Apiary

Thanks to my incredibly generous hosts, Slau and Audrey, I had the chance to have dinner with them at a very delicious bistro in Manhattan with a fabulous, restrained design by Ligne Roset.

When the restaurant opened, The New Yorker took a nice little swipe at it—and my guess is, deservedly so—declaring that furniture companies were not meant to open dining establishments.

Since that review, the original executive chef left and was replaced by Scott Bryan. Here's what New York magazine had to say. If you compare the original menu mentioned in The New Yorker review and the menu at Apiary's site [a downloadable PDF], it's clear that the tone has changed quite a lot. I'd venture it's more imaginative and a lot more subtle.

Although I don't entirely agree with this assessment, I like its positivity. New York magazine ended the review ended with this: "Dining at this new version of Apiary is bracing and even a little discombobulating, like riding in the back seat of your sister’s Mini Cooper, which has suddenly been commandeered by Dale Earnhardt Jr."

If you happen to find yourself there, order the Hamachi Crudo. Yum!