delectable liaisons that define the term date night. by Jackie Cooperman

This page: La Forêt-Noire pastry at L’ATELIER de Joël Robuchon. Facing page: L’ATELIER de Jöel Robuchon interior.

16 IN NEW YORK | FEBRUARY 2018 | INNEWYORK.COM or Valentine’s Day , you can easily find the tried-and-true triad of Champagne, oysters and chocolates, but the city’s most romantic restau- rants offer so much more. Some of this year’s most alluring options in- clude vegetarian tasting composed by a French Michelin ; clas- sic new American with sweeping views of the city skyline; truffle fpasta in a room full of original Andy Warhol paintings; caviar service alongside Philip Johnson’s iconic Seagram Building pool; handmade dumplings in a glammed-up Chinatown hot spot; and a customizable tasting in a West Village hideaway modeled on a Provençal farmhouse. Book a table at any of the boîtes below, and be all but guaranteed to fall in love with your date—and New York City—all over again. Tucked into a quiet West Village street, Mas (39 Downing St., 212.255.1790), which means farmhouse in Old French, manages to be both extremely roman- tic—with low lighting, small vases of fresh flowers, quiet music—and downtown cool. James Beard Award-winning chef Galen Zamarra, a disciple of David Bou- ley, brings both extraordinary technique and generosity of spirit to his , al- lowing diners to customize tasting menus. Zamarra, a devotee of local farms, changes his menus frequently, but among the must-try dishes, if they are avail- able: wild American Hackleback caviar with crème fraîche panna cotta Cham- pagne gelée; poached lobster with Kuri squash butter and preserved lemon; and braised pork belly with carrot puree, roasted baby squash and pickled mustard seeds. Mas’ kind and quietly enthusiastic waitstaff is also excellent at guiding PHOTOS: LA FORÊT-NOIRE, EVAN SUNG; INTERIOR OF L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON, COURTESY OF L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON OF L’ATELIER COURTESY DE JOËL ROBUCHON, INTERIOR OF L’ATELIER SUNG; EVAN LA FORÊT-NOIRE, PHOTOS:

IN NEW YORK | FEBRUARY 2018 | INNEWYORK.COM 17 Braised pork belly with carrot puree at Mas.

diners, even suggesting off-the-menu options. chef with Chinese-American and Australian owners, Helmed by two chefs who trained at London’s es- and the result is deliciously reimagined Chinese food in teemed River Café, downtown newcomer King (18 King a dramatic bi-level space (corner booths provide inti- St., 917.825.1618) is the apotheosis of French-Italian mate seating, so request one when you make your reser- simple chic. With a daily changing menu and large pic- vation). Named for Chinatown’s first fine dining restau- ture windows, the small feels particularly rant and set in a candlelit former opera house on the fresh and lends itself to leisurely dining. Request table Lower East Side, Chinese Tuxedo has a menu that rang- 45, nestled in a cozy nook in the , and share es from appealingly -forward—like the salad a first of whole lobster over the restaurant’s own of chilled Shanghai pak choi, cucumber, avocado and tagliarini , followed by a T-bone steak for two bean shoots in a white soy dressing—to old school car- sourced from a Pennsylvania farm. Pair your dinner nivorous roasted duck with Chinese celery, basil, lychees with one of the single-estate French or Italian vineyards and Chinkiang dressing. This month, chef Paul Don- featured on King’s well-considered wine list. nelly will be studding his menu with romantic ingredi- The ultimate in glammed-up Asian fusion, Chinese ents like oysters, uni and abalone, and adding cocktails Tuxedo (5 Doyers St., 646.895.9301) unites a Scottish like Joy Love Club, a champagne cocktail with Peychaud

18 IN NEW YORK | FEBRUARY 2018 | INNEWYORK.COM PHOTOS: BRAISED PORK BELLY AT MAS, JENNIFER MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY; INTERIOR OF CHINESE TUXEDO, COURTESY CHINESE TUXEDO out ordering , but diningon Valentine’s Day with fineherbsandavegetablecurry. Donotleavewith- quail withfoiegras,potatopureeoreggplantconfit, with blackpepperandbokchoy;caramelizedfree-range options. Amongthetemptingchoices:Mainelobster that’s justasconsideredhiscarnivoreandpescatarian rare luxury:asophisticatedvegetariantastingmenu ganic, healthfulcuisine,andhisnewrestaurantoffersa Robuchon haslost60poundsandembracedmoreor room. Since his last Manhattan stint five years ago, Chef French chefbacktoNewYork inasleekChelseadining ings, L’ATELIER JoëlRobuchonwelcomestheesteemed dinneronFeb.17. note thattherestaurantholdsitsChineseNewYear on therocks.Ifyoufeellikecelebratingwithacrowd, Grand Marnier, manzanillasherryandanorangetwist bitters andoleosaccharum,MySherryAmourwith One of the hottest new Manhattan restaurant open- - pagne bytheglassandcocktails. try ThePoolLounge,whichofferssmallplates,Cham- yuzu curdortomatohoney. Ifyoucan’t getreservations, toppings likeplummarmalade,strawberrycrumble, a bowlofsilky, housemadefrozenyogurtwithseasonal clude yourmealwithoneofthecity’s bestlightdesserts: whole grilledDoversoleorrackoflambfortwo.Con- of themenu’s caviars,andcontinuewiththeclassics—a chin toastorfoiegras,followwithscampiraviolione steaks andcocktails.StartwithSantaBarbaraseaur menu focusesonfreshrawandgrilledseafood,decadent is reopeningthisspringafewblockssouth).ThePool’s Philip Johnson-designedFourSeasonsrestaurant(which most spectaculardiningrooms,replacingthelegendary 212.375.9001) openedlastsummerinoneofthecity’s of artisanalchocolates. yields itsownrewards:Alldinerswillleavewithabox LedbyChefRichTorrisi, ThePool(99E.52ndSt, IN NEWYORK |JANUARY 2018|INNEWYORK.COM Chinese Tuxedo. The diningroom at - 19 An interior shot at Casa Lever.

The ideal restaurant for Italophiles and art lovers, late and hazelnut in mousse, cream and crunch. Casa Lever (390 Park Ave., 212.888.2700) has one of With its sweeping views of both the Manhattan sky- the world’s largest collection of Andy Warhol portraits line and the Statue of Liberty, The River Café (1 Water and a menu and wine list full of Italian delights. Located St., DUMBO, Brooklyn, 718.522.5200) is the archetyp- in Midtown’s landmarked Lever House, the restaurant al romantic treat, making it a popular destination for offers elegant but accessible service, and food options proposals and weddings. A pioneer when it opened un- that range from the very light—perfectly dressed arugu- der the Brooklyn Bridge 40 years ago, the restaurant la salads and raw hamachi—to hearty prime beef served launched some of the country’s best-known chefs, in- with red corn polenta. Reserve one of the leather ban- cluding Larry Forgione and Charlie Palmer. quette booths that frame the dining room (or for even Start with East Coast Wellfleet and West Coast Ku- more privacy, book the back private room, with its own mamoto oysters, chilled on the half shell with lemon Warhol gallery), and begin the with a glass of Fran- pepper granité, followed by crispy duck breast, its skin ciacorta before tucking into Chef Domenico Natale’s scented in lavender and crusted in , or black sea gnocchi with Maine lobster, roasted cherry to- bass sautéed with lobster brown butter, served with mato and fresh basil or classic Milanese osso buco, a grilled artichoke ravioli and fresh artichoke. Expect el- slow-braised veal shank, served with seared saffron ri- egant service, and dress accordingly: The River Café sotto and bone marrow. To finish, another Northern may be the only Brooklyn restaurant requiring men to Italian treat: the multilevel gianduia cake, with choco- wear jackets. But that is pretty darn romantic, isn’t it? PHOTOS: CASA LEVER, WHITNEY COX; RIBBONS OF FOIE GRAS AT THE POOL, DANIEL KRIEGER THE POOL, AT RIBBONS OF FOIE GRAS WHITNEY COX; CASA LEVER, PHOTOS:

20 IN NEW YORK | FEBRUARY 2018 | INNEWYORK.COM Ribbons of foie gras from The Pool. PHOTOS: CASA LEVER, WHITNEY COX; RIBBONS OF FOIE GRAS AT THE POOL, DANIEL KRIEGER THE POOL, AT RIBBONS OF FOIE GRAS WHITNEY COX; CASA LEVER, PHOTOS:

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