Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St # A
New York, NY 10003-1300
www.gramercytavern.com
With its famed wood-burning stove and enough fresh flowers to stock a
botanic garden, this enduring favorite feels more Napa than Flatiron.
The colorful murals and open layout of the front "Tavern" room attracts
young execs and stylish tourists, who fill the space with garrulous
buzz, while the more opulent dining area lures an older crowd with
hacienda-style archways and iron chandeliers. Chef Michael Anthony
(Blue Hill) has taken over the kitchen, although his seasonally driven
New American fare doesn't veer much from founding chef Tom Colicchio's
greenmarket blueprint. Ingredients like ramps, spring garlic and
sunchoke lend cache to hit-and-miss dishes such as flaky sturgeon in a
lemon-fennel sauce, stringy smoked lobster in a celery root puree, and
the menu's crown jewel: a tender smoked trout appetizer dotted with
tiny, pickled cipollini onions.