American
http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribecagrill/index.html
375 Greenwich St. – TriBeCa

6/19/11 Update

Today we tried our first brunch at Tribeca Grill.  We wandered around the neighborhood looking for a place with outdoor seating that wasn’t overcrowded and of course we wanted good food. We remembered the Tribeca Grill has a ‘patio’ surrounding it.  Luckily, we got there at a time when it was no problem to get a table for two outside.

I did a repeat performance of Steve’s Jumbo Lump Crabcakes from our last visit.  We didn’t have a photo last time and this time I nailed it outside in the sun (with the iPhone no less).  The Jersey corn succotash was phenomenal as a bed for the crab cakes.

Steve went with the burger.  It was fantastic.  They served it with the most giant RIPE beefsteak tomato slices and homemade pickles.  And of course Steve added cheese and bacon. Next time the urge hits for a huge burger, this is going to be the one!

Additionally, I had the white burgundy and Steve got a ‘Blueberry Lemonade’.  The lemonade drink was too sweet and tasted of the artificially flavored vodka, so that’s one item we do not recommend.

5/20/11

The Tribeca Grill is an institution in NYC, open for 21 years and owned by Robert DeNiro, King of Tribeca and Drew Nieporent, the restauranteur.  We’ve been there on a few occasions, but never enjoyed it as much as we did last night.  It was packed early and got busier and busier.  It seems like a popular after work bar spot for locals as well as a dining destination. The crowd is definitely older and more established.  It is certainly not a hot spot for the hip. Prices are steep, but on par with most fine dining establishments of this caliber (and some lesser).

We chose Tribeca Grill because it is close to our apartment and Steve’s Mom is in town visiting. We prefer to go to more spacious places when we have visitors, as most cannot stand the West Village type of tight space.  The building is a huge warehouse, home of DeNiro’s film company and the now huge Tribeca Film Festival.  It’s a classic gigantic loft space with brick walls, huge windows and very interesting chandeliers throughout.  It’s a white tablecloth and fine glassware type of place.  I just read that they are quite famous for their 20,000 bottles of wine.  Good to know, next time we’ll order a bottle.

Our meal was excellent.  We started with apps and finished with dessert.  We were all pleased with everything.  Execution was perfection on fish and meats and seasonal ingredients like ramps and peas were a part of the menu.  I suppose every fine restaurant in NYC is now considered ‘locavore’.

Standouts were the braised octopus, crab cakes, the seared sea scallops and the banana tart. The octopus was a beautiful mix of ingredients with delicate flavors, the crab cakes were gorgeous and the pickled ramp aioli was amazing.  The best dish by far was the sea scallops. This one is a must-have.  The risotto was heavenly and the scallops cooked to perfection. Surprisingly, the portion was quite generous as well – larger than the pic below.  The banana tart was nicely caramelized and there’s nothing I love more than ice cream with malt.  Pecan was a nice twist!

MENU:

Appetizers

Arugula & Buffalo Mozzarella Salad w/Roasted Sweet Peppers & Grilled Eggplant

Red Wine Braised Octopus w/Haricots Verts, Celery & Fingerling Potatoes & Almond Viniagrette

Jumbo Lump Crabcakes, Jersey Corn Succotash & Pickled Ramp Aioli

Entrees

Mushroom Crusted Alaskan Halibut w/Shrimp Dumplings, Bok Choy, Edamame & Miso Broth

Seared Sea Scallops w/Morel, English Pea & Lemon Confit Risotto & Black Truffle Viniagrette

Grilled Fillet of Beef w/Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach & Crispy Onion Rings

Dessert

Tribeca Chocolate Cake

Banana Tart w/Malted Chocolate Pecan Ice Cream