Restaurant Review: Daniel on the Upper East Side in New York City

Dinner at Daniel in a cabana costs $148 per person while the same menu inside the restaurant (with, at the time, strict capacity compliance and social distancing) costs $20 more.

The servers were solicitous but not obsequious.   I had advised when making my reservation of several dietary needs relating to acid reflux and the staff handled changes to the prix fixe menu with aplomb.  They balanced the need for social distancing and the lack of ability to display facial expressions with a warmth that belied the fact that they were standing out in the cold while I was in the warm cabana.

“Was this prepared to your liking?” I was asked several times, to which I replied enthusiastically in the affirmative.  When the hostess called to confirm my reservation the prior day, she went over my dietary restrictions, which sadly include most things acidic including all citrus and my beloved tomatoes.  The server informed me that the kitchen was fully aware of the restrictions and would surprise me with a wonderful substitution for orange in my entrée.

The world-class wine cellar spans over a dozen countries with more than 1,500 selections.  I chose a wonderful Alzinger Frauengarten Federspiel Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau region of Austria, my favorite wine region and the place my parents took me hiking each summer as a child.  The subtle and delicate Grüner had notes of exotic fruit practically leaping from the glass with excellent minerality and the varietal’s mild acidity, with a lingering finish in which wild herbs, salty minerals, and white pepper intermix seamlessly.

The choices for an appetizer were legion and included chorizo stuffed rabbit and yellowfin tuna with anchovy sauce as well as Poule au Pot.  At the server’s recommendation, I requested the Fricassée D’Escargots Petit Gris, received exquisite sautéed snails accompanied by Maitake mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and hazelnut. Chef Jean François Bruel has been the executive chef at Daniel for 18 years and his talent for bringing out unexpectedly wonderful flavors has won me over time and time again.

When duck is on a menu at a truly great restaurant, I will prioritize it above everything else. Daniel had a delightful Canard à l’Orange on the menu that I so lusted after, but might that pesky citrus ingredient be an issue, I wondered.  Not to worry, the server assured me.  And the Pennsylvania “duck duo” became Canard à la Framboise, a delightful combination with the addition of the raspberry to the foie gras and caramelized endive.

The title of executive pastry chef had changed since I was last there from Ghaya Oliveira to Shaun Velez, and the menu included a vegan chocolate cake, which was a rich and flavorful penultimate delight, but the delightful petit fours that were served with the coffee haunt me to this day.

THE DETAILS

Daniel
60 East 65th Street
New York, N.Y.  10065
Tel. +1 212 288-0033
www.danielnyc.com

(Photos: Accura Media Group)

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