AM at Dinner: The Modern

Posted by Josh Friedlander | 2 Comments

I ate at the Modern in mid November, but just never got around to writing it up. More even than the food, I recall the peacefulness of the room and the perfection and unobtrusiveness of the service. It’s a very civilized place to eat, especially if you get a window seat looking out on the (Abby Aldrich Rockefeller) sculpture garden.

My friend and I ordered the chef tasting menu, which (for $125/pp) included:

• Foie Gras Terrine Flavored with Juniper Marinated Raisins, Grilled Country Bread
• Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna and Diver Scallops Seasoned with American Paddlefish Caviar
• Ravioli of Escargot with Slow Poached Quail Eggs and Mustard Greens
• Chorizo-Crusted Chatham Cod with White Coco Bean Purée and Harissa Oil
• Long Island Duck Breast with Black Trumpet Marmalade, “Fleischneke”, and Banyuls Jus
• Artisanal Cheese Selection
• Milk Chocolate Dacquoise and Raspberry Sorbet

Going in reverse order, the chocolate desert was divine. Looking at the menu now, I am reminded that the cheese was up to par, but it’s hard to have a better or worse cheese plate than anyone else. My favorite is still the one at the Gramercy Tavern, because they will tell you all sorts of minutiae, like the name of the cow, if you really want to know.

The ravoli of escargot I recall being something of a letdown. Ravioli generally destroys the flavor of what’s in side it, I find. The tuna tartar was very very good. The Duck Breast was extremely savory. The cod was a good dish, but a little out of place given the rest of the menu.

Of all classy establishments, The Modern is the only one I can recall having (very comfortable chocolate-colored) swivel chairs at all tables. Before ordering, I had a Duvel, which was a little bitter, and took the head waiter up on one of The Modern’s signature cocktails, the Crémant d’Alsace (with Trimbach Mirabelle Eau de Vie), which was delicious. I also had them mix me up a cocktail I was drinking often back then: a martini glass of vodka with Kahlua and a shot of espresso, and to his credit the head waiter took this ridiculous order from me without flinching.

The service was seamless: servers approach the tables as teams and synchronize their placement of dishes. The stemware, as I’ve now noticed in several restaurants, was seamless (and possibly handmade). The nicest stemware anywhere I’ve been lately is at Dell’Anima, but The Modern is doing better than OK. The silverware was, as expected, modernist, but not cumbersome.

It was an entirely pleasant meal with some high notes and flawless service. Highly recommended.

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