King's Carriage House

Kings' Carriage House
251 E 82nd Street



I want to begin this entry by thanking my gracious hosts, the owners of Kings' Carriage House and Naomi for arranging the evening. I was fortunate enough to dine at Kings' Carriage House as a guest of the owners, and was even more fortunate to dine with Naomi and my co-worker Dan who were both willing to order a variety of dishes for our table to sample. Disclaimer: Our table received a meal on the house.

Kings' Carriage offers a 3-course prix fixe menu for $49, with $4 supplements on select menu items, and with a menu that is updated daily, certain items may not be available on any given night. Our evening began with a glass of champagne and an amuse bouche of smoked salmon with cream cheese; a clean, fresh sampling to start off what would be a gluttonous adventure of food and drink. Always a fan of an amuse...

We started with orders of the french onion soup as a bonus course, which came with a delicously buttery crouton.

French Onion Soup:


For our appetizers, we quickly devoured an order of grilled sea scallops with shaved fennel and baby arugula salad, which were perfectly grilled, meaty and fresh. For an appetizer, it was quite a generous portion. The prosciutto wrapped quail with port wine syrup was tender and juicy, while the portobello & goat cheese terrine with roasted asparagus and beets offered a creamy and sharper dish.

Grilled sea scallops:


Grilled Prosciutto wrapped Quail:


Portobello & Goat Cheese Terrine:


After bouncing back and forth between several options for our entrees, we settled on the pan seared salmon topped with mango salsa, which provided a tangy and sweet compliment. Duck breast over sweet potato was moist with a hint of sweetness. Rosemary roasted loin of lamb over eggplant was tender and fresh.

Salmon:


Duck Breast:


Roasted lamb:


I think that the key takeaway from my meal was that while no one particular item blew me away, Kings' Carriage offers dishes that are prepared meticulously, with a focus on using fresh ingredients and providing well-executed dishes that would leave anyone satisfied. Everything is presented and served with that sense of precision; each dish carefully constructed. I can see why this restaurant has developed a regular following. It's comfort food, done simply, with immaculate attention to detail.

Dessert was no less precise. Creamy cheesecake, a perfectly executed creme brulee with candied mango, and a warm apricot crumble with fresh mint. Each more enjoyable than the last.

Cheesecake:


Mango Creme Brulee:


Warm apricot crumble:


We left our table stuffed, each dish marked by generous portions. Fresh ingredients, expertly crafted dishes and a rotating menu with options for anyone. For $49, Kings' Carriage House isn't the most affordable option for dinner, but it's certainly a spot that I will keep in mind for special occasions with family or for a romantic evening.

Thank you again to our hosts and to Naomi.

Been to Kings' Carriage House? Have a recommendation in the area? Post a comment!

Park Avenue Winter

33. Park Avenue Winter
100 E 63rd between Park and Lexington

Park Avenue Winter will only be around for another few weeks, as the restaurant’s name, menu and décor change seasonally in an effort to offer only seasonal food items in an environment that reflects the associated time of year. I had read about TONY’s affinity for the apple pie from Park Avenue when they awarded the Pie in a Box top prize in their New York’s best apple pie bake-off back in November of 2008.

This dessert certainly doesn’t look like a traditional apple pie, as the filling is encased by a hard outer-shell made from white chocolate that keeps everything looking pristine. Fork in hand, I pierced through its protective casing to reveal carefully constructed layers of whipped mascarpone, diced apples, and thin pie crust atop a sponge cake base. Sweet, tangy, creamy, with a little bit of crunch; I was ready to eat the entire serving myself (servings are meant to be shared). What really worked for me was the fact that the pie itself wasn’t too sweet so when combined with the white chocolate shell there was a contrast between the tart flavor of the apple, and the sugar from the chocolate.

Even without the casing it’s up there as a top restaurant dessert, though it doesn’t come without a slight bit of sticker shock at $24.00, though if you do some cost analysis within the context of a nice restaurant where desserts typically cost $12 each and recognize that the pie in a box is meant for two, then it’s really on par with any other dessert course, and considerably tastier than most. Next time the dessert options at dinner look uninteresting, the pie in a box from Park Avenue Winter is worth checking out.