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Brasserie 8 ½

New York City is my baby, a complete collection of architecture, art, style, history and humanity. And food, never forget the food. On your next venture to the best city on the planet, I’d like to offer a suggestion for dinner, Brasserie 8 ½ at 9 West 57th. Street, Midtown. Just a hop, skip and a jump from the fabulous boutiques of Fifth Avenue, 8 ½ is swanky, period. You enter at street level, you’re greeted and you then saunter down a curving staircase, seduced on the way by orange, rich, sensual and inviting as you descend into this subterranean temple of gastronomy.

The cocktail lounge beckons first, where smart revelers will sip a Fellini Bellini, a very tasty champagne concoction. Step down into the dining room and let it’s glass and mirrors sparkle in contrast to the cozy booths and tables. Professional, smart staff will see to your needs without fanfare and fuss. It’s just good service is all.

We let the chef, a culinary alchemist one Julian Alonzo, create a palate journey via a tasting menu. We held on tight; this was going to be serious stuff.

Intelligent designs in glass and porcelain transported and highlighted sensuous flavors and textures from the sessions beginning to the end.

Both my wife and I swooned over an amuse bouche of New England Clam Chowder, its flavors shouting freshness as we tipped the soothing and creamy soup into our mouths.

A raw seafood appetizer quartet, food jewels of composition, was perfect.

As was the quail and foie gras, rabbit confit with homemade angel hair pasta and fussy tomatoes, it all managed to satisfy a need for culinary exploration.

Although the Chef would have continued to send out dish after dish, we begged for an end, and selected a simple (we thought) dessert of assorted cookies.

The exuberant presentation was a large white Chinese take out container, resplendent with wire handle, stuffed with pastel tissue papers. Poking out were thin sticks of various familiar cookie flavors, among them ginger snap and chocolate chip. Other tiny savories dotted the plate’s surface along with a multi-chocolate lollipop, which I selfishly devoured with my wife’s permission. O.K., so we’re out-of-towners in the big city.

But, we love to dine and explore with our palates.

At Brasserie 8 ½, we took a journey and we loved it.

Posted by Floyd at February 26, 2005 01:48 PM