Monday was another gorgeous fall day. We started out too late to walk to our lunch destination, so we took a taxi to Upland on Park Avenue South.
We had brunch at Upland in June. We were impressed with the food and the ambiance, so put it on our lunch list this time around. The restaurant was rather empty when we arrive for our 12:30 reservation, but it gradually filled up.
We shared two appetizers, which we had selected online earlier that morning — the crispy duck wings and the steak tartare.
Crispy Duck Wings — lemon, olive oil, yuzu kosho
Steak Tartare — black trumpet mushroom, puffed farro, anchovy, egg yolk The duck wings were deliciously meaty, with the addictive yuzu kosho vinaigrette adding heat. The steak tartare was perfectly spiced with the savory anchovy. The puffed farro provided crunch; there were no accompanying toasted baguette chips. We shared the estrella pasta as our second course, the same long ridged tubes, bathed in a sauté of chicken livers, sherry, rosemary and sage we had enjoyed on our last visit. It was every bit as one-of-a-kind delectable this time around.
Estrella — chicken liver, sherry, rosemary, sage Our dinner reservation was at Rebelle, a modern French restaurant on the Bowery.
Chef Daniel Eddy came to Rebelle from the Paris restaurant Spring. He presents a French inspired seasonal menu, which is accompanied by an extensive wine list; we enjoyed a wonderful Bordeaux.
The Rebelle menu is divided into four sections, and while not prix fixe, dishes are apportioned so diners can select one from each section. We started with the leek vinaigrette and the lamb tartare from section one.
Leek Vinaigrette — soft boiled egg, dijon, leek ash
Lamb Tartare — olive, yogurt, shallots Both dishes blossomed with sophisticated flavors. The leeks were cut into firm cylinders, their subtle onion character bathed in bits of soft boiled egg and mustard. Espelette pepper added a kick to the lamb tartare and fried shallots served as crunch. A wonderful start. We shared the lobster and the scallop as our next course.
Lobster — cabbage, fine herbs
Scallop — turnip, apple, green juice The sweet lobster was perfectly poached in a rich butter sauce. The cabbage was an unusual choice, but it worked. The scallop seemed lost among the turnips and apples, afloat in its tangy green sauce. It was not as good a dish. We both ordered the chicken as our third course, as recommended by our server. We weren't disappointed.
Chicken — potato, sorrel, lemon preserve The tender chicken strip under its crispy skin was a chicken lover's dream. The accompanying lemon preserve was unnecessary; the flavorful chicken stood on its own. We shared the fig as our final course. It was a sweet finish to a sweet dining experience. We will definitely return to Rebelle.
Fig — marcona almond, raspberry, yogurt sorbet Copyright © 2015 TwoForTheTable.com |
