Saturday, January 12, 2008

One if by Land...

One if By Land, Two if By Sea
17 Barrow St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-8649


If you just happened to stroll down Barrow Street, between W 4th & 7th Ave, you would come across a white archway over windows that look like they peer into another city and time in some ways-- the ornate dining room with chandeliers that appear to be filled with real candles at first glance, and the pianist playing classy music to the bar patrons and couples cozying up by the fireplace. The candlelight and warm colors paint a timeless feeling across the scene, as though you were peering at a scene from Charles Dickens' inspiration for parties in the Christmas Carol. There is no large prominent sign out front, just a small posting of the menu, and I'm not sure I'd have gone in if I had just stumbled upon it given the exclusive feeling, but we had reservations after seeing the Restaurant Week specials they were offering-- $35 for a 3-course meal. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the restaurant renowned for marriage proposals at such a reasonable price (given their normal fares), and enjoyed a lovely romantic dinner for two, complete with our own taper candle on the table, and enough servers hustling around to ensure that you were catered to.

The feeling of the restaurant was very timeless, with brick walls inside and large windows near where we sat looking at some sort of courtyard, and of course the chandeliers. The table was a tiny bit big for sitting across from your love and having romantic conversation, but we did our best. The olive bread was wonderful, and the chef sent everyone a small cup of beet gazpacho with salmon cream that was different and tasty. I had a salad with a lite vinaigrette, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds, and the hubby started with a smoked ham soup with cheddar cheese foam that was warm, rich, and satisfying. I had hanger steak with mango/cumin sauce, served medium which was more like medium rare (but apparently everything there is a bit under, I still enjoyed it), and hubby had scallops with mushroom sauce and barley which were also rich and delicious. Portion sizes were tinier than expected, but the multiple courses made up for it. The desserts were divine-- a "liquid chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream" and a "whiskey-caramel-sauce covered chestnut parfait". Both were amazing, rich, and memorable. Glad I got to experience it, felt very warm and romantic for an NYC restaurant, and no, didn't catch anyone busting out rings while we were there, though hubby decided to present me with notification that our house-loan was approved at the table-- a close second to another proposal; if not a ring, a house will do ;). No complaints here.

Blogsoop Reviews

One If By Land, Two If By Sea in New York

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