Saturday, July 24, 2010

202


75 9th Ave (b/w 15th St & 16th St)

Visitors come and go, but memorable brunches last a lifetime, or so the saying goes.

For my most recent visitor’s last meal in New York City, I insisted on brunching it up Manhattan Style at Chelsea Market. His flight was a late afternoon/early evening, but we had just enough time to grab a late brunch following a 10K run (or in my case crawl) through Central Park with the New York Road Runners. Yes, I run, too. 

I surprised him with 202, a restaurant set in the center of a clothing store in gorgeous Chelsea Market. The place was mostly empty as brunch was nearing a close, so we had our choice of seating.

We started with cappuccino and juice. My guest ordered Buttermilk Pancakes with blackberry compote and crème fraiche.

I had the Lentil, Beet & Artichoke Salad and a side of Fried Green Tomatoes.

I wanted something light, which I found in the salad. The tangy vinaigrette dressing perfectly complemented the lentils, beets and artichokes served adjacent a mountain of arugula. It looked and tasted refreshing, like New York City on a cool spring morning.

The fried green tomatoes encompassed in mozzarella cheese were good but not great. They sat heavy on the palate underscoring the lightness of the salad. However, I was warned in the name, FRIED. I barely managed a couple of bites before insisting my guest eat the rest. He passed on the opportunity.

He enjoyed the pancakes topped with a blackberry puree and crème fraiche. It was maybe his second time to have the sweet sour cream and could not get enough. The pancakes were fluffy and filling, like pancakes should be.

The Market is an experience inside itself. Had we more time, I would have given my guest the full tour of the Market and gotten lost inside a sample sale or three.

202 is more about the scene than the food. Yes, the salad and pancakes were good, but at the end of the day, they were salad and pancakes. I could have made either myself, and experimented with various toppings along the way.

Would I go again? Yes, but only for the clothes.

DAMAGE ~ $50
VERDICT ~ PASS

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