Today's review roundup includes: Lever House, Snack Taverna, Schiller's Liquor Bar, Penelope, Pylos, Pier 116
Lever House Lever House Lever House Lever House. It's all about Lever House, which "seems to be as much about looking as about eating." NYTimes William Grimes gives Lever House Restaurant 2 stars (390 Park Avenue, entrance on 53rd Street):
The food, rather than competing with Mr. Newson's retro-futuristic design, sticks to a clean, New American style that makes sense, given the location. Dan Silverman, formerly the executive chef at Alison on Dominick and Union Square Cafe, believes in fresh ingredients reflecting the seasons and the market. He does not worry his dishes or overwork his ideas. The menu, in line with his less-is-more aesthetic, is terse. Most of the time, the ingredients do the talking.
. . . Plain dealing does not always make for the most exciting or the most adventurous food. At Lever House, what you see is what you get, although Mr. Silverman does throw a curve and a change-up just often enough to keep things interesting. A special appetizer one evening, a very basic, honest terrine of foie gras, came with a vibrant green-tomato chutney, well balanced between acid and sweet, that rose above its second-class condiment status and took over the plate.
. . .In the first phase of its young life, Lever House seems to be as much about looking as about eating. Diners, having sauntered down the runway and braved the gaze of the entire dining room, can spend the rest of the evening either looking or being looked at in a dining room that sometimes seems like nothing but sight lines. It may be the ultimate Manhattan restaurant in that sense. But I have faith that as time goes on, Mr. Silverman's work ethic will win out. There is good food coming from the kitchen. Just take a look at the plate.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Tuna carpaccio with wasabi crème fraîche; foie gras terrine with tomato chutney; poussin with foie gras sauce; wild salmon with herb butter; rack of lamb with fava beans; squash cheesecake; pecan-cranberry tart.
NYTimes $25 and Under Eric Asimov reviews Snack Taverna (63 Bedford Street (Morton Street)):
Despite the name, Snack Taverna, which opened a couple of months ago in Greenwich Village, is not at all a taverna, at least as far as the food goes. Instead, Snack Taverna has effectively deconstructed the classic flavors of Greek cooking and reintegrated them in stylish dishes that are presented with an almost French elegance. It is not the elemental taverna food of my dreams — it is anything but rustic — but it captures the flavors and spirit that makes those dishes so winning.
BEST DISHES Pickled octopus salad; crisp lamb's tongue with cranberry beans; grilled country sausage; shrimp with cabbage and calamari salad; moussaka; taramosalata; tzatziki; braised lamb shoulder; braised goat; grilled pork medallions; roasted striped bass; yogurt with honey and semolina cake.
NYPost Steve Cuozzo reviews Schiller's Liquor Bar (131 Rivington St., at Norfolk Street) and finds that the menu wins, despite the annoying artifice:
Almost nothing at spanking-new Schiller's is for real. But the well-priced, crowd-pleasing menu redeems the joint's avalanche of Disney-style artifice.
You know the Lower East Side's cutting-edge days are over when it takes its inspiration from the Meatpacking District. Keith McNally has transplanted the front room of popular Pastis, replacing the rustic French fakery with New York schmaltz.
No complaints: Friendly Schiller's brings a sense of humor to its annoyingly self-aware precincts. So what if, despite sightings of Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour, it's already drawing tot-toting suburbanites?
. . . Schiller's shenanigans would call for a bloody nose if the kitchen wasn't so irksomely respectable. The menu is a melting pot of French bistro, British pub and modern American, with nods to New York ethnic. Cuban sandwich or kasha varnishka, anyone?
The best starter is a sizzling shrimp platter ($9) that's garlic-and-butter heaven. Pastis makes crackling good croque monsieur, and Schiller's makes an equally strong case for its British cousin, Welsh rarebit ($9) with traditional cheddar cheese.
Rotisserie chicken ($15), moist and herbed, could teach uptown kitchens a thing or two. Nobody else serves grilled salmon this good for $14; it's pink and juicy atop a generous salad of field greens, haricot verts and crushed walnuts.
NYPost reviews Penelope (159 Lexington Ave.):
PENELOPE is just the sort of spot everyone wants on their block. A small bar, bakery display case and café transform a Murray Hill corner into a bit of New England country complete with a mellow staff and homey, light menu. . . Lunch and dinnertime bring a brief menu of salads, sandwiches and a few heartier dishes, often with a twist.
Citysearch reviews Pylos (28 E 7th St):
Top-notch Greek food and a warm, hospitable welcome--and it's not in Queens. . . . The menu offers so much to choose from, you'll be happy for the complementary pita and not-too-fishy taramosalata, perfect with an inexpensive, fragrant glass of retsina. Start with the mixed seafood, bean and arugula salad--a surprisingly pleasant combination of textures. The meatballs, accented with of mint, are, as the menu promises, "light as air." Staple entrees like mousaka more than make the grade, but the selection of clay pot-cooked dishes--tender lamb with orzo, or fish of the day with eggplant and zucchini--take comfort food to a new level.
Citysearch reviews Pier 116 (116 Smith St, Brooklyn):
Chef Dave Townsend, who cooked at co-owner Aaron Bashy's fish-centric Minnow, makes a mean lobster roll. The freshly-boiled, lightly-dressed sweet meat piles over the bun, into a crunchy heap of homemade Old-Bay chips. Other well-prepared New England classics are more affordable, like succulent steamers, fun-to-share clambakes and an almost too briny chowder. But don't overlook Townsend's native southern dishes: Succulent pork ribs and crispy panko and outstanding cornmeal-crusted buttermilk fried chicken are worth the detour, and perfect with beer.
