The view from Manhatta’s 60th floor Financial District perch has always been a draw, especially at night; diner after diner approaches the restaurant’s glass walls to snap the array of lighted skyscrapers on display. Since this restaurant opened in 2018 as a sibling of Union Square Café, The Modern, Ci Siamo, The View, etc. in Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, though, the menu while always competent has never really soared. It does now. With the installation of chef Michele Brogioni last month, the tight, curated menu is ablaze with flavors, many a surprise.
The Italian-Born But International New Chef
The Italian-born Brogioni, a veteran of restaurants in charming Tuscan countryside hotels such as Relais Il Falconiere & Spa and New York restaurants including Armani Ristorante, The Leopard et des Artistes and the private membership Core Club doesn’t present dominantly Italian here; his experience cooking in Asia adds other flavors to the mix. (There is generally one pasta, though, that changes periodically: currently it’s luscious Delica squash tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano, Amaretti crumbles and white truffles.)
Assembling A Menu: Starters
Options are grouped in a progression of cold and hot starters, main courses and desserts to comprise a three or four course lineup. Choosing between them is tough, though, not because there are too many options but because the members of each group are really tempting, assembled with ingredients not always seen together but which bring out the best in each other.
One visually arresting, vibrantly flavored way to start a dinner menu is with Hamachi Crudo with Thomcord grapes, Fresno pepper and strawberry vinegar; others are Bluefin Tuna with Grilled Pear Ponzu, Celtuce (stem or Chinese lettuce) and caper leaves and Foie Gras torchon with Fuyu Persimmon, Thai Basil and Sobacha (Japanese roasted buckwheat tea.) The tortellini headline the hot starters alongside a Seared Scallop with the heirloom sweet pepper Jimmy Nardellos, Nduja and Heirloom Tomatoes, a perfectly crisp Tempura Fried Octopus with Harissa, Cucumber and Mint, Raw Sweet Shrimp with Coconut, Habanada Pepper and Lemon Verbena and Glazed Sweetbreads with Parsnip, Prosciutto di Parma and Pearl Onions.
Main Courses
Fans of duck breast should go straight for the Dry Aged Duck with Plums, a side of Rose Apples, Red Endive and Lemon Thyme and a deep, rich sauce composed of Chicken Jus, Foie Gras, Port and Cognac with a base of Madeira that is so delicious I asked if they could bottle and sell it. Grilled Seabass which too often comes out plain and dry isn’t at all like that here; instead it’s a plump, moist square of fish dotted with Pickled Chanterelles and placed in a spicy bath infused with Kaffir Lime and Dill. Other main courses include Butter Poached Lobster with Honeynut Squash, Wax Beans and Shiso, Ribeye with Gem Lettuce, Aji Dulce (a mild, sweet pepper) and Black Garlic and Roasted and Pickled Artichokes with Pecorino Romano, lemon and sourdough.
Desserts And More Casual Options
To finish, Pastry Chef Rebecca Choi’s quirky desserts complement the flavors in the savory dishes with creations such as Coconut Mousse with Campfire Caramel and Smoked Cacao Nib Ice Cream and Toasted Rice Millefeuille Koshihikari Rice Cream and Mandarinquat Jam which has a buttery, crunchy sweetness and is much better than it sounds. It’s also available on the lunch menu which is available in a choice of two or three courses and includes some of the dishes on the dinner menu as well as more casual options such as a Dry Aged Burger with Koji Onions, Cooper Sharp and Shiitake Mayo and Homemade Cavatelli with Corbarino Tomato, Ricotta Salata and Basil.
An even more casual option is taking a seat at the bar for Brogioni’s reconfigured bar menu. Those choices include the Dry Aged Burger, a Lobster Roll, and a Roasted Porchetta Sandwich on Pressed Challah with Comte, Truffle and Honey Mustard. And like the other menus, it also comes with that mesmerizing view.