Our flight didn't leave until late afternoon on our last day in the Big Apple, so we snuck in a lunch reservation at Upland on Park Avenue South.
Upland is another relatively new venue. Its kitchen is headed up by Justin Smillie, who was recruited from Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria. It's a large beautiful open space, with lots of wood. The back wall is lined with row after row of preserved lemons in large jars, a last minute addition by the restaurant's designer. They're illuminated by tiny LED lights and give off a warm citrus glow.
Upland offers brunch items on Saturday and Sunday, but we ordered the estrella pasta, served at both lunch and dinner, and the Upland cheeseburger, served at lunch. We'd had a fair number of calories for the week, so we decided to forgo a starter. But the kitchen thought otherwise, and surprised us with the burrata.
Burrata - mojama, cara cara and artichoke leaves The soft creamy cheese was complimented by slices of salt-cured tuna and navel orange. It was a delicious dish; we ate every complimentary bite. The estrella pasta was incredible. The long ridged tubes were bathed in a sauté of chicken livers with sherry, rosemary and sage. It was a one-of-a-kind dish, not to be missed.
Estrella - chicken liver, sherry, rosemary and sage The pièce de résistance was the three all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, peppers, avocados on a sesame seed bun. It was a yummy burger, and so were the fries.
Upland Cheeseburger - grass fed beef, American cheese, peppadew peppers and avocado Upland was our last meal of the week, but it would not be our last meal at Upland. We want to try the roasted porchetta and egg sandwich on the brunch menu, and we also want to go back for dinner. So many restaurants . . . so little time. Copyright © 2015 TwoForTheTable.com |
