After a particularly difficult couple of days, I decided to get my happy back by visiting my favorite place on earth... New York City. My plan was simple: behold the diamonds at Tiffany's. Find a sunny rock in Central Park where I could lay back and read a good book. Get a little work done at the Starbuck's in the Trump Tower. Try on some sparkly headbands at Bendel's. And have drinks and appetizers at the end of the day at a good restaurant. I selected Fishtail by David Burke, a favorite of mine and a place where I knew I could get some much-needed fun and relief. (I also won some facebook contests there recently!)
Fishtail has two sections: an upstairs dining room and a downstairs that serves as a bar/late night area. The downstairs has the seats at the bar, a corner table, and several booths complete with cushioned seats, candles, and fluffy pillows. The downstairs was what drew me to Fishtail on that night. I wanted somewhere I could have a sophisticated, yet somewhat intimate and casual experience. Someplace I could fly under the radar in a chic setting. Many restaurants blend the regular dining space with the bar, but Fishtail's two levels give it a whole different vibe.
In keeping with the theme of the day, "getting my happy back," I ordered a cocktail named "habitual happiness." The drink is a blend of St. germain, cointreau, rose water, prosecco, and wild hibiscus flower. The Middle Eastern studies major in me found this appealing. I'm not sure if the eclectic American chef intended it to be a throwback to my visits to Egypt and Dubai, but the rose water and hibiscus flavors brought me back there instantly. The cocktail was the perfect combination of sugar, florals, and acidity. It had fruity qualities, but the drier prosecco and carbonation balanced the sweetness. It was refreshing and had a slightly feminine touch... perfection for me :)!
As an appetizer, I ordered the shrimp roll. "Shrimp roll" sounds traditional and simple, but anyone aquainted with David Burke knows that is never the case. This shrimp roll came with pinapple inside and a side of lemon harissa. The ratio of pinapple to shrimp was wonderful: a sweet kick without consuming the palate. The lemon harissa was a great touch and added spice and acid to the protein and fruit. (Side note to David Burke: Between the harissa and the cocktail, have you been journeying into the Middle East lately?)
That was what I ordered... but the meal was far from over!!! The crew had remembered my facebook wins and were sooo kind!! (Maybe they and/or the universe had also sensed my need for some enjoyment....) Joel and the general manager Peter, made the experience extra-special by serving us additional David Burke specialities! The first dish to arrive, the pretzel crusted crab cake, turned out to be my favorite of the entire evening. Again, the phrase "pretzel-crusted" is deceptively simple. What we got was not pretzel crumbs over a protein and fried, but actual pretzel sticks on top of delicious crab! The crab meat was almost pure... not oven-fried or mixed with mayonaisse beyond recognition. I love salt, and the pretzels gave the appetizer a slightly salty profile that I enjoyed. The presentation resembled a small raft... so cute :)!
 |
| Pastrami salmon |
I guess the kitchen got the memo that one of my mottos in life is "Life is short... eat dessert first!" because they brought us cheesecake lollipops. My date (a.k.a. my dad, who has an office in NYC!) pretty much devoured those, but it was all good because I'd saved my "dessert pocket" for the David Burke peanut brittle that they place on the counter instead of those silly after-dinner mints. ("Dessert pocket is a term I coined at age 2. Apparently when I used to eat a lot at dinner and still request dessert, I would tell my protesting mother that I had a "dessert pocket" reserved exclusively for dessert that never got full from dinner.) Yummmm!!!
The night was exceptional in all regards. The crew was so nice and generous. The food was both creative and delicious! I left the restaurant with a full belly... and my HAPPY BACK :)!
 |
| Cheesecake lollipops: Bubble gum (front) and chocolate (back) |
135 East 62nd Street
(Park & Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10065
http://www.fishtail.db.com
Phone: 212.754.1300
You are an amazing woman. Come back again!
ReplyDeleteChef David Burke (and Joel)