Brasserie, Feb. 3, 2006

Brasserie

I met up with a very good friend of mine and of the family today for lunch. Mark works in midtown and I had a flexible schedule, so we met at Brasserie to take in the Restaurant Week offerings. I've been to Brasserie a few times. Once with my dad who used to work at 53rd and Lexington (that building with the hideous artwork in the atrium and where they filmed office scenes from Bright Lights Big City) before a flight to London and once for dinner with Danna when we first started dating. I've also popped in for drinks at the bar (don't forget to check out the cool bathrooms too). I really like the space and though the food is never spectacular, its always passable. Service is also "meh" but who cares in a place like this. I'm usually too busy looking at the beautiful wood wall that curves up to the ceiling or the beautiful model types who sometimes find themselves dining with each other. In any event, today's fare was much like its ever been. I think we both started out with a risotto dish but I honestly can't recall (I'm writing this a month too late).

For entrees, Mark had the Veal Cheeks stew.

I had a black pepper pasta with with cream sauce. It was pretty good - nothing I haven't made better in my kitchen at home, but passable.

Dessert was some sort of berry flan for Mark and I opted for an apple cake and I think caramel ice cream...but don't hold me to that. See what I mean, nothing remarkable at all but nothing insulting either.

Certainly a great place to eat for lunch (better than dinner perhaps) if you work in the nabe and possibly a late dinner if you are working late and definitely a decent place for after-work cocktails. Otherwise...