First Part of My Birthday Celebration: Dinner at The NoMad Restaurant

The Bar and the Library at the NoMad

As I’ve stated on the title, dinner at The NoMad restaurant is my first leg of my birthday celebration. It’s been a very good year thinking back in perspective. I’ve graduated with a Master’s degree and eventually got the job that I wanted (in the medical field). Least to say, I’m pretty content and feel very fortunate with life and thought this would be a good way to kick off my birthday celebration since I’ve been wanting to eat here for the past six months or so. (The other part will be revealed on my Twitter, if you want real-time information – and it will be very soon.)

The NoMad is a luxury boutique hotel that houses Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s sister restaurant of the famed 3-star Michelin Eleven Madison Park. Both the hotel and restaurant are lush and handsomely decorated with elements of Art Deco. It almost felt like I’ve been transported to a different era.

The Atrium dining room, my Lady Johnston cocktail and Radishes butter-dipped with fleur de sel

We were seated in the Atrium dining room (there’s two others: The Parlour and the Fireplace). I started with a Lady Johnston cocktail ($15) made of Nicaraguan rum, Chambery Dry Vermouth, Velvet Falernum, and lemon basil. Refreshing, barely sweet (the way I prefer my drinks) and pretty potent. Then the kitchen greeted us with twee radishes butter-dipped with a side of fleur de sel. Crisp, fresh and delicious.

Fresh potato and rye bread and foie gras torchon

About the time we were presented with our first course, a waiter brought us freshly baked potato and rye bread that was piping hot and delicious. My companion couldn’t stop eating this loaf of bread, even though we have a ways to go with this dinner. The foie gras torchon ($25) served with pear, red wine & licorice and a side of soft, thick-sliced mulitigrain bread. It was generously portioned that it is too much for one person but it was very good and I really liked the re-hydrated dried pear’s acidity.

Suckling pig confit

The suckling pig confit ($35) with dried plums, onion petals, wild greens was wonderful and beauitful as it was surrounded with a crown of bitter wild greens and sweet onion petals. The dried plums added the needed acid from the tender, crunchy topped suckling pig confit.

Presentation for Chicken for Two and it plated

The climax of the entire meal was the whole roasted chicken for two ($79), stuffed with foie gras, black truffle and broiche. The bird is presented in a hot black cast iron pan and then whisked away to the kitchen to be carved. The bird is served two ways. The first is the moist chicken breast served with hearty lentils, braised brussels sprouts, and bitter wild greens. Then the bird’s dark meat is pulled and mixed in a creamy chicken sabayon (photo). This was worth every penny and as a side note, many of these birds flew out from the kitchen to the many tables around the dining room.

(My birthday) Milk & Honey

Dessert of Milk & Honey ($13) oat biscuit shortbread, honey brittle, dehydrated milk flakes, and milk ice topped with buckwheat honey was divine. It’s worth the hype everyone has written for the past year. Floral sweetness from the buckwheat honey drizzle and the crunchy flakes added a delicate brittle crunchiness.

Coconut

My companion’s coconut ($14) a toasted coconut cake, coconut sorbet & toffee creameux was intensely coconut-ty. The bar of coconut cake was moist and was layered and coated with a sweet toffee cream and rolled in coconut flakes. This dessert is meant for the coconut admirer, which my companion was.

The NoMad restaurant is great for any occasion and even though it may be on the expensive side, the dishes I had were fantastic and generously portioned. Service was good and attentive though it’s not as refined as Eleven Madison Park (if you want to compare it that way but they’re not meant to be compared on the same level since it’s a hotel restaurant).

To view more photos of this dinner, please view the slideshow below (or CLICK HERE for my photo set):

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NoMad Restaurant
at the NoMad Hotel
1170 Broadway (between W 28th & 29th St)
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 796-1500
Website: http://www.thenomadhotel.com
Map