NYC: One if by Land for Restaurant Week

Winter 2012 NYC Restaurant Week started 2 days ago and is here until Feb 10th! During the Summer 2011 Restaurant Week, I had done some research on restaurants that I wanted to try. One that ranked high on my list was One if by Land, Two if by Sea in West Village.

This restaurant is rated one of the most romantic restaurants in Manhattan and I can definitely see why. The ambiance is intimate, the lighting is dim without being stuffy, and they even have their own piano player! However, interestingly enough, this romantic restaurant is also known to be a haunted house. This is because the location used to be Vice President Aaron Burr’s carriage house. He is famous for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11, 1804 and now is said to haunt this carriage house!

 

Alexander Hamilton’s Shrine

Romance, ghosts and historical fun facts aside, I actually wanted to One if by Land during Restaurant Week because it is a great deal. Normally, they serve an $80 prix fixe menu which consists of an appetizer, entree and dessert. During Restaurant Week, they serve select items from the same regular priced menu for only $35! If interested, you can check out the complete Restaurant Week Dinner Menu.

Pretzel Bread with Melted Gruyere

Roasted Bartlett Pear with maytag blue cheese, endive, ‘trail mix’

Chestnut Tagliatelle with venison ragout, pecorino ginepro

Braised Short Rib with kombu dashi, korean glaze, local radishes, sticky rice

Beef Wellington with baby vegetables, foie gras, bordelaise

Dulce de Leche Fondant Cake

Lemon Tart

Macaroons and Blueberry Tart

One of the must haves is their Pretzel Bread, which isn’t actually listed on their menu. If your waiter doesn’t tell you about it, you can still be in the know and order it anyway! I’m not a huge pretzel person, but something about the soft texture of this bread, the melted gruyere cheese, and the mustard with a kick, this side really hits the spot. All in all, I felt that the appetizers and the desserts helped define the meal. My Braised Short Rib was a bit tough, but the kimchee on top definitely helps balance the flavors and gives the dish some brightness.

The Beef Wellington (yours for a $35 supplement), is one of their best selling dishes. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the filet mignon inside was incredibly tender. My personal favorite was the Lemon Tart dessert. Mixed with the dots of meringue on the side, it tasted like a wonderful Lemon Meringue Pie. All in all, I would say that this restaurant is definitely worth visiting. If you’re on a budget, wait until Restaurant Week. The ambiance alone is worth it, and for the service and quality of food, you can’t get much better than this for $35 in Manhattan. Also note, make your reservation ASAP because the last time I waited, it was already too late!