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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Flatiron, Union SquareUnion Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
14th Street (PATH)
"Here you can count on a consistently good brunch. I hosted one with 12 close friends and we had a blast. In fact, I think it's among the…" read more »
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Holy crap on a stick...on fire...I had one of the best lunches in a LONG time today, here at the Union Square Cafe. My good friend and I decided that instead of exchanging birthday gifts this year, we would treat ourselves to a nice and leisurely upscale lunch...what a present that was!!
I started out with the honeycrisp apple salad with walnuts, rosemary, and shaved Pecorino Romano cheese - the flavors blended brilliantly, and the greens were lightly dressed to perfection.
The second course was a Greenmarket squash tortelli - quite obviously handmade from local squash - with a sage brown butter sauce and a small handful of sauteed tart cranberries. The tortelli melted in my mouth, and the dish literally took my breath away and left me without words (a tough task!), and the portion sizes were spot on.
For dessert, we split the chocolate pot de creme and the crispy toffee pudding with chai ice cream and creme fraiche. (Hey it's our birthday, ok?) The chai ice cream was so raw and spicy - it's hard to imagine warmth and fire in an ice cream...but it was there!
I mean, really. The food was so good it literally made me angry. Not to mention that our waiter was very attentive (and adorable), and because of our birthdays, we were gifted a small glass of champagne and the message of "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate syrup on our dessert plates.
Bottom line: I need to find a sugar Daddy so I can go here much, much more frequently...any takers?
Enjoy!
c
Sure, maybe this place is a little stuffy. And maybe it has the prices to match. But this is hands-down the best American food I've encountered so far in New York City.
I like to think that you can judge a good restaurant by it's dessert menu. Not every patron will order dessert, so for me, it's the love of food that drives a restaurant to have great desserts. I can't imagine the preparation that goes into an item like "Warm Dark Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, Framboise-Plumped Dried Cherries and Whipped Cream." These kinds of desserts -- all of which are absolutely superb in my experience -- are a testament to just how good USC is.
I would pay just to eat the bread here. Each basket comes with a wide array of different types, and it's served with butter that tastes like it was churned and whipped just minutes before.
The duck breast I had here was to die for. It was cooked to absolute perfection -- the right level of redness, with perfectly tender meat. The sauce that came over it was equally great.
I can almost guarantee that you'll have a great meal here any night of the week. The menu changes quite literally every day so I can't recommend any entrees specifically, but the warm sticky toffee pudding with chai ice cream holds a special place in my heart.
I had to save one of my best NYC food reviews for last...
****Union Square Cafe is first class dining all the way****
Ambiance: quasi-stuffy. A little too quiet for my taste (A bit older crowd in button-up shirts, not a lively ambiance), so I was a bit thrown off when we arrived for dinner. I put the small stuff aside though. Mood is almost irrelevant in this case.
Service: top notch. We were seated promptly (without reservations, no less). Our staff-from servers to sommelier to bussers-was so attentive and on top of everything. So refreshing.
Food: superb. From my recollection, there weren't too many veggie-friendly items on the menu. What I do remember is that my simple salad and veggies were pure perfection-so flavorful, no frills, no fuss.
Desserts: the best part. What a rare feat for food and desserts to be on par with each other. Somehow, they manage to pull it off. Chocolate espresso torte and the apple strudel were executed with skill and heart.
Yep, it's pricey. But impressive first class dining experiences don't come along too often. Well worth your hard-earned dollars.
Visited this restaurant last night for the second time for a family dinner and overall wasn't impressed with the food. Their dishes are either amazing or nothing special, very black and white. We had 3 different kinds of oysters which weren't anything special also had tuna tartar appetizer where the tuna was seared?!? I don't know why....
The best part of the meal was fresh Tagliatelle with duck ragu and the lobster risotto (which was a little too "al dente" but delicious nonetheless) The Banana dessert was spectacular, unfortunately I can't say the same for my selection of Hot cider with doughnuts which were old, dense and had an awful old oil odor... oh well, I guess next time I'll just stick with the pasta!
There's a couple of things that I am picky about in life; one is my bloody marys, and another is my coffee. Neither impressed me at lunch at USC, but take that with a grain of salt - it was a Sunday, and they serve regular lunch, not brunch. The bloody mary was peppery - not spicy, but peppery, and a little watery too. The coffee may just be a matter of taste, but it was not strong enough for me.
The table gets an assortment of bread, butter and olives. The thin cracker that came with the basket was really very salty - and this is coming from someone that lives for salt. The calamari and tuna tar tar were both pretty good, the calamari being light and crispy. I had the yellowfin tuna burger, it was...tasty, but I wasn't blown away. I went with my family, and my father had the duck ravioli, it was also good but again, not something I'd run to USC just to order. The regular burger and the tuna sandwich were both good, but very, very overpriced.
Service was fantastic, and I would definitely come back and try dinner, so I will leave this review at 3.5 stars. On a beautiful fall Sunday, however, I would suggest rounding the corner and eating at Blue Water Grill.
I don't really care for the ambiance, seems a bit on the stuffy side and quiet -- the certain NYC clientèle demands it this way.
I'm forced to eat calamari regularly - unless I protest loudly about my intense dislike of it. And once our guest of honor voiced his appetizer choice, I groaned to myself. But the USC version was easily the best. And I didn't mind eating my full share of it when delivered to the table.
The service is top notch, I felt like I was at a Michelin venue minus the fancy attire and excessive utensil changing. My $30 Halibut lunch arrived with a hair on it. I winced -- my bad hair luck traveled to NYC!! We discretely informed another server of the problem and a new Halibut was delivered some time after. This item was removed from the lunch bill. 4 stars without question.
It's NYC-causal American cuisine fine-dining, not my favorite and I felt the lunch menu was limited. But a very solid choice if that's what you're craving and your wallet desires to spend.
Delicious!
All three varieties of oysters were fresh and flavorful. Watercress salad was fine, but nothing to write home about.
The entrees really stood out, each and every dish not only fairly portioned, but satisfyingly savory in its own right. The oven roasted chicken was one of the few I've had outside my own home where the breast meat remained juicy and succulent, and the portions were generous to say the least. Scallops were cooked wonderfully, with the soft polenta providing a lovely contrast in flavor. The lobster risotto was both creamy and lush, and surprisingly generous with the amount of lobster found both on top and hidden within the risotto. Perfectly cooked as well! And I was a big fan of the duck ravioloni, pan-crisped as promise and just delicious.
The panna cotta was great, could not have enjoyed the way the strawberries and balsamic vinegar all came together. The cheesecake and accompanying blue berries were a bit too tart - not bad, but I'd go back for the panna cotta any day.
Union Square Cafe is a very reliable restaurant to go to. The bartenders are some of the most friendly and professional around. It is my place to go to whenever I just want to have a simple relaxing dinner by myself. The small bar of twelve seats is always full. The dining rooms both levels are always full.
It is New York's institution for reliable dependable friendly neighborhood restaurant. You will never be disappointed and always welcomed here.
I have dined here over eighty times and I can guarantee a good dinner and chill time every time.
People visiting New York will love this place.
Superb polenta with blue cheese.
List: Sweeties
http://www.yelp.com/li...
While people rave about this restaurant's fine selection of classic American dining, what peaked my interest the most were the artisanal dessert items of on par with products from Chikalicious and Alto.
Compliments to the chef!
Everyone seems to buzz about their USC's Banana Tart w/ Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream and Macadamia Brittle. I had it, and I think it's overrated. The problem I have with banana dessert items is that all you really taste is the banana. Sure it's caramelized and wrapped around a sweet honey-vanilla ice cream, but I've found that there's too much weight in the flavor of the banana. boo!
What astounded me most was the Rabiola Panna Cotta w/ Aged Balsamic Strawberries and Pistachio Tuile. This dessert is a true craft of culinary art! With the most excellent blend of flavors, creating a harmonious balance between sweetness of the warm, soft panna cotta and not too sour balsamic aged strawberries countered with the lightly powdered sugar coated pistachio tuile.
I wanted to savor this taste of heaven for the rest of the night.
Bangin! From the appetizer to the dessert.
The staff is super helpful and friendly. The chef even went out of his/her way to prepare the pappardelle without it's usual chicken stock base. Beer and wine selections are on point. Also, they buy most of their ingredients from local and organic producers. Big plus.
Nice work, USC. I'll be back to visit as soon as my wallet heals.
It's hard to write anything negative about USC because it is just so eager to please. The staff is gracious and seems to anticipate your needs before you knew you had them. Would you like that scallop dish divided and served on separate plates before the steak since you were going to share it anyway? Why, yes, we would!
The food was good. I mean, some of the dishes were truly remarkable, but others kind of fell flat. Sometimes it feels like two different people created the menu: one person cooked up a pork dish that stewed with its vegetables for hours, creating a great texture, but also, after the first few bites, an incredibly boring flavor because there was nothing to offset it (some potatoes would have been great). And another person dreamed up an amazing veal ravioli with figs that left me finishing the dish and fantasizing about how quickly I could come back and have it again.
I know this is going to sound wrong, but my biggest problem with USC was the portion sizing. The two other pastas I ordered as appetizers were entree portions at anywhere except Carmine's. I know that sounds great because more is better, but not when you're planning on having a three course meal that's going to include the rib-eye for two. Even my friends' tuna tartare and fried calamari were huge. I love value for my buck, but I also like to have space for my entree.
I look upon my excursions to USC fondly and I will go back for a quick one or two course dinner, but it's not joining my list of favorites anytime soon. And it's certainly one of those places that makes me really wish Yelp had a half-star, because I'd rate it at about 3.5.
Excellent choice for dinner with parents, everything from food to service was top notch!
We all had half portions of pasta, a MUST! Everything was good but I have to rave about the raviolis. I had the ravioli with sage butter and figs and it was so delicious! I wish I can eat it every day! The grilled lambchops were sensational and the gruyere cheese potato gratin that comes with it is beyond words. Perfect combo.
Overall,It's pricey but worth every penny.
Sorry, Zagat, this is NOT worth the screechingly high tab. Everything is too oily, too many mixed-up flavors -- just plain disappointing. However, wait staff is above superb, absolutely flawless.
This place should be considered one of the top notches to recommend friends and family for a good meal and service.
When we arrived at 4:30pm, we did not know their kitchen was closed till 5:30pm. So we made reservations till then while spending time at The City Bakery. The person at front was very friendly and even remembered my name when we came back. Virtually everybody was dressed up but me (in a white hoody) but they don't treat you any less different or seat you anywhere hidden. A plus for service.
I ordered the "Grilled Smoked Cedar River Shell Steak" -medium rare while my significant other had the "Spaghettini with Flaked Cod, Broccoli Rabe, Garlic, Chili, White Wine and Rustic Breadcrumbs". We started with a complimentary breadbasket with butter and olives. When our food came, I wished I had a camera. Steak was juicy & tender with a tint of smoked flavor and the mash potatoes were soft & fluffy. So this was what the classic American dining experience was like ... I definitely enjoyed my meal. For the spaghettini, there was an allure of light garlic taste to the pasta with a portion size that may not look so large but just right to fill my girlfriend's appetite.
Dessert concluded with a satiated ending. The "USC's Banana Tart, Macadamia Brittle and Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream" is a must try. The crisped honey-encased banana was topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and surrounded with vanilla-like cream and macadamia nuts. The combination was exquisite.
I will definitely be coming back and try these other noteworthy selections:
Fried Calamari, Yellowfin Tuna Burger, Grilled Lamb Chops Scotta Dita, Roasted Duck Breast
Union Square Cafe -- where Danny Meyer got his start. The place that brought Union Square back to life. And a place that accelerated all that's good about the NY restaurant scene. Ok -- I'll admit the food, while very good, is not at the pinnacle of NY cuisine -- but great (if not memorable) food, hospitality in the truest sense of the word, and a cozy atmosphere make for a nice spot for visiting guests, parents, or a nice night out.
Great food, great service, always dependable.
My family and I enjoyed a pleasant Sunday lunch at the Union Square Cafe.
Some of the dishes seemed a little too salty for our taste, but aside from this one detriment, it was an enjoyable lunch.
Worth a detour from time to time.
There olives are great. The duck ravioli is fantastic. The oysters are good. The tuna tartar is not good. The duck breast is great. I will come here again for great Americana food.
Go for the food, not the ambiance. The decor is boring and the service is generic (and a little pushy). But the food is excellent!
Pleasantly surprised. Sure, we've all read about how Union Sq. Cafe is the #1 most popular reader-visited restaurant in Zagat, but I was surprised to find that it wasn't the tourist trap I had envisioned. It wasn't as phenomenal as I had thought it might be, but it was good. The scallops I ordered were fresh and well-seasoned. The service was meticulous but not unnecessarily tense. Though upscale and pricey, I would be up for coming back here for a relaxing lunch if I were so inclined.
Let's set the stage: Saturday brunch reservation for 2PM. Kitchen closes officially at 2:30PM. My party arrives at 2:45PM. There are 2 children in the party. Oy vey.
SERVICE: 5 Stars - Without a doubt, our server is among the best I've ever encountered. She allowed us to order off the lunch menu even though the kitchen was officially closed. She was very patient with my party even though they were 45 minutes late.
FOOD: 5 Stars -
The burger is spectacular and comes with a very generous portion of french fries.
The lamb chops are a must. They don't look spectacularly appetizing but the unique overnight marinade permeates to the bone. They are the best I've had (better than Gotham which was my recent lamb chop experience).
The 8 yo ordered a grilled chicken sandwich (not on the menu... *sigh). Thanks USC for being so accommodating.
The Gnocchi is great for those who like Gnocchi.
The snap pea salad was refreshing and unique.
They brew a Dallas Cowboy Espresso which I recommend over their French Press.
Overall, this meal had all the makings to be a disaster. The staff at USC were wonderful, patient and downright splendid. Can't wait to come back... with friends who are less high maintenance.
I was so disappointed when I came here for my Birthday dinner with a friend a few months ago. This has been one of those places I have been meaning to try for many years. For one reason or another, I would always forget about it and go somewhere else. Finally I had my chance, and it was the perfect occasion . After hearing great things and reading many great reviews, I was under the impression that nothing beats the food at this cozy restaurant in the heart of Union Square. I was disappointed because the food was just mediocre. There was nothing special about the it and I could have gotten something better if I went around the corner to The Blue Water grill, which has an atmosphere closer to my liking. The place was stuffy, which I expected, but I also expected it to have phenomenal food which turned out just OK. I was glad I finally got to try it but disappointed the food wasn't top notch.
Danny Meyer's flagship restaurant may have a generic name, but the food is anything but. This is classic Manhattan dining. I've been wanting to try this place for years, but something a bit trendier, a bit more happening always came along to supplant it on my dining wish list. Well, on my last trip to the Big Apple a couple of weeks back now, I finally went - conveniently on an expense account - and saved the details for my 1111th Yelp review. And yes, the reassuring news after my meal is that I would be more than willing to pay for my next visit.
As I was alone, I sat at the bar, so my experience is restricted to that area versus the main dining room. For a bar, it was very attractive with massive floral arrangements dominating each end. It's a hub of activity, and that is the one drawback there - a whole lot of elbowing and stool shifting to accommodate the masses. I mean the wooden stool I was sitting on, not the other kind. No, the food is much better than that. I also thought the bartender/server was very nice and knowledgeable. She places a linen tablecloth and a mini-wire basket of bread and baked goodies in front of you to simulate a true dining experience (see my photo).
I started with the $13 Spring Vegetable appetizer which was an artful arrangement of fresh asparagus, carrots, heirloom beets and feta cheese (see my photo). I imagine they must get their fresh produce from the Greenmarket a block away. The piece de resistance, though, is the $35 Baby Lamb Chops with Potato-Gruyere Gratin and Wilted Insalada Tricolore (see my photo). Perfectly tender with just the right savory accompaniments, it takes the meat-and-potatoes concept to an entirely new level.
The capper of this wondrous meal was the $9.50 Banana Tart with Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream and Macadamia Brittle (see my photo) with a $3.25 cup of coffee. I dared to finish the whole thing even though I was interrupted by a mouthy, bleached redheaded Long Island matron who insisted I stop in mid-bite to accommodate her need to put her red Prada bag and Hermes scarf on the stool next to me. I had to get off the stool and move it four inches to the right since she didn't want me to touch her things.
But it didn't stop me from savoring every bite. I would like to come back with Jamie W. and have a real dining experience with a table and my elbows unskinned. Now that will be a lovely evening indeed.
FOOD - 5 stars...yep, this is American bistro fare done with style and plenty of flavor
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...Manhattan chic for sure, but please get a table if you want comfort
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...no fault there
TOTAL - 5 stars...world-class interpretations on familiar dishes
Eh. I feel almost bad giving it only three stars since I had heard such great things, but really, in comparison to the other meals I had this weekend, it was just okay. I had the gnocchi which is my favorite dish to order if it's on a menu. And all i kept thinking, was I'd rather be eating gnocchi from Pizza Antiqua for half the price. It was light, fluffy and was good, but I wouldn't order it again.
The service was just okay, too. Maybe she was having a bad day, who knows, but I know this meal wasn't cheap and she acted like we were bothering her.
The place was cute and the food was okay. I think there are so many other places in the city that I won't be going back.
My friend and I came to USC on a Friday for lunch during a City Harvest prix fixe special about 2 weeks ago. The deal was $24 for a three course lunch ($1 goes to City Harvest + you get a $24 coupon for a future visit (an unexpected bonus)). If the special is ever offered again, it's like having a free lunch-I highly recommend going. We had an amazing experience.
I tried to get a reservation a couple of days before, but they were all booked. So, we showed up without a reservation and I think we were lucky, because it was packed. The hostess was very pleasant. We were seated about 5 minutes after arriving. You can make a reservation on http://opentable.com.
The food was very fresh. I had the roasted vegetable salad, shrimp and grits and a fruit tart with almond ice cream. The menu changes daily, but if you happen to see those items on the menu--get any of them and you will be pleased. The portions were perfect, definitely not small. Sometimes, with prix fixe, you get reduced portions, but not at USC. I could barely eat my dessert and was in a slight food coma for 2 hours after lunch.
Service great, ambiance perfect, food amazing . . I will definitely be back for dinner!
My L.A.-based vegetarian friend was duly impressed, but I walked away feeling a little underhwhelmed. I take some responsibility for this in that i ordered completely meatless from a Danny Meyer menu, but even then, there was nothing particularly life-altering about the summer squash and saffron ravioli or the white beans in olive oil and pecorino (which, it should be said, was far superior to the main dish).
The biggest let down I would say was the excessively bitter USC Cooler and the strangely preserve-like texture of the blueberry pie. Perhaps USC's strength's are away from the more greenmarket-y items on the menu, but for what I paid it didn't seem to all match up. The service, I should say, was impeccable, even though the crowd seemed unexpectedly Chuck Bass-ish.
It deserves another look, I suppose. Will I forego Blue Smoke's mac & cheese and brisket to give USC another try? Not likely.
Had a fabulous meal here on a lovely Saturday night. We started out at the bar, and asked if a table came available to move to the dining room. While at the bar, I had a drink called an aviation - gin with lemon and maraschino liquor - not very sweet but quite refreshing. We waited about 15 minutes and were reseated into the dining room. Everything was wonderful - fabulous, fabulous service = we asked a question and got the kind of feedback that is actually helpful in decision making. We split 2 pasta appetizers that were so yummy. Try the ricotta gnocchi - ethereal.
The chicken was amazingly flavorful: how did they do that? They substituted the fried eggplant, more like eggplant potato chips: a revelation: crispy, slightly bittersweet, but so light. One of my favorite dining experiences in New York.
this place was lame. i have no idea what the hype is.
the atmosphere is just ok - nothing really interesting or anything, just simple, clean, sophisticated, fine - whatever.
a bread basket comes out at first - very simple rolls, nothing is warm - which i personally prefer - its just ok.
what we ordered:
gnocchi which we split - this was quite good actually, the sauce was fresh and the gnocchi basically melted in your mouth ...but I don't know ...it didn't super impress me..maybe i had overly high expectations of this place..but yes. gnocchi = above average.
then i got the grilled salmon with a walnut-type salad. this was gross. the salmon was sooooo overly salty, and the dressing on the walnut salad was way too sour. it was just not very good. it wasn't bad, per say, it was just too salty, too sour, and nothing impressive, nothing exciting, i was not pleased.
my dining mate got the veggie dish - which looked gross. the spinach in her dish was overly bitter - and i don't know - it just didn't look appetizing and she didn't seem to enjoy it much.
for dessert we got the strawberry tart and their very well-known banana tart.
the strawberry ice cream that came with the tart was very good - and in fact that dessert was quite nice.
the banana tart was a carmelized banana, on top of a cookie-like item, topped with ice cream. i liked the banana. i liked the ice cream. i could've done without the cookie. it was good - but again, it wasn't WOW.
we spent a total of about $140 for this meal including tip and even now, a week later, i'm still annoyed at how expensive mediocre food was.
service was great - but i'm sorry - i pay for the FOOD - not the service.
I went here during restaurant week and completely enjoyed myself. The food, service and ambience were top notch.
They sat us at their last table during lunch...so we ended up being the last table in the restaurant while they were prepairing for dinner...and not once did they make us feel like we had to hurry and leave.
I was able to try their shrimp and a cheese sformato for starters. Both were delightful. Those dishes were followed by a sausage concoction with amazing side items...none of which I can acurately remember. Their menu certainly leaves you in a pickle...trying to choose just one item and run with it is pretty hard. All of it sounds so good!
Their deserts are delicious and fresh. You will not have room for them after apps and an entree...but you must try to squeeze it in.
Overall worthy of the prix-fixe price...but would raise some questions from me if I had ordered off of the regular menu. They are good, but not THAT good...come on.
Full menu at the bar, the full package. The host and servers are happy to help and the food will never disappoint. A little pricey and tough to get reservations but it is very worth it!
This is one of the best places in NYC to get a consistently great meal and, even more than that, a consistently great experience. As most of the restaurants in the Union Square Hospitality Group do, Union Square Cafe goes above and beyond to ensure that every part of your dining experience that evening is the best it can be- from the reservationists to the maître d' to the server to the manager, everyone is doing everything they can to make sure you have a good time. The service is unbeatable anywhere in the city. They are friendly, helpful, and very responsive to you and your needs and wishes.
This also is not even counting the amazing food that Carmen Quagliata's kitchen is serving. While many of the dishes that were favorites of Michael Romano's kitchen are gone (the Filet Mignon of Tuna, the old Tuna Tartare, to name a few) Chef Quagliata has made some great improvements and added some really great dishes to the menu. The ricotta gnocchi is a delicious, unbeatable pasta, as are the scallops, the new Tuna Entree prep, any of the risottos that come on the menu, and the scallop crudo. Basically, you cannot go wrong with this menu.
USC is truly an institution on the New York dining scene and deservedly so. It retains its popularity and fame for the right reasons- top food and unbeatable service- and continues to show why it should be on top.
USC is a regular New York stop when visiting. The food here is excellent. The staff is very engaged with customers and I've never has a bad experience with waiters or food here. In fact, we often prefer to sit at the bar during lunch just to talk to the friendly bar tenders. Strange, but I like to engage with this place and so does my partner. Start with martini's and fresh oysters then move on to yellow fin, lamb or a pasta dish. All excellent. We've been known to run up a decent tab here drinking wine, so be careful if you're on a budget!
I've been wanting to visit Union Square Cafe for a looong time, and it finally happened. As Borat would say, "Very Nice". I came here for Sunday lunch, and the food lived up to expectations. For appetizer I ordered cold cucumber soup with salmon, it was delicious, exactly what I expected. Did it excite my taste buds? Hardly, I would categorize it as comfort food. For my entree I had cavatelli with tomato and eggplant, which wasn't bad, but nothing unique. The chef here knows how to cook up a good meal, the problem is you could find cheaper comfort food elsewhere. However, I wouldn't rule Union Square Cafe if you want consistency, good service, and excellent quality, yet not a gastronomical adventure...expensive too.
This one is up there at the top of the all-time favorites list.
With a surprisingly unpretentious decor and attitude, the Union Square Cafe seems to defy every notion of what fine dinning is supposed to be. Yet, somehow, it is always right - food, service, setting.
You just can't miss for lunch or dinner.
Monrovia and I came here on a busy Saturday night when only bar
seating was available, and there was a 45-minute wait even for that. We
stepped out for a while, and when we returned, the very gracious
hostess had found a small table for us! This got our meal off to a
wonderful start.
Our server was personable and knowledgeable, and made a great wine
recommendation. In fact, even though the restaurant was full, the
entire staff seemed to have a moment to stop at our table and discuss
the food and wine with us, and they were all remarkably warm and friendly.
We started with a dozen oysters, served with a mignonette that was both tasty and beautiful - it was pink! The oysters were good, but pretty standard, and whoever shucked them might have done a little better job
severing that connective tissue on the bottom shell. We had to do an unseemly amount of slurping to get the oysters out of the shells and into our mouths. (I guess some readers of this review are now thinking "That's why you use a cocktail fork, jerk.")
The beef carpaccio was really beautiful and fragrant, and had the absolutely perfect texture.
We shared the crispy duck confit with fingerling potatoes, glazed
cippolini, bitter greens and "huckleberry mermellata." The duck was
am-MAZ-ing! The meat was so tender, and the skin was perfectly
crispy. Huckleberry mermellata turned out to be a subtly sweet,
purplish sauce combined with tiny globes of what looked more like
huckleberry caviar. It set off the saltiness of the duck and the
bitterness of the greens really nicely.
The highlight of this meal for me was the mascarpone polenta with
walnuts and gorgonzola. I'm not even really a polenta person, but
this dish is so rich, creamy, and decadent that you'd have to have a
heart of stone not to fall in love with it. In fact, at one point I told Monrovia (maybe too loudly), "This polenta is so good it makes me want to slap you in the face!"
For dessert we split a warm apple crostata with crème fraiche ice
cream. It was delicious, but after the polenta, dessert seemed almost a little restrained.
Overall it was a really cozy and romantic dinner that I'll remember for a long time. The food was great and the service was truly outstanding.
This place has been on my "must-dine" list for a while & a weekend in NYC for the boyfriend's B'day was the perfect opp. Perfection from start to finish. Martinis were perfect, tuna tartare app was incredible, melon soup app sublime. Cod w/tempura vegetables delicious, duck was the best we've ever had. Banana tart & panna cotta to die for. Wines lovely & affordable. Our server should be cloned. And we sat next to Lucy Liu. Perfect meal for the perfect birthday.
This is my favorite place to eat.......................during restaurant week!
The first time I went to the Union Square Cafe, it was during a huge storm. The rainstorm was so bad that I didnt get the call that, well, our meeting was canceled. I called inside and tried to find out where everyone was and found out that I was alone. I had checked my coat and umbrella. I was told that I could sit at the bar if I still wanted to eat. So I did. Turns out, it was restaurant week and I had a great time. The bartender was interested in the same books I was. I had somehow created quite a conversation between several people at the bar. Then I finished an amazing meal and went to leave. They lost my umbrella. They gave me a huge UNION SQUARE CAFE golf umbrella as a replacement.
When restaurant week came around again and I went back and did the same thing and had the same sort of experience. Now its a tradition, during restaurant week i like to go there alone, sit at the bar and strike up great conversations with total strangers over great food! Go figure!
Hubby and I ate dinner here on a recent short holiday to New York. I had booked the reservations a month ahead of time to ensure a table.
The food was quite good. I had the lamb chops which were perfectly cooked and extremely tender - almost melt-in-your-mouth tender. Hubby ordered whatever the fish special was that day and said it was very good. We both also ordered extra side vegetables (we love vegetables) - the roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, sage, and red onion, as well as the sauteed broccoli rabe. Both were super yummy!
My only complaint, and the reason I am giving this restaurant a '4' instead of a '5', is that while we waited for our table at the bar, the bartender looked at us but did not take a drink order. And then once we did get to our table, it was well over 5 minutes before anyone asked us about drinks and almost another 5 before the drinks came to the table (maybe they should have more than 1 bartender?). (I can wait for the food, but I expect someone to take my drink order about the time my butt hits my seat.) After that point, there was no problem with beverages (maybe the 2nd bartender came on duty).
Holy shit.
Now I know what the hype is all about.
What an absolutely wonderful meal.
If there was an award for best all-around American restaurant this place definitely deserves it.
There's nothing super fancy about this place in terms of food or decor but it is perfect when you want a wonderful meal and know you are getting your money's worth.
I came here with a friend and had a grand ol' time.
It was right before the holidays so the place was very crowded (but in a festive and not annoying & want-to-kill-yourself way).
They checked our coats and seated us right away (we had a reservation).
Our waitress was wonderful and definitely knew the food/wine very well. There's nothing more disheartening than a server who doesn't know the restaurant (food and wine) well enough to be able to answer your questions.
She suggested a perfect wine for us and even gave us the label and put it on a holiday card. How thoughtful is that?
We started with their pan seared Foie Gras which was out. of. this. world.
Read: screamingly good.
Melt in your mouth and absolutely sinful.
I'm beginning to sound like a bad porn novel, but yes it really was THAT good. It was served with an innovative apricot chutney which really brought out the buttery savoriness of the foie gras.
For my entree I had the scallops which were wonderful. Large, perfectly seared scallops. I definitely am not ashamed to let you know I ate the entire thing. I always hesitate ordering scallops because they give you so little but it was very sizable! What a nice surprise.
My friend got the special of the day which was a roast suckling pig that was sooo tender and flavorful. The portion was huge but I'm glad we were able to snatch up one of the four that they had left.
We also shared a side of buttery corn polenta and ended the meal with very smell and taste-bud friendly coffee.
Score for standard American fare! :)
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: American (New)
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