It’s not goodbye, just a pause between visits…

The final location of my 10-day Hamptons/Manhattan food adventure was set to take place at ABC Kitchen (thanks S for help on the rezy!).  It is a Jean-Georges restaurant that focuses on local seasonal ingredients with an ambiance of south beach white meets Anthropology chic meets New York energy.  White painted brick walls, white washed floors, low lighting-mainly provided by CB2ish glass chandeliers and candle holders-and a great soundtrack all lent way to the three-hour dinner that my dear friend, Joyce, and I enjoyed.
Dinner went by much too quickly, unfortunately, as I could have tried multiple more dishes offered on the menu.  However, we were able to enjoy some incredible flavors while catching up and laughing (at times doubled over!) about the past 10 years of adventures we’ve been through.  Pretzel crusted calamari served with an acidic yet creamy dipping sauce, skate wing carpaccio with seasonal plums that was sliced so thin it folded over on itself,  and peeky toe crab on the most addictive buttered country bread began our meal.
After which the chef sent out a beautifully bright dish of shaved tuna surrounded by a light broth that hit your cheeks sweet tart receptors but rounded out with fresh mint. Always fun to get a surprise at your table!  Then, as many girls do when dining together, we decided to order a bunch of other things and share-tapas style-as opposed to ordering large entrees independently.  Poached halibut with zucchini and pancetta was our shared “main” dish, accompanied by shaved summer squash and parmigiano-reggiano over arugula with an herbed yogurt dressing.  The summer squash was shaved so it was almost transparent, coated with the creamy-tangy dressing and finished off with the nutty bite of the parmigiano-reggiano, I could absolutely eat that every day for lunch and feel ultimately fulfilled.
And to finish it off, because I am the kind of person who most definitely needs something sweet after every meal, we turned to the fantastic advice of our server.  His recommendation provided us with a bright white bowl filled with a ruby red sauce of macerated berry juice, tiny bites of marinated strawberries, crunchy and airy mini meringue stars and a sour cream poppyseed ice cream canelle. Oh, yeah, that was the way to finish off my last meal! The sweet tart of the soft berries, the sugary blood red strawberry sauce, the tiniest crunch from the meringue and the peculiar bite from the poppyseed in the ice cream was the best curtain call on my NYC trip.
I am looking forward to many more adventures in New York over the course of this year and of course many more incredible meals to accompany each trip!