<a target="_blank" href="http://www.jean-georges.com/">Jean-Georges</a>

1
Central Park West

New
York, NY 10023

Tel.
+1 (212) 299-3900

I can’t think of too many places I
would rather have lunch in New York City than Jean-Georges. Everything simply
works. The food is light and vibrant yet full of flavor, while the room is
elegant but not overdone. It doesn’t hurt that Jean-Georges Vongerichten seems
to always be in the kitchen during the day. The $38 lunch prix fixe (additional
courses are $19/each) is one of the screaming values in New York City today.

I tend to gravitate towards fish at
Jean-Georges, and these three dishes were all outstanding. I especially enjoyed
the Yellowfin tuna ribbons with ginger marinade. The tuna was served quite
chilled, but the spicy radish and ginger marinade added a sense of energy. The
Scottish salmon with black truffle crumbs was a richer and could have easily
been paired with red wine. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and all the
elements melded together beautifully on the plate.

The 2010 Chardonnay Santa Barbara from Sandhi was outstanding, both on its own and with the food. Sandhi,
a projected headed by Rajat Parr, Sashi Moorman and Charles Banks, is one of
the most exciting new wineries in California. Their entry-level Chardonnay
Santa Barbara was firing on all cylinders. Crushed rocks, citrus and flowers
lingered on the long, beautifully articulated fruit. Although distinctly
California and Santa Barbara in style, the wine also reflected the influence of
Burgundy.

I don’t drink nearly enough
Sancerre, something that was painfully clear to me when I tasted Crochet’s 2009 Sancerre La Croix du Roy.
The wine showed gorgeous depth and richness, yet never abandoned its essential
sense of minerality and drive. It was a beautiful wine that really came to life
with our food.

I highly recommend a visit to Jean-Georges. I didn’t have time to indulge in the Egg Caviar, one of the signature
dishes, but readers on a more relaxed schedule shouldn’t miss it! If I were
visiting New York City, and only had time for one lunch, Jean-Georges would be
at the very top of my list.

Food:

Scallop sashimi, chipotle mayo,
crispy rice 

Yellowfin tuna ribbons, avocado and
spicy radish, ginger marinade

Scottish salmon with black truffle
crumbs, smooth and crispy parsnips

Wine:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2010
 </td>
 <td>
 Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Barbara
 County
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2009
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine Lucien Crochet Sancerre
 La Croix du Roy
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

&nbsp;-- Antonio Galloni

&nbsp;[Cover photo and credit: Jean-Georges, New York]

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