Restaurant Review: One if by Land, Two if by Sea

On Sunday evening @jerpdavis and I enjoyed the Restaurant Week menu at One if by Land, Two if by Sea. The menu was very good, don’t get me wrong, but I have to say I was more intrigued by the ambiance than anything else.

Let’s start with the menu, which can be found here in full. We started with an amuse bouche from the chef – a creamy mushroom soup served in a small cup/bowl for drinking. Considering how cold it was outside and how much I enjoy mushrooms this was a very nice start. It could have been a little saltier, but regardless, it was delicious.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

For the appetizer course I opted for the butternut squash soup and @jerpdavis had the calamari. I enjoyed my soup, but really I need to learn that dishes like this tend to incorporate cinnamon, and I do not care for cinnamon. I imagine that someone who does like cinnamon would love this dish. @jerpdavis’ calamari was also good, but because it contained olives it wasn’t his favorite. Similar situation – if someone who likes olives ordered this, they would probably really like it.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

As we continued on to the entrée course things definitely were looking up. I ordered the steak option, which was served with a barley so delicious that I actually bought barley at the grocery store last night with the intention of recreating it to the best of my ability. I really enjoyed this course.

@jerpdavis was tempted by the classic One if by Land dish, Beef Wellington, which was on the Restaurant Week menu for a supplemental $30. Yes, this was an expensive decision, but according to him, a very, very good one. I quote: “They don't come much richer than this--a perfectly cooked filet nestled inside a warm, flaky pastry shell. The tender meat mingles with a luxurious foie gras sauce. It's no wonder this dish has been on the menu for almost 39 years."

For dessert we both had the cheesecake, which actually was not pumpkin as the menu above suggests. It was a mascarpone cheesecake topped with what I like to call oat/sugary “crunchies” to replace an actual crust, and it was absolutely delicious. The only thing I did not care for here was the huge amount of spiced wine foam that it was served with. There was just way too much of it – a little dabble would have been just enough. To be honest, if I could channel Cher and turn back time, I would have ordered the Gianduja Mousse instead.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

If the menu left me with any dissatisfaction at all, it did not matter simply because of where we were. We did move tables once (whatever you do, don’t let them seat you upstairs – it was like a completely different restaurant), but once we were seated at our table looking out at the snowy courtyard, all was delightful. This restaurant is absolutely beautiful, a perfect marriage between old world New York (it’s in what used to be a stable) and modern day New York. To be honest, I expected it to be more rustic and @jerpdavis expected it to be more kitschy, but it was neither. When people say it’s one of the most romantic restaurants in the world they are not kidding – I highly recommend, especially for a special occasion.

In the future I would like to return to One if by Land for drinks and dessert (ahem, chocolate chip souffle). The entrance area, complete with a piano for live music, a decent sized bar and a couple sofa/chair/coffee table arrangements , seems perfect for before- or after-dinner drinks.

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**I want to give a special thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow some of her One if by Land photos to use in my review. Her blog is great - check it out at Donuts 4 Dinner!**