Best Restaurant Buzz

By Frank Whitman

Killer Linzertorte

There’s a lot of buzz right now about “Best Restaurants.”  Connecticut Magazine has just put out its comprehensive issue on the subject. (I’m proud to be on the panel that recommends.)  The Connecticut Restaurant Association held their annual CRAZIE awards celebration, naming names in a range of categories. At the apex of restaurant awards, the James Beard Foundation has just released its nominations for “Bests” across the country, including some in Connecticut.

This week my mailbox is full of suggested “Bests” for Superbowl watching and romantic Valentine’s dining. All good recommendations, I’m sure. 

But the truth, for me, is that there is no one best restaurant.  Some are better than others, but there is always one that is best for the occasion at hand. 

New York bustle at the Boite en Bois

For a restaurant to be my winner, it has to provide a complete dining experience – have all the tools as they say in sports.  Delicious food is important, but not the only factor. Are the servers knowledgeable, engaging and well-presented?  Is the ambiance in sync with the menu and prices.  Does it match up with the place and occasion? Is the vibe welcoming and genuine?  I’m not interested in a top-dollar, three-star menu at a picnic table on the sidewalk with a server in pajamas.  (No, I’ve never had that experience, but I’ll bet it’s out there somewhere.) 

A recent getaway to New York illustrated my point.  We ate at a range of restaurants, each one different, but each one right for the occasion. 

Café Sabarsky, an excellent Austrian restaurant, is in the Neue Galerie Museum at 86th and 5th.  The museum houses the famous Klimt portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer, also known as the Woman in Gold.  Early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design, particularly from Vienna, are the core of the museum’s collection. The restaurant hews to the same sensibility. 

This lunch was the most exciting meal of our New York stay. The high-ceilinged space overlooking the Avenue and Central Park was once the living room of this Belle Époque mansion.  The menu was filled with authentic, delicious, new-to-me Austrian dishes along with sausages, salads and Euro-style sandwiches. The wines were all from the region, and the divine desserts were all made in-house.  Smoked trout filled crêpes, excellent bread, open-face sandwiches, killer Linzertorte and authentic apfelstrudel left us sated and ready to walk the galleries. A memorable meal made better by the setting, service, and the connection to the museum. 

A pre-symphony dinner at the Boîte en Bois, a neighborhood institution convenient to Lincoln Center, was a NYC experience with a French accent. It’s been consistent over the years: crowded, bustling, French enough and just a few blocks walk to the Lincoln Center fountain. The tables are about three inches apart – everyone pretends that they’re not sitting that close until there’s a little chat at the end of the meal.  The service is brisk, the menu authentic and the food good.  Excellent pâté, warm bread, savory Beef Bourguignon, Roast Chicken and a crème brûlée to wind up. Everything as expected.

Chocolate Pot de Creme

In the theater district our favorite stop is Marseille on the corner of 44th and 9th.  Done up in Brasserie decor with a menu to match, it’s stylish and well-run with a strong kitchen. The wines are good and when you ask for a Lillet Blanc, they don’t reply, “What’s that?” We hit the beginning of restaurant week, and that menu suited perfectly.  Risotto to start, then wonderfully sautéed skate for me and veal blanquette for Marsha.  Desserts were a highlight: a decadent chocolate pot de crème and floating island (meringue in a sea of crème anglaise) were passed back and forth. Another meal that qualified as a “Best” at that moment. 

A “Best” food discovery is always exciting. On this trip Fabrique was just around the corner from our hotel on 5th between 45th and 46th.  This outpost of a downtown Swedish bakery was a temple of temptation. Buns flavored with cinnamon, saffron, cardamom and brown sugar-walnut all were sampled on our stops for afternoon refreshment almost every day.  We even popped in on our last morning for a sack of fresh-baked goodies to extend our trip at home. 

We enjoyed every meal. Which one was “Best,” I couldn’t say. Each created memories of food, place, company and occasion – all unforgettable.