Storm Art Center is a beautiful campus of enormous sculptures by various contemporary artists. It's located about 1.5 hours outside of New York City by train. The space is unreal and the greenery is endless. You can spend all day here, roll around in the endless scenery and even have a picnic. It's a great way to escape the city heat and enjoy the freshness of real nature. I recommend spending all day here as well as watching the sunset.
fake plastic love
Zz's Clam Bar
in Food
ZZ's Clam Bar is hands down one of my favorite spots in the city. I've been here a handful (10+) times and the food and drinks make me happy every time.
Ambiance / Decor
If you've read my previous reviews of Major Food Group restaurants, you'll know that I've said this countless times before but I always love the setting and ambiance of their restaurants. I usually go to ZZ's on Fridays or Saturdays (because I have a boring corporate job) and they are always playing Latin/Salsa music, momentarily taking you to another setting. It's a small intimate joint with good food, drinks, and music.
The space is very intimate with ~14 seats total and ~9 for dining, but yet it feels spacious. It's got that quirky yet very classy decor where details matter and are appreciated. I absolutely love the crystal chandelier, clean-cut marble tables, and Seafood display by the bar filled with fruits and tropical plants. It's a rare establishment where they got all three right, by all three I'm referring to food, decor/ambiance, and service.
Food
The food is great. Really unique flavors and excellent presentation. They take seafood to another level. It's like designer seafood.
1) Uni toast—Each order comes with two small pieces, but so worth it. Fresh uni served on a buttery soft pretzel toast with chives. It's mouthwatering. I absolutely recommend.
2) Scottish Salmon—The salmon paired with honey mustard is also really good. It's much more simple and goes well together with toast.
3) Chanina Beef Carpaccio, Uni, Lobster and Caviar—I don't know why, but this odd combination just works. It's fresh, heavy (in a good way), and tasty with pieces of lightly buttered toast. Just get it and don't look back.
4) Oysters—You can't go wrong with oysters. They are fresh and delicious!
Drinks
The drinks are absolutely some of the best in the city. I think for $20 it's worth it because you can go to some shitty bar/club/lounge and pay about the same for a shitty drink. I'd rather come here for some hand-crafted drinks where the aesthetics are on point and get a nice Instagram photo. The drinks are also very strong, relative to their peers. For example, you go to some subpar club/lounge/bar and you order a shitty vodka soda, that'll cost you $15-20 and won't even get you buzzed. I'm light weight but I'm not THAT light weight, after 1.5 drinks at ZZ's I'm feeling pretty good.
1) Pistachio—This is my absolute favorite drink! It tastes like dessert with pistachio bits here and there. It is not too sweet and strong enough to get your heart pumping.
2) Cilantro—If you are in the mood for something spicy, then this is the drink for you. It has a nice kick if you aren't afraid of spices. It's served literally in a long pepper where the insides are used in the drink.
3) Coconut—An aesthetically pleasing drink. What's not to like about drinking out of a smoking coconut? It's super fun and picturesque!
4) Carcao—If you are in the mood for something super fruity and tropical yet strong. This is the perfect drink. It tastes really light, refreshing and fruity but is strong and effective. It's also served in vintage Star Wars cups.
Price
No doubt it's pricey for the average person. But, nonetheless, definitely worth it. It's one of those places you come to on a quarterly basis. I would estimate at least ~$150 per person for a full meal and a drink or two.
Reservation
I think one or two weeks in advance will suffice. They only accept reservations 2 weeks in advance I believe.
Pistachio
Uni Toast
Chianina Beef, Uni, Lobster and Caviar
Key Lime Pie
Carcao
Scallops, Pistachio, Brown Butter
Scottish Salmon
Carpaccio, Tuna, Foie Grois, Bone Marrow
Coffee, Coconut
Carrot, Pistachio
Bar Upstairs
The Polo Bar
in Food
My first impression of the Polo Bar was a place with great decor and mediocre food. I wasn't too excited about it. I finally tried this a few months ago with my friends and was pleasantly surprised. In fact, the food was really solid. I absolutely loved the ambiance, decor and of course the food. I'm actually surprised the reviews on yelp are so poor! I suspect it may have to do with the difficulty in getting a reservation or the slight pretentious ambiance? Regardless, I actually do recommend this place if you are into the classy ambiance with classic American food.
Ambiance / Decor
The decor is ultra classy with white tablecloths and upholstered leather seatings. The walls are filled with paintings and photos related to polo / horses of course. It's very proper and formal yet dim and intimate. I loved it.
Food
I was very impressed by the food here actually. I've yet to order something I didn't like. I was most impressed by a special they had back in May, the Sante Fe burger with caramelized onions, fries, and some other good stuff. The beef was super juicy and flavorful. I've not yet tried the classic burger so hopefully, that is good too.
A few other highlights that I absolutely enjoyed:
1) Lobster Salad—I was in the mood for lobster and this was very simple, refreshing and light. They were generous with the lobster serving. I highly recommend if you are in the mood for something tasty yet light.
2) Fish of the Day—I tried the snapper with romesco sauce. It was delicious. I usually don't like cooked fish, but the snapper was very tender and paired so well with olive oil, lemon, and the romesco sauce. It could've been a little more tender, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.
3) Vongole Pasta—They were serving a special Vongole pasta with clams. It was actually very decent. It went well with the Alsace wine. Again, they were generous with clams. It was savory, light and well flavored. Maybe slightly on the saltier side but not bad at all.
4) Desserts—I tried the cheesecake, apple pie and ice cream sundae. The cheesecake was so good. It was made just right. Not too sweet, fluffy, and the right amount of "cheesiness". The ice cream sundae was also one of my favorites—you can't go wrong, it was the perfect amount of sweetness in a cup.
Price
Some may find this place to be overpriced for what it is. But if you compare it to its peers in New York City. I actually think it's very reasonable. I came back again last night and ordered two appetizers, two mains, one dessert and a bottle of white wine, the total was ~$212. Compared to other nice restaurants I'd say a meal like this would cost far more. On average, I'd expect to pay $60-70 per person including tax and tip, excluding bottle service.
Reservation
It is tough to get a reservation here. I definitely recommend making it one month in advance. I don't believe walk-ins are accepted. Maybe at the bar, if you are dressed appropriately.
Chopped Salad
Pigs in a Blanket
Snapper
Vongole Pasta
Santa Fe Burger and Lobster Salad
Apple Pie and Cheesecake
Ice Cream Sundae
Seating Downstairs