2014 U.S. TOP 100 RESTAURANTS - JUST MISSED
146
NORTH POND
NORTH POND
A renovated Craftsman-style house - formerly part of a skating rink complex - makes a perfect match for the American cuisine with a modern edge at North Pond. Bruce Sherman's menu emphasizes organic ingredients, with entrées like sweetbreads paired with sweet onions, polenta and a red pepper coulis that are prepared in a simple but careful manner. The setting in the middle of Lincoln Park "couldn't be more gorgeous."
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
147
HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB
HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB
Chris and Idie Hasting and their crew will tantalize you with dishes like an heirloom cauliflower gratin with Petals from the Past pecans and bread crumbs or a roast venison chop with rutabaga, marjoram and persimmon juice. A number of reviewers raved about an heirloom "tomato salad to die for," with one telling us, "Nothing beats [it], except maybe their shrimp and grits, or maybe their donuts . . ."
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
148
ASKA
ASKA
New Nordic is the thing at this simple Williamsburg dining room. After a shaky start, Swedish-born Frederik Berselius has worked out the kinks and turned this restaurant into one of the best progressive restaurants in the country.
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
149
GALATOIRE’S
GALATOIRE’S
With its emphasis on seasonal ingredients, backed up by top-notch execution in the kitchen, Galatoire's is still the best of the old-line New Orleans dining rooms. The menu is loaded with classics, like oysters Rockefeller (invented here), soft-shell crabs smothered in étouffée, pompano meunière almondine (not one or the other, but both preparations together) and chicken bonne-femme, as well as eight or ten cuts of grilled meats and a half-dozen fresh fish of the day offerings.
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
150
SPINASSE
SPINASSE
At the heart of Jason Stratton's cooking are his homemade pastas, and if you sit at the chef's counter and order a tasting menu, it will likely include tortellini in broth, tagliatelle with pork shoulder that has been braised in milk and what one reviewer called "the best tajarin I've had outside of Italy," lightly tossed with butter and sage. A "small and decent list" of northern Italian wines and "friendly service" make a visit here one of the most delightful evenings in the city.
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
