After arriving in New York the previous night for an unplanned trip, it was time to search for a great place for morning brunch. Although New York is filled with countless great restaurants, it’s just as easy to accidentally pick a bad apple as it is a good. Thanks to Open Table, phone calls were unnecessary. I was able to find restaurant reservations for all the available seatings online. Oh, the conveniences of the modern day world. Now, if you know New York, you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to get a last minute reservation at any half decent restaurant in town. David Burke Townhouse was one of the few names that rang a bell that we were fortunate enough to squeeze in to.
Located in the quaint neighbourhoods of the upper east side of Manhattan, we arrived at the doors of a beautiful townhouse with a sparkling Christmas tree in the window to mark the holiday season. On this occasion, the restaurant was beautifully decorated with an abundance of red, radiating the whimsical feel of Christmas and all it’s festivities.
Seated comfortably in a corner table, our tummies were begging for food. Let’s Begin.
The smell of freshly baked bread is always an amazing way to start of a meal, and David Burke did not disappoint. A warm, fresh out of the oven, oversized portion of what much resembled a Yorkshire pudding arrived at the table for each of us. This beautiful warm scent came with an accompaniment of a visually intriguing butter rose. One of my undeniably favorite things about bread is breaking it open and seeing the steam slowly float out, and with it, carrying its amazing smell. This didn’t disappoint.
Appetizers soon followed.
Although salads are not normally my first choice in items on a menu, the concept of pear textures was intriguing enough. As the menu would like to have it, the salad was described as Pear Textures. By pear textures, they had meant a combination of pear chips as well as slices of pears “au naturale”. Over all, a well-balanced salad with the richness of blue cheese and the acidity from the pomegranate-cider bubble to balance. The textures involved in the dish were also wide ranged, from the soft gelee of the bubble, to the crisp pear chip, down to the crunch of the hazelnuts, it’s no wonder they used the word “textures” in the name of the dish.
Next came the Parfait of Big Eye Tuna and Salmon Tartare. The parfait was light and balanced in flavours, beautifully presented, and was one of my favorite dishes of the day. The chive puree and spicy mayonnaise also complemented the flavours of the dish.
I also could not resist ordering an extra appetizer, the Salmon Pastrami. Reminded me a little of a cream cheese bagel with smoked salmon. It contained all the components, although deconstructed. Broken bagel, cream cheese smears and mustard textures. The salmon was near perfect in both flavour and texture, although, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the broken bagel.
Not one to normally order chicken at a restaurant, I chose to order this only because it was a confit of chicken leg. However, it did turn out to be a disappointment. Slightly overcooked and dry, as well as slightly over salted. The “warm faro trail mix” that accompanied this dish was quite interesting though. The mixture of grains, nuts and dried berries complemented each other in both flavour and texture. I will admit, I was a little disappointed with this dish as I felt like I was eating warm granola instead of delicious confit as I was hoping for.
The Monkfish definitely won over the chicken as a main course. Light, simple flavours displayed through the combination of Tokyo turnips, beach mushrooms, and bok choy in a sake broth. Simple but done well, just the way I like it.
Before dessert, I finally caved to trying the oyster shooters. I love oysters, but this definitely was a mistake. It was 4 shooters filled with oysters and a mini Caesar. Not only was this a disappointment, it left a bad fishy taste in your mouth. Until this shooter, I have never been previously served a warm oyster, and I surely hope it never happens again.
Lastly, came dessert. Although stuffed at this point, I had to try one of these adorable little cheesecake lollipops (also to help remove the after taste of the warm oyster). The cheesecake lollipop tree contains more then 2 can finish. Flavours weren’t especially memorable, tasted like an average cheesecake, but the presentation was adorable. And, you can take any leftovers home for a mid-night snack. Not wowing, but definitely not disappointing either.
By the time I walked out, I was ready to keel over and die from the amount of food we just ate. Overall, I would say David Burke Townhouse should be visited as a cozy spot with great ambiance if that’s what you’re looking for. As for food, I can’t say that I would recommend it, although not bad considering the prefix menu price.
And like any girl with a sweet tooth, no matter how full I am, there’s always room for more sweets. Off in search of Laduree. Rumored a God sent of macaroons by some. We’ll soon find out!
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