I’m honestly surprised Donald Trump would have anything classy in one of his buildings. I mean the man has like a gold toilet in his apartment for Christ’s sake! I used to work in this building before it was Trump International Tower, back when it was the Paramount building, and let me tell you; I wouldn’t have eaten anything in this place-even if came hermetically sealed from the freezer at Whole Foods. Despite the building’s, and Donald’s, love for the gaudy and ostentatious. Jean Georges is very subdued and understated. I was actually a little disappointed there wasn’t a little more pomp given the kind of cash we were about to dole out, but I know class about as well as Trump knows restraint. So there came a time, as there does at almost all good restaurants, when we had to decide between ordering a la carte, or going with it and getting the tasting menu. Of course there’s usually one item on that list that scares the bejeezus out of you, and you look at your dinner partner and give her the knowing glance that she may indeed end up with two helpings of lamb’s marrow confit con brain du calf ragout. Luckily there was none of that on the menu. What there was consisted of some dainty food, including some sort of vodka egg froth with caviar concoction that normally would have skeeved me out to no end, but somehow made me want more. I also remember some frog legs, which are remarkably small, but savory and a tasty filet of turbot or trout or something. The dessert (the chocolate tasting plate) didn’t blow me away, but the meal overall was unusual, yet simple and delicate enough to bring home the flavor. There certainly is some sticker shock involved with eating here, but I still think that New Yorkers tend to judge the quality of the food by the amount of zeros in the bill–but that’s just the Taco Bell lover in me talkin’. [MF]
1 Central Park W.
212/299-3900
jean-georges.com