyond that.  There's a severe disjunction in style between the avant-garde desserts and the normal-food main menu.  You really have to shift gears when you get to dessert.  This is the same problem that Cru had when Will Goldfarb worked there.  What's interesting, though, is that here, the desserts seem to be taking precedence, whereas we all know what happened at Cru.  I guess that's because here, Jordan Kahn is being more heavily promoted than the other aspects of the restaurant.  (And also because -- and I'm saying this with the best will in the world -- Ed Witt is no Shea Gallante.)

2.  The savory-course food (I'm reluctant to use that term, given Jordan Kahn's extensive use of savories in his desserts, but I don't know what else to call it) is good.  Not great.  Good.  Sort of Bouleyesque in its combinations of disparate flavor elements (including a lot of use of fruits) -- but not as mushy.  One thing I have to give the kitchen credit for is that the level of execution was very high.

3.  I don't want to overemphasize this in a restaurant that's been open a week, but service was a problem.   That was a surprise, because usually, sitting at the bar, good service is a given (after all, it's so easy).  Even though there were something like three bartenders, it took me a long time to get anyone's attention, both initially and whenever I wanted something over the course of my stay.  There were long waits between courses.  Especially for dessert:  I must have had to wait half an hour for that.  (They comped me a glass and a half of dessert wine while I waited.)  This was especially a problem for me because I stopped in late on my way home from work, and didn't want to make a late late night of it.  I was so tired and desperate to get home to bed by the time my dessert came that I was indisposed to give it the concentrated attention that such a highly conceptualized composition required.  My criticism of the dessert should be taken with that in mind.

4.  For dessert, I had the wolfberry puree with rigid lime sabayon, broken macaroons, soybean, tonka bean foam, and some kind of katsup.  As you'd expect, this was not comfort food.  It requires concentration, which at that point I just wasn't ready to give it.  (Kind of like trying to listen to Elliot Carter last thing before bed after a long day.)  So my criticism that it was too preciously clever but insufficiently pleasing on a sensual level should be taken with a grain of salt.  My similar disgruntled response to the chocolate bonbons filled with liquified avacado, dusted with cassis powder -- tastes good, but is this really necessary? -- should be taken in the same spirit.

5.  There are more things I want to try here.  And the tasting menu (whose components pretty much were not available a la carte) looked very good.  I hope the next time I eat here, service is better and I'm in a better mood.

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sneakeater,

i just wanted to first say thank you for the kind words and also for coming by the restaurant to see us. it's always a great personal pleasure of mine to "feed" egulleteers. i also wanted to apologize for the duration of time you waited for your dessert. this is by no means an excuse, and should not happen under any circumstances, however, that particular night our POS (that's the name, i'm not saying piece of shit) computer system went down, and many tickets and orders were lost all night long. i again am so sorry that you were on the receiving end of this dilemma, and it is a major detail that has been corrected, and i can assure you will not happen again. i would love for you to come back and see us, and have desserts the way in which they were intended. also, just to clarify... the sauce on the wolfberry dish is ketjap manis, which is southeast asian condiment made from soy sauce, licorice, star anise, and molasses. thanks and sorry again.

j.

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These are the kinds of things that can happen anytime, but brand new restaurants seem to be more prone to them and so should get cut some slack. The important elements for a new restaurant are in place - good food and good attitudes.

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[FoodPassion]

I am really upset by the criticism some of you are writing for Varietal a BRAND NEW restaurant. Thank you doc, for understanding the business of a NEW restaurant and the kinks involved. If some of these critics would have the same problems two or three months from now, I could understand their disappointments. But anyone who has ever owned a business knows that the first month of a new business WILL for surely be rough! I specially have a HUGE problem with "Sneakeater" - Why in the world would you think that you will be served comfort food immediately, late at night when you are tired, at a restaurant that will probably be one of the best in the city in a few months?! That's like going to the Louvre Museum and saying that there were too many paintings to see, too much to walk - that you just wanted to see 10 paintings in one room!!! Varietal is a really NICE, ARTSY and MODERN yet CLASSY restaurant - This is a restaurant where you would go for an evening to the enjoy the amazing combinations of food. It is also a place to go and get a quick appetizer and a couple of glasses of wine - but not to have a complete meal in one hour. The fact that the "Savory foods" are not the Modern Art Sculptures with the most unreal tasty combinations of food that Pastry Chef Kahn prepares is not a negative at all. I think it adds character to the restaurant because it is not the NORM. It is truly a DiFFERENT KIND OF RESTAURANT. NY has a million restaurants and many of them are the same. Varietal offers that DISTINCT CHARACTER that NY City needed. Let's talk for a second about the Savory Chef - his meals are simple, yes - but that's what he wants you to experience. Now let me give you an elaborate background of Chef Jordan Kahn: He does not really know me (and I don't want to identify myself for obvious reasons), but I have known of him for years since he won a Cooking Contest at the Culinary school when he was only 17, and have been following his successes, and I saw him again at the Star Chef dinner - I was impressed the first time and blown away at the Star Chef with this young man's SUPER AMAZING CREATIVE and FLAVORFUL TALENT. I have never forgotten him, and I knew the first day I met him that not only he was going to make it, but he was going to revolutionize and enhance the industry with his flavors, colors, textures and of course his artistic plating. How did I know this? In my years of experience in this industry (and I have been in it for years - in Europe, Asia, and the States), I had never seen such a young person with such passion for creating food-art with totally amazing flavors. Like I said, he does not know me, but I have tasted many of his desserts, and I can tell you I have been blown away every single time - it's no only the esthetic production he creates it is the incorporation and well thought out fusion of all of the flavors. I'm not exactly sure how old he is now - I think he's 22. He's just a kid who thinks and works like someone with 25 years of experience. He's extremely diligent and responsible. I know from his previous supervisors he works endlessly to create and create and create a dish that is a mouth-watering piece of art work. He tries to infiltrate and innundate all of your taste buds using unusual combinations of savory and sweets, multiple textures and colors with common and uncommon foods, and to top it off, he serves it to you like a Rodan sculpture - so pleasing to your sense of sight that you don't know wether you should eat it or wear it. Jordan is so passionate, excited, focus, committed, dependable, accountable (and any other adjective I could not think of for a kid) about what he does, that anyone who talks to him and tastes his creations is in for a rare and an amazing treat. Varietal is extremely fortunate to have him, and I hope they are providing him with the salary he deserves, because this restaurant is going to go far and make it to the top because of Jordan!!!

I think everyone should try it - and yes, someone out there is bound not to like it (just like some people don't like wine, or chocolate, or coffee); but I, I love it all! If you are reading this, you should try to visit Varietal as soon as you can, and please think of it as a wonderful present to give yourself for an unforgettable evening to enjoy!

[BryanZ]

Well, that was a really long paragraph.

Welcome to eG FoodPassion. Seeing that Chef Kahn acknowledged that there were POS problems on that night, Sneakeater's comments seem more than fair. Sneakeater tells it how it is from a very real, down to earth perspective. While I'm more than inclined to believe him, having heard of similar timing issues here and on other boards, that doesn't mean that I'm any less inclined to visit.

No one is at all questioning Chef Kahn's ability, but the day a restaurant opens to the public it is subject to any criticism its diners choose to give out. As others have said, it will be more interesting to see how the restaurant grows and matures.

[Sneakeater]

Stopped in late to eat at the bar last night.

1.  I think this place has an identity crisis.  As the name indicates, management seems to intend this restaurant to be mainly a wine place.  After I sat down, a bartender gave me three menus:  the bar snacks menu, the dinner menu, and extensive wine-by-the-glass list.  "I assume you're here for this," he said, pointing to the wine list.  "Actually, I'm here for that," I said, pointing to the dinner menu.

But the identity crisis goes even beyond that.  It was clear that everybody at the bar was interested, particularly, in the dessert portion of the menu.  I wonder, when they hired Jordan Kahn, if the owners of this place realized that the desserts were going to steal the spotlight from the main dishes?

But the identity crisis goes even beyond that.  There's a severe disjunction in style between the avant-garde desserts and the normal-food main menu.  You really have to shift gears when you get to dessert.  This is the same problem that Cru had when Will Goldfarb worked there.  What's interesting, though, is that here, the desserts seem to be taking precedence, whereas we all know what happened at Cru.  I guess that's because here, Jordan Kahn is being more heavily promoted than the other aspects of the restaurant.  (And also because -- and I'm saying this with the best will in the world -- Ed Witt is no Shea Gallante.)

2.  The savory-course food (I'm reluctant to use that term, given Jordan Kahn's extensive use of savories in his desserts, but I don't know what else to call it) is good.  Not great.  Good.  Sort of Bouleyesque in its combinations of disparate flavor elements (including a lot of use of fruits) -- but not as mushy.  One thing I have to give the kitchen credit for is that the level of execution was very high.

3.  I don't want to overemphasize this in a restaurant that's been open a week, but service was a problem.   That was a surprise, because usually, sitting at the bar, good service is a given (after all, it's so easy).  Even though there were something like three bartenders, it took me a long time to get anyone's attention, both initially and whenever I wanted something over the course of my stay.  There were long waits between courses.  Especially for dessert:  I must have had to wait half an hour for that.  (They comped me a glass and a half of dessert wine while I waited.)  This was especially a problem for me because I stopped in late on my way home from work, and didn't want to make a late late night of it.  I was so tired and desperate to get home to bed by the time my dessert came that I was indisposed to give it the concentrated attention that such a highly conceptualized composition required.  My criticism of the dessert should be taken with that in mind.

4.  For dessert, I had the wolfberry puree with rigid lime sabayon, broken macaroons, soybean, tonka bean foam, and some kind of katsup.  As you'd expect, this was not comfort food.  It requires concentration, which at that point I just wasn't ready to give it.  (Kind of like trying to listen to Elliot Carter last thing before bed after a long day.)  So my criticism that it was too preciously clever but insufficiently pleasing on a sensual level should be taken with a grain of salt.  My similar disgruntled response to the chocolate bonbons filled with liquified avacado, dusted with cassis powder -- tastes good, but is this really necessary? -- should be taken in the same spirit.

5.  There are more things I want to try here.  And the tasting menu (whose components pretty much were not available a la carte) looked very good.  I hope the next time I eat here, service is better and I'm in a better mood.

←

sneakeater,

i just wanted to first say thank you for the kind words and also for coming by the restaurant to see us. it's always a great personal pleasure of mine to "feed" egulleteers. i also wanted to apologize for the duration of time you waited for your dessert. this is by no means an excuse, and should not happen under any circumstances, however, that particular night our POS (that's the name, i'm not saying piece of shit) computer system went down, and many tickets and orders were lost all night long. i again am so sorry that you were on the receiving end of this dilemma, and it is a major detail that has been corrected, and i can assure you will not happen again. i would love for you to come back and see us, and have desserts the way in which they were intended. also, just to clarify... the sauce on the wolfberry dish is ketjap manis, which is southeast asian condiment made from soy sauce, licorice, star anise, and molasses. thanks and sorry again.

j.

←

Jordan, there's no question I'll be back. (Hell, I almost went back last night.)

FWIW, I admire your professionalism tremendously.

[FoodPassion]

Well, that was a really long paragraph.

Welcome to eG FoodPassion.  Seeing that Chef Kahn acknowledged that there were POS problems on that night, Sneakeater's comments seem more than fair.  Sneakeater tells it how it is from a very real, down to earth perspective.  While I'm more than inclined to believe him, having heard of similar timing issues here and on other boards, that doesn't mean that I'm any less inclined to visit.

No one is at all questioning Chef Kahn's ability, but the day a restaurant opens to the public it is subject to any criticism its diners choose to give out.  As others have said, it will be more interesting to see how the restaurant grows and matures.

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Thank you BryanZ! Sorry about the long paragraph - I just got carried away. You make a good point. I guess the words that bothered me most were the "Comford food" comment, and the fact that kinks are just expected. But you are right, the problems have nothing to do with the chef's talent and capability.

[raji]

Seriously - I'll be by on the merit of this post (and your resume) alone - and we really appreciate you posting, I suspect far more proprietors lurk rather than venture to post...

[Luckylies]

Stopped in late to eat at the bar last night.

.. the sauce on the wolfberry dish is ketjap manis, which is southeast asian condiment made from soy sauce, licorice, star anise, and molasses.  thanks and sorry again.

j.

pronounced ke-chup manaisse, right? always confusing...

I am really upset by the criticism some of you are writing for Varietal a BRAND NEW restaurant.  Thank you doc, for understanding the business of a NEW restaurant and the kinks involved.  If some of these critics would have the same problems two or three months from now, I could understand their disappointments.  But anyone who has ever owned a business knows that the first month of a new business WILL for surely be rough!  I specially have a HUGE problem with "Sneakeater" - Why in the world would you think that you will be served comfort food immediately, late at night when you are tired, at a restaurant that will probably be one of the best in the city in a few months?!  That's like going to the Louvre Museum and saying that there were too many paintings to see, too much to walk - that you just wanted to see 10 paintings in one room!!! Varietal is a really NICE, ARTSY and MODERN yet CLASSY restaurant - This is a restaurant where you would go for an evening to the enjoy the amazing combinations of food.  It is also a place to go and get a quick appetizer and a couple of glasses of wine - but not to have a complete meal in one hour.  The fact that the "Savory foods" are not the Modern Art Sculptures with the most unreal tasty combinations of food that Pastry Chef Kahn prepares is not a negative at all.  I think it adds character to the restaurant because it is not the NORM.  It is truly a DiFFERENT KIND OF RESTAURANT.  NY has a million restaurants and many of them are the same.  Varietal offers that DISTINCT CHARACTER that NY City needed.  Let's talk for a second about the Savory Chef - his meals are simple, yes - but that's what he wants you to experience.  Now let me give you an elaborate background of Chef Jordan Kahn:  He does not really know me (and I don't want to identify myself for obvious reasons), but I have known of him for years since he won a Cooking Contest at the Culinary school when he was only 17, and have been following his successes, and I saw him again at the Star Chef dinner - I was impressed the first time and blown away at the Star Chef with this young man's SUPER AMAZING CREATIVE and FLAVORFUL TALENT.  I have never forgotten him, and I knew the first day I met him that not only he was going to make it, but he was going to revolutionize and enhance the industry with his flavors, colors, textures and of course his artistic plating.  How did I know this?  In my years of experience in this industry (and I have been in it for years - in Europe, Asia, and the States), I had never seen such a young person with such passion for creating food-art with totally amazing flavors.  Like I said, he does not know me, but I have tasted many of his desserts, and I can tell you I have been blown away every single time - it's no only the esthetic production he creates it is the incorporation and well thought out fusion of all of the flavors.  I'm not exactly sure how old he is now - I think he's 22.  He's just a kid who thinks and works like someone with 25 years of experience.  He's extremely diligent and responsible.  I know from his previous supervisors he works endlessly to create and create and create a dish that is a mouth-watering piece of art work.  He tries to infiltrate and innundate all of your taste buds using unusual combinations of savory and sweets, multiple textures and colors with common and uncommon foods, and to top it off, he serves it to you like a Rodan sculpture - so pleasing to your sense of sight that you don't know wether you should eat it or wear it.  Jordan is so passionate, excited, focus, committed, dependable, accountable (and any other adjective I could not think of for a kid) about what he does, that anyone who talks to him and tastes his creations is in for a rare and an amazing treat.  Varietal is extremely fortunate to have him, and I hope they are providing him with the salary he deserves, because this restaurant is going to go far and make it to the top because of Jordan!!!

I think everyone should try it - and yes, someone out there is bound not to like it (just like some people don't like wine, or chocolate, or coffee); but I, I love it all!  If you are reading this, you should try to visit Varietal as soon as you can, and please think of it as a wonderful present to give yourself for an unforgettable evening to enjoy!

←

this is reminds me of the beginning of the end of this thread...oy

I have no idea why my quotes are funny...sorry guys.

[Sneakeater]

I don't want to get into a fight, but I do want to make a few small points in case I haven't been clear.

1. When I mentioned "comfort food", I wasn't criticizing Chef Kahn's creations for not being comfort food (much less suggesting that I expected comfort food from this Alinea veteran). All I was trying to say was that since Chef Kahn's work obviously isn't comfort food, it was unfortunate that service glitches prevented me from being in a position to appreciate it.

2. As a general matter, the suggestion that you can't have a three-course late supper at the bar of a fine restaurant is completely unfounded. I do it all the time. And sure, it usually takes no more than an hour or so. When you're eating alone at a bar, you eat faster than you do when you're conversing with a companion at a table. One reason I prefer eating at bars when I eat alone is that the pace of service is usually faster than at a table. (And, it seems almost too obvious to state, that fast pace doesn't mean you're not savoring the food. If anything, when you eat alone you pay more attention to the food, since you're not also talking to a companion.)

I'm not saying any of that to try to lay blame on Varietal for having understandable service glitches right after opening. I just don't want a general assertion, going beyond this particular restaurant, that I believe is dead wrong on the facts to go unrebutted.

3. I assumed it was understood by everyone that service glitches often happen at new places, and that's just the way it goes. I had hoped that the comment at the end of my review post stating my intention to return to Varietal conveyed my impression of the relative (un)importance of the service glitches I experienced as compared to the obvious potential of the food. (I.e., it's more a probably temporary factor to consider, at least for scheduling purposes, than a reason to stay away.) If it didn't, I apologize to both the restaurant and the readers.

And I'll repeat that Chef Kahn, aside from being a tremendously talented cook, is really a class act.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

BTW, about catsup/ketjap:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa021400a.htm

Edited December 15, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[FoodPassion]

I don't want to get into a fight, but I do want to make a few small points in case I haven't been clear.

1.  When I mentioned "comfort food", I wasn't criticizing Chef Kahn's creations for not being comfort food (much less suggesting that I expected comfort food from this Alinea veteran).  All I was trying to say was that since Chef Kahn's work obviously isn't comfort food, it was unfortunate that service glitches prevented me from being in a position to appreciate it.

2.  As a general matter, the suggestion that you can't have a three-course late supper at the bar of a fine restaurant is completely unfounded.  I do it all the time.  And sure, it usually takes no more than an hour or so.  When you're eating alone at a bar, you eat faster than you do when you're conversing with a companion at a table.  One reason I prefer eating at bars when I eat alone is that the pace of service is usually faster than at a table.  (And, it seems almost too obvious to state, that fast pace doesn't mean you're not savoring the food.  If anything, when you eat alone you pay more attention to the food, since you're not also talking to a companion.)

I'm not saying any of that to try to lay blame on Varietal for having understandable service glitches right after opening.  I just don't want a general assertion, going beyond this particular restaurant, that I believe is dead wrong on the facts to go unrebutted.

3.  I assumed it was understood by everyone that service glitches often happen at new places, and that's just the way it goes.  I had hoped that the comment at the end of my review post stating my intention to return to Varietal conveyed my impression of the relative (un)importance of the service glitches I experienced as compared to the obvious potential of the food.  (I.e., it's more a probably temporary factor to consider, at least for scheduling purposes, than a reason to stay away.)  If it didn't, I apologize to both the restaurant and the readers.

And I'll repeat that Chef Kahn, aside from being a tremendously talented cook, is really a class act.

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Sneakeater: Thank you for your clarification. I understand what you meant now. I apologize for loosing it! I think so highly of Chef Kahn that I just saw red. I'm sorry. Keep up the good eating and have a great day!

FoodPassion

[Sneakeater]

Thanks, FoodPassion.

I'd like to say one other thing, since we know that people from Varietal are reading this thread. And PLEASE, everybody, accept this in the spirit of its being meant as constructive criticism given to a worthy enterprise, not carping or whining or discouraging people from trying this place.

I recently ate in Porchetta, another new(ish) place that, at least then, was having serious problems with pacing in the kitchen, and also with the front of the house (just about every online review of the place mentioned them). But there, the owner of the restaurant came to our table, unbidden, to apologize for the delays while we were waiting for our food. Indeed, without our having uttered one word of complaint, he told us he was comping us our bottle of wine.

At Varietal, no one really said anything to me. All they would have had to do is tell me their computer system was down, and I'd have been completely understanding. But instead, they essentially ignored me. I had to practically go up to a bartender and bite him on the leg to attract his attention so I could order a dessert wine as my wait dragged on. And even then, he didn't tell me he was comping it at the time (which would have been the thing to do to make sure I wasn't disgruntled); I didn't find out about that until my bill came.

My point in saying all this isn't to rag on this place or its overstressed service staff. It's just to note that there's a way to handle problems like this that gets your customers on your side -- and they didn't do it. I sympathize with the problems that any new restaurant has. I just want to tell Varietal that they could have been a bit more gracious about them. I say this not because I wish Varietal ill, but precisely because I wish it well.

As I said, I hope that everyone will take this post in the spirit in which it was written.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Pan]

.. the sauce on the wolfberry dish is ketjap manis, which is southeast asian condiment made from soy sauce, licorice, star anise, and molasses.  thanks and sorry again.

j.

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pronounced ke-chup manaisse, right? always confusing...

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Well, in Malay, it's kicap ("KEE-chahp"), but I suppose the Indonesians may pronounce it "keh-CHAHP." Manis is simple, though: "mah-NEES." Malay and Indonesian are pronounced fairly similar to Italian, especially in terms of vowels.

[rich]

go up to a bartender and bite him on the leg to attract his attention so I could order a dessert wine as my wait dragged on. 

←

You have to stop doing that SE, they will put your photo on the wall.

Were you still hungry afterward?

[Sneakeater]

Yeah. He was very skinny.

[larrylee]

I came to know of Varietal because of the Jordan Kahn thread. With all the talk about the dessert side of the menu, I was thinking of stopping by just to try the desserts at the bar. It's something I like to do at Gotham Bar & Grill, for example.

Any idea from those who've already if that'd be ... "frowned" upon in some fashion?

[Sneakeater]

Absolutely NOT.

[BryanZ]

Yeah man, they have a dessert tasting menu. Jordan Kahn himself is a big draw the restaurant.

[harlanturk]

A few more action photos.

[docsconz]

Harlan, your photos of Jordan really capture his intense concentration. Do you know what he was making with the cutting multi-wheel?

[harlanturk]

I believe it's called "White Chocolate Cubism" with Licorice, Pistachio, Chrysanthemum Cream, White Beer. I also think Jordan has added a liquid caramel in the center of the "cube", but you'll have to ask him for sure.

[FoodPassion]

I'm so glad that Harlan was able to capture so vividly the intensity and passion that Chef Kahn expresses when he's creating. He reminds me of a famous artist I met several years ago in Europe. There are several people out there who can create pretty good desserts. However, there are very few who puts so much dedication, enthusiasm, dedication and artistic love to create food. He is totally focused and absorbed in his creations. Good job, Harlan!

[Nathan]

Ate here with Sneakeater last night.

Thought the bar decor looked a little cheap (I know it's not but unfortunately that's the feel). Liked the dining room, the wall art and the chandelier made of wine glasses. Overall scene impression was good.

Had a flight of Spanish reds at the bar and had a good discussion re: same with the sommelier/bartender. He was knowledgeable and erudite (as was our sommelier in the dining room).

At our table began with a grower champagne -- the name escapes me. They were featuring about 8 grower champagnes by the glass last night -- all priced between $21 and $30 a glass. This is very fair..I don't think any grower champagnes run below $40 a bottle retail so that's a very fair glass price.

The overall by the glass list is superb, the bottle list is still small and needs to be filled out -- I imagine with time and cash flow that will happen.

Had the tasting menu with matched wine pairings.

The first course -- raw scallops with a (parsley?) green mousse....this was okay. The scallop quality was very high but this dish needed some extra oomph. It reminded me a lot of the Tasting Room (virtually every dish there -- except for the mushroom ones -- seems to be like this).

actually, on further reflection, I know what this dish was missing -- salt.

The second course was pretty darn good. tuna...normally I find that boring but this was quite good. my memory's hazy (I'd had a couple glasses of Iron Horse at home before Varietal...and the paired pours were pretty generous so I wasn't on top of my game here)...but I think this had been smoked. I liked it.

The third course was duck in juniper with parsnips. This wasn't very good at all. The duck had been overcooked. Even if it hadn't been overcooked the dish still wouldn't work. I understand the conception..but it doesn't work as applied.

The fourth course was a stunner. cedar-smoked venison. This was very very good. Highly recommend. this was a four-star dish.

Unfortunately, the portion sizes didn't really change...I'm hardly a hearty eater but they really need to either add one more savory course or up the portion size on the last couple courses (in traditional short tasting menu fashion).

I'm probably being a little tough on the food but I had eaten at Perry Street earlier in the day so I had a direct point of reference.

There is clear and undeniable talent in the kitchen. The cedar-smoked venison was as good as the venison dish I had at Biltmore Room three years ago (and Robins is a master with game). there are just some inconsistencies that need to be worked out. I'm sure that will happen with time. unfortunately for Varietal, there really haven't been any major openings (other than Ramsay) this fall so the're not going to get a lot of breathing room before the reviews. I know it's unfair but it's reality. That venison was a four star dish. The tuna was three star quality. It's just that the scallops were a little blah and the duck was off. This could very well be a three-star restaurant...but it's more at a two-star execution level right now.

No problems with the service level though. Warm, confident, measured and competent. Of course, that's the point of professional service...there's really nothing to comment on.

the tasting menu culminated with a pre-dessert and a dessert.

I'm just not a dessert person but both of these seemed quite good. the eggplant in the pre-dessert course was especially nifty.

I really want to like this place. I do like it. I just think that I'll like it a lot more on six months. I'll be back.

Edited December 24, 2006 by Nathan (log)

[Sneakeater]

What I thought about the savories this time was that there is just something missing that keeps them from being excellent. I can't put my finger on it. I've been thinking about it all weekend (not all the time all weekend -- I'm obsessed, but I'm not a maniac), and I still can't think exactly what it is.

(Sidenote: a problem with "this kind of food" is that Bouley Upstairs and Perry Street do it so well, for such reasonable prices, that it makes it hard for everyone else trying to do it.)

As for the desserts, I'll admit that I find it hard to acclimate myself to "avant-garde" cooking. It took me more than a year to get WD-50. So it's not surprising that I'm still trying to crack Jordan Kahn's work. It's extremely imaginative and excellently put together, and I strongly recommed that everyone at least try it.

[alacarte]

whipped absinthe

fantastic....

With a name like Varietal, I'd assume they have a great wine list. Does it live up to the name?

Do they serve cocktails? Are they anything special like the desserts?

[Nathan]

as I said above, the by-the-glass list is fantastic.

the bottle list is small (by Cru or Veritas standards) but presumably will be filled out with time.