Perry-YAY!

PERRY STREET


SARA:
I like the way Jean George thinks. Outwardly Perry Street was funky, yet simplistic (though a bit like the AMEX waiting room in the airport). Clean solids and straight lines fill the interior of the restaurant, much like my choice in style (mostly solids with stripes or polka dots being the limit to my pattern choices). I dislike clutter, and enjoy trying to make the most out of space (the closet I rent in Chelsea). However, internally, I'm much more jumbled; a blend of normal and wacky with a bit of downright odd thrown in there. Perry Street's food is much the same. The restaurant's exterior promises traditional french with a hint of control freak, yet what arrived on our plates was amazingly inventive and eclectic. We had a minor hitch at the start of our evening, when our group was seated next to the bathroom AND the air condition ducts. I'm a wimp and was cold, so Liz asked for us to be seated somewhere else. The staff was very hospitable and though we had to wait at the bar for an additional half hour, it only gave us more time to drink a delicious and refreshing cucumber martini. The whole time, the hostesses treated with a very un-french grace.


GREG:
My first impression walking into Perry Street was “hey, nice hotel lobby.” And yeah, when they seated us out in no man’s land (don’t forget the scale model of the building for prospective condo buyers we shared a space with!), I had my concerns. But cucumber martinis have an amazing ability to make all seem well. And the staff really threw no attitude our way, even though a table change request is probably their least favorite pastime.
We sat at our NEW table where our highly caffeinated (yeah, right...) waiter told us his favorites from the menu. Since everything sounded exciting, his suggestions were very helpful, although he did kind of steer us towards the pricier selections. Perhaps he was influenced by air of sophistication we exude? That or he was jockeying for a bigger tip...
Within moments, our amuse bouche arrived: sweat pea soup with a parmesan foam. It came in a small coffee-ish cup, but I would have preferred a vat...it was AMAZING. Light and frothy, bursting with sharp flavors, flowing down my throat like a pungent hot chocolate on a wintry day. And it was SO much better than that metaphor!

SARA:
That sip of pea soup had more flavor in it than my entire meal at Extra Virgin (not a huge fan). In fact, every bite of food that passed through my mouth was shockingly flavorful, in a VERY good way. Every appetizer had very distinct flavors. I decided to go with the sauteed shrimp with fried baby artichokes and lemon fennel emulsion after our yappy waiter told me it was something unlike anything I had ever tasted. I was expecting lemon zest, but surprisingly the sauce was thick and creamy. The dish was intense, smoky yet tangy with a hint of spice. I wanted more. Liz went with the Japanese snapper sashimi with lemon, olive oil, crispy skin and little red peppers. It was fresh and light however, some bites were delightfully rich (from the high-grade olive oil). The mini red peppers also made it pleasantly spicy. Jean George definitely likes to play up his Asian/French fusion.

GREG:
Mr. Sniffles sold me on the Crab and Champagne Mango Salad with Chili Sabayon. HUH? Yes, served in a bowl, we have fresh crab meat, juicy, lightly seasoned mango slices, and a spicy, egg-based sauce. Individually, each bite was superb. Mixed together on my fork? Perfection.
Libby had the asparagus and grilled shitake vinaigrette with a crispy poached egg. If I had to pick a least favorite app, I guess that was the one, because it didn’t cause the same intense reaction in my mouth as the others. But it was still really freakin’ good, and, had we been at brunch, would have been my first choice.
At this point they also brought out our wine of the evening, a Pinot Noir from Cotes du Rhone. Not sure how well that follows a cucumber martini, but it was reasonably priced and worked for our various upcoming entrees. Besides, this was not a meal to celebrate the wine. The food was just too damn delicious.

SARA:
I'm kinda happy Perry Street is all the way on the Westside Highway, because if it were any closer to me I would probably be spending my government stimulus on eating there weekly instead of on that new Wii I just bought.
However, the amazing beef tenderloin with herbal spinach, liquid gruyere, and jalapenos was almost as stimulating as Mario Kart. Libby and I both ordered it medium rare, and it came out perfectly prepared. The liquid gruyere was added table-side, and I was amazed that the cheese never hardened, even after all the meat had been stuffed into my face. The beef was so tender you could cut it with the side of your fork. I ate a few pieces with just the cheese and spinach, until I discovered that eating the meat with the jalapenos (a food I'm not a huge fan of), added the perfect amount of flavor. The dish was harmonious until the last bite.

GREG:
Liquid Gruyere...I could bathe in that.
My entrée was the Steamed Red Snapped over Purple Potato Butter with a Charred Poblano Pepper. Aside from the brilliant alliterative qualities of this dish, I was a little nervous I ordered too conservatively. I often get fish for Supper Club since I almost never order it anywhere else, but some of the meat options sounded much more exciting. But I’m glad I stuck to my guns. The fish was light, delicately seasoned and just the right temperature, and the potato butter propped it up well with flavor and texture. But once I got some of that Poblano onto my fork with it, it was game on. The kick from the pepper added the PERFECT level of acidity to the fish, giving it a little tanginess to supplement the light fish flavor. Oh so good.
To round out the meal, Liz had the Sweet and Sour Glazed Short Ribs with Ginger Puree and Bok Choi. The meat came off the bone like it wasn’t even attached and the flavor was rich and complex (unlike our simple yet tasty wine!) I’m sure Liz will throw a comment into her grades to paint the picture further.

SARA:
I didn't think Liz's short ribs had bones in them! That hunk of meat was so tender it must have been marinating for days. Everyone's main courses were exceptional.

Then we ordered dessert.

Frank Bruni (New York Times) raved about Perry Street's chocolate pudding with crystallized lavenders and chocolate cookies that I couldn't wait to eat it. BIG disappointment. It was completely unnecessary to our meal. The pudding tasted like something I could make from a box and a cup of milk. All I needed were Nilla wafers, a spork and a nap mat and I could be back at daycare.

We ate something else for dessert, but I forget what it was. Greg?


GREG:
Oh, maybe the short ribs didn’t have bones. But then how can they be ribs?
For dessert, we also had a Rhubarb Tart, which was fine but nothing special. Then, they brought us out some “s’mores,” which were on the house. Nice touch, but they were really just Mallomars. We also ordered Muscats for you, me and Liz (Libby had coffee), but the whole dessert aspect of the meal fell flat. How do you follow a meal like that anyway?
So I’m not going to let the sub par dessert affect my overall opinion. Once we dealt with the early table annoyance, it ended up being one of my favorite dining experiences ever. And as we left the restaurant, we all agreed that we were totally satisfied without being overly full. This place simply ruled and immediately rockets to the top of my supper club list. It wasn’t painfully expensive, it was in a great location (if it were raining, however, it would be a nightmare,) and the food was out of this world. Word up to Perry Street, yo.

SARA:
Those mallomar things were gross. They were soggy little nasties.
Overall, my meal at Perry Street was incredible. The seating problem was a minor glitch, which was overshadowed by amazing food. This is definitely a place to go for a special night out, and I'll recommend it to anyone who is looking for such an evening. Each dish was inventive and flavorful. I can't wait to go back.


FINAL GRADES:

GREG:
Ambiance: B
Service: A-
Amuse Bouche: A+++!!!
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A-
Wine: B
Desserts: C
Value: B
BREAD: B

SARA:
Ambiance: B
Service: A
Amuse Bouche: A+
Appetizer: A
Main Course: A+
Wine: B+
Desserts: C-
Value: B
Bread: B

LIBBY:
Ambiance: B+
Service: B+
Amuse Bouche: A
Appetizer: A-
Main Course: A+
Wine: B+
Desserts: C+
Value: A-
Bread: B

LIZ:
Ambiance: C-: Trust me, I'm not gonna buy a loft at Perry St. so why bother sitting me in siberia next to the real estate model. I felt like I was in a Corcoran office....a freezing cold Corcoran office
Service: B
Amuse Bouche: A: I wish I had a bowl rather than a tiny cup
Appetizer: A- My sashimi was simple and flavorful with a kick but I wish I had ordered Greg's mango champagne thing - that was awesome
Main Course: A- / B-: A- for the tastiness and the large portion size - B- for how I felt later that night!
Wine: B: A little too "au natural" for my taste but of course I drank it anyway!
Desserts: D: I kept eating the chocolate thing hoping it would taste better but using a word from Padma's vocabulary it was "disgusting"
Value: B - Maybe I'll go again when the parents are in town to pay the bill
and last but not least:
BREAD: B not as tasty as the blue hill bread sticks