Saturday March 6, 2010
6:30pm
16 W 29th St

One of the latest in the recent hotel dining trend, The Breslin opened in the Ace Hotel last October. Located on West 29th Street it fits into the Out of Bounds category, but since it’s headed by chef April Bloomfield of Spotted Pig fame I was willing to make an exception. I had been at the Armory Show with a friend all afternoon and we wanted to take advantage of the early 6 o’clock hour. The Breslin seemed perfect since they don’t accept reservations and tables are on a first come first serve basis… fortunately we were seated immediately.

The vibe is very cool, very dark and dimly lit. An eclectic mix of music, ranging from old-school Phoenix to Tupac, played while we looked over the menu. Various cow and bull decorations adorn the room, and if you’re lucky enough they have 4 private booths along the side wall with red velvet curtains. The food is dubbed as New American, but leans toward French with a large selection of game and terrines and even gastropub with the snack menu (scotch eggs, boiled peanuts cooked in pork fat). It’s not light fare by any means – it’s heavy, it’s fried, and will probably result in an extra trip to the gym during the week, but it’s delicious and worth every bite.

Pre-dinner cocktail:

• London Calling

Snack:

• Scrumpets (fried lamb) served with a mint vinegar dipping sauce

Wine Pairing:

• Sauvignon blanc

Good for: Dinner, Date Night, Out of town guests, Romantic, Foodies, Business Lunch