Jean-Georges

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.