The food is sensational. It feels the best food I've ever tasted.
I have been to this place twice and my recomendations are:
To start with the Scottish Salmon Tartare (it is so delicious), and then the Alsatian Buckwheat Späetzle ( I am a big fan of fish).
I did not give 5 stars because of the service. They do not give much attention to you, both times I kept wainting a while to get the menu, and I had to call the waitor and ask for it.
But I am fan!!
We are part of the plebeian crowd so we chose the bar room over the dining room. This place won my heart and I don't normally like teeny tiny food. Â But, I have an affinity for Alsatian food and Bar Room does it very well. In spite of the smaller size of the portions, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is sleek and modern. Â Tarte flambee, saffron pasta, steak tartar, salmon and cassoulet. All amazing--especially the cassoulet. Â The only drawback was that the wait staff was a bit snobby. Fortunately for us, the gewurztraminer (which was great, btw) numbed the pain.
Review Source:I really enjoy any Danny Meyer restaurant, and I only give it a 4 so as to allow comparison between my favorite and less favorite Danny Meyer ventures. I liked the food but didn't love it -- probably more because what I had seemed to have German influence and seemed heavier than I like-- it was awhile back. But I was blown away with the design of the space. It was a bar but something about the acoustics, we could see that people around us were talking but you didn't feel as if their conversation was interrupting your conversation. You could not make out the words. Which is good for anyone near us because my mom is kind of loud.
Review Source:Before going to a Broadway show we made reservations at the Bar at the Modern (MoMA). Â It's a very classy/trendy/artsy room with a large bar full of nicely-lit alcohol. The dishes are quite small and look beautiful as they come out. But how good did those beautiful dishes taste?
-Scotch Salmon Tartare (with puffed barley and cilantro gelée): I found the salmon to have very little taste while Mm found it to be quite strong. It's refreshing.
-Tomato and Almond Gazpacho (with cucumber, cherry tomatoes and basil oil): very good. It is nicely cold and has a great consistency and flavor--a perfect blend.
-Wild Mushroom Soup (with toasted chorizo ravioli): it has a very strong mushroom taste and is quite creamy. The chorizo ravioli are good but the chorizo isn't as good as I would like it to be. It still tastes quite raw.
-Atlantic Grouper "en Matelote" (with champignons mushrooms and applewood-smoked bacon): This was delicious! The fish falls apart in your mouth and the mushroom sauce is extremely tasty--in fact you really only taste the mushroom sauce. This chef knows how to make sauces.
-Horseradish-Crusted Scottish Salmon (with cabbage and Riesling): delicious. It cuts very nicely and the horseradish sauce is perfectly lemony. It really adds to the flavor of the salmon.
-Black Angus Beef Tenderloin (with Münster gratin, onion confit, and cumin jus): cooked rare it tasted very good--tender and juicy and not tough at all. The potatoes had somewhat of a chalky taste to me--as though you were eating potato skin. It was good, but not what I expected.
-Beignets (with maple ice cream, caramel, and mango marmalade): ehh they are a bit doughy and meant to be dipped in something instead of just eaten plain (the way I like it). The caramel sauce is divine but I LOVE the mango marmalade. The maple ice cream is equally good--very creamy and flavorful.
FINAL VERDICT: the food was quite good (not the most amazing meal I've ever had), the atmosphere was wonderful, but for being as expensive as it is, the overall experience could have been better. Â Our waitress was quite good until we had a little incident. Â As one of the men was clearing away the dishes, he accidently knocked Dad's wine glass (almost) over and his finger fell into the wine in an effort to stop it from falling. Â Everyone saw his hand dip in, including the waitress but she didn't offer to get Dad a new glass, or something else. Â So I'd say minus a star. Â What about you?
Had rhe blood and sand whisky sour drink. Absolutely beuatiful decor and tentative service. Drink selection is slim and uninteresting. The best thing about having an after work here besides the decor to make up for the $18 cocktail was their truffle popcorn. It was absolutely delicious. Â The best I have had in the city. Unfortunately, they discontinued it and sadly I will discontinue my patronage. . :-(
Oh well it was good while it lasted. Onto someplace else.
The food...it was great.  I loved it.  A very attractive  menu suitable for mixing and matching.  The Tarte Flambe was extremely good (I was just in Alsace so I would know) and the Lobster in a Jar was a truly memorable.  Other dishes were also well done.  I'll probably be back at least one more time for food.
The place is quite loud, but my main issue was fairly atrocious service.
I sat down and was asked what type of water I wanted, I got my tap water, was brought my menus and then the waitress disappeared for 20 minutes. Â I had closed my menus started looking around, but nothing.
When the waitress appeared I figured I'd order both the wine and the food. Â 15 minutes later my food arrived before the wine? Â You have to be kidding me?! Â 35 minutes into a meal at a "BAR ROOM" and I can't get a drink. Â
I proceeded to scold the  bus boy who delivered my first course telling him that this order of service was unbecoming of a "Danny Meyer Restaurant".  He then ran off to tell my server who ran off to get the wine steward who eventually brought my bottle of wine (which was possibly a few degree too warm).
While I hardly demanded to speak to the manager or anything, no one even took the time to apologize to me or explain the incident. Â My waitress actually appeared to avoid me and refuse to look me in the eye for the rest of the meal.
I'll go back in the future because the food was great and it's a fun atmosphere. Â I'll write an improved review if service improves, but this service deserves the 2 star review.
A note on Dress Code/ Attire. Â Most people are dressed nicely (dresses for women, slacks for men), but they will seat you in anything. Â I think it seems tacky to wear short and t there, but if you must. Â Jeans and a nice shirt are below the average, but certainly acceptable.
Had reservations Sunday night which weren't necessary, Â but wanted to play if safe being out-of-towners.
We ordered 5 plates: salmon tar tar, veal and goat cheese terrain, foies gras, lobster gnocchi, and duck l'orange.
Least favorite for me was the salmon. To minty, wanted to taste the salmon more.
Favorite...not quite sure. The duck was awesome. Cooked perfect; crispy on the outside and tender inside. The veal was just purely fantastic. The foies gras was great. I've been on a foies gras conquest as well. The lobster, I mean who doesn't l like lobster.
My dates least favorite was the lobster and gnocchi. But it was the sauce, not the lobster. Its what I ordered so more for me.
Service was friendly and did a great job with keeping my dates glass of water full. It was a hot day and he was gulping it down.
I really wanted to hate on this place after having a lukewarm experience about three years ago but came away this time very impressed. Â Back then I felt that all of the dishes were overloaded with salt and were just not that impressive. Â I have come to the conclusion that the best way to experience this place is to go with a large group and order a variety of things from the menu and rotate dishes around to get a taste of every item.
To this end we went for all tartare from section one of the menu with the Scottish Salmon Tartare, the Upside Down Tuna Tarte, and Spicy Steak Tartare with quail egg. Â All three were fresh and well-executed. Â They probably could have given our group more toast/bread for the tartare.
From section two of the menu we ordered the Slow-Poached Farm Egg "In a Jar" with Maine lobster, hon shimeji mushroom, and sea urchin froth, Horseradish-Crusted Scottish Salmon, and Seared Diver Scallops, and Maine Lobster Gnocchi with wild mushrooms and broccoli rabe. Â The only iffy item was the Slow-Poached Farm Egg but every other dish was superb.
And from section three we only ordered the House Made Alsatian Country Sausage as we figured what we had from sections one and two were enough and wanted to save room for dessert. Â The sausage was probably not as densely packed as it should have been and basically started to fall apart as I cut into it, but that I am nitpicking here as it was a great dish.
For dessert we had the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome, the Modern Cheesecake, and the Modern Confections. Â Out of these three, the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome was most memorable for its pistachio ice cream while the Modern Cheesecake was overall confusing as it seemed like some sort of deconstructed concoction.
French fries are not on the menu but the wait staff were able to accommodate our request for an order. Â
Overall food, the service, and the experience was great - and the fact that it happens to be attached to one of the best curated modern art experiences in the world and sits off the back garden/courtyard is just icing on the cake.
The rumors are all true. Â This place could be called Le Magnifique and it would be an understatement. Â
Three menus are on offer - all offering delectable choices for three different stages of gastronomic gluttony.  I can personally vouch for the Foie Gras Terrine (Menu I); the Slow-Poached Farm Egg "In a Jar" with lobster,  mushroom, and sea urchin froth (Menu II); the Grilled Diver Scallop with a delightful pumpkin emulsion (Menu II); and the Duck Confit à l'Orange (Menu III).  The Farm Egg deserves special mention: it has huge pieces of succulent lobster, and really offers a wonderful medley of flavors. Â
With all this sumptuous fare, saving space for dessert might seem impossible, but it's a challenge you simply must meet head on. Â There's a reason The Modern gets pride of place in Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf's favorite place for dessert in all of fair Manhattan. Â Ms Waldorf's taste in men is highly suspect, but she knows a thing or two about living the good life. Â I personally polished off the Guanaja Palet with lemon verbena ice cream (stupendous - do try this, even if you find it intimidating to pronounce!) and most of the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome with pistachio ice cream. Â
The one minor negative point - the service will take forever. Â Just deal with it. Â Embrace it. Â Devour an ungodly amount of the delicious bread sticks on offer while you wait. Â Don't think you can make an early lunch reservation (we were there at 11:45 AM) and be out of there by 1. Â You will be there for at least 2-2.5 hours, and it will be worth every decadent second.
Top 3 favorite restaurant of all time. I first came here a year ago for restaurant week only to discover that Saturdays are not included. Â My friend and I went ahead and decided to order food regardless for this James Beard award winner.
Pork Belly with Pea Puree - That pea puree was fantastic, and if this was made exactly like the famous missing pea pureee on Top Chef - i'd understand why.
Long island duck breast was cooked perfectly and paired with an amazing pistachio-truffle dipping sauce. I can't wait to try out the modern dining room!
KenScale: 8.5/10
The Modern is a French restaurant of Danny Meyer that is headed by chef Gabriel Kreuther, featuring rustic, Alsatian cuisine. It is located next to the Museum of Modern Art, and is divided between a formal dining room and a more casual bar room. I've only been to the bar room only, but have always come out satisfied with most of the dishes there.
Unlike the dining room that has course menus only, you can sample various small plate dishes at the bar room a la carte style. The dishes are divided into three groups (from starters to entrees). For a starter, Tarte Flambee Alsatian thin crust tart with crème fraîche, onion, and applewood-smoked bacon is an absolute must-try dish. Tuna tarte with fennel, Japanese cucumber and aïoli is also a refreshing dish. I also really liked Alsatian buckwheat späetzle with yellowfin tuna paillard crudo, roasted foie gras, pine nuts, and black pepper gastriq. Maine lobster gnocchi with wild mushrooms and broccoli rabe was also pretty tasty. For dessert, I loved citrus carpaccio with lemongrass gelée and ten flavor sorbet.
The Modern would be a fantastic place to come for lunch before or after touring MoMA on the weekend. The wine menu is extensive, and the atmosphere is pretty casual and lively without being chaotic, so it also works very well on a date night or taking out a friend or family visiting from out of town.
Swank. I liked this lounge a lot. Â It was open and very spacious. Â There isn't much separation between the dining room and the bar, but it just adds to the museum feel. Â Like the museum and its name, the space is very modern in terms of decor. Â Drinks are quite price - my glass of Syrah was $20 and while it was a good glass of wine, I do think it the price was a tad inflated. Â I would be interested in checking out the restaurant. Â Overall a nice place for post-work libations in midtown.
Review Source:This is one of the best single meals I have ever eaten. Â For the perfect meal order:
Start with room temperature flat water (always) to cleanse the pallet.
Have a nice Brownstone craft beer on draft.
Start with the Tagliatelle (small portion), perfect with the Brownstone.
Then go to the Beignets with the caramel sauce and maple ice cream. Â it also comes with a mango preserve, but "Why?" Â The Brownstone is great with the Beignets, but
Finish with a decaf cappuccino.
Oh! Â My belly is sooo happy.
I only came to The Bar Room for one drink with a girlfriend so I can't say too much about this place because we were here for a very short time.
However, this place does serve fantastic cocktails! I had the South By Southwest (tequila, hibiscus syrup, lime & mint) and my girlfriend went with the Girovita (Aperol, apricot liqueur, Pimm's, lemon, cucumber & mint). Both cocktails were a hit! I usually have a similar type of cocktail but with grapefruit juice so have a different variation was not only interesting but tasty. The hibiscus syrup gave it a slightly sweet floral taste, which worked well against the tequila.
On a Thursday late evening, this place was busy and bustling yet also very quiet. It was a lovely spot to reunite with an old friend in a classy environment. Our waitress was quick and courteous with us.
I'd love to return to try the food, given that it has had a lot of positive reviews!
Visiting NYC from New Orleans. Â Looking for a place that offers great quality cocktails, we found it. Â It is pricey, but the cocktails were great, atmosphere very hip and service was terrific. Â A well-dressed crowd, but not stuffy. We were in jeans and bundled in scarves and coats and felt completely at ease relaxing at a cocktail table. My husband had a new Orleans favorite, the sazarac, and said it held up to his high standards. Â We also tried a couple of their craft cocktails and were equally impressed. Â Great spot
Review Source:Food was great and service was great. The price is fitting for the location and for the level of food you are getting. Great place to get a mix of plates and share - the portions are not small but if your hungry you will probably need to order the full three courses.
Menu was a bit confusing with the 1,2,3 listing -considering I was with two experienced diners who were also confused. Our waiter did a great job explaining and his recommendations were fantastic.
The bartenders know how to make good mixed drinks.
Would definitely go back.
Love.This.Room!
Sleek, sexy. (Modern, duh!)
We didn't eat here - just popped in for a quick drink before heading to Queens for dinner with the family.
I opted for one of the specialty cocktails - a great rum with mulled spices and steamed milk.
I could live all winter on the stuff! I will be making this when I get home!
And if you're really nice, I'll make one for you, too!
It's pricey - but it's Midtown and actually has decent quality - so yeah - to be expected.
Will definitely try to get back here for another drink before I have to leave town.
We went there for a proposal celebration for my husband's best friends from childhood. I made a reservation for 5, and mentioned it would be a proposal celebration.
We ordered a lot of food, since we had 5 in the party. There are three parts of the menu, and we ordered couple dishes from each part.
From one:
1. Fresh Grilled Shrimp with green cabbage and gruyère salad-shrimps were very fresh and juicy. gruyère salad was really good.
2. Warm Veal And Goat Cheese Terrine with toasted pistachios and watercress- This is one of the best of the night! Usually I get Foie Gras Terrine, but since one of our friends doesn't like foie gras, we went to try other kind of terrine on the menu, and it was ridiculously delicious!
From Two:
1. Grilled Diver Scallops with cauliflower, toasted hazelnut and pumpkin emulsion- Whenever there's diver scallop on the menu, I will get it, coz I just love scallop. These scallops were just perfectly cooked and very tender. The yellow pumpkin sauce came with the scallops was a good add-on.
2. Pan-Roasted Long Island Flounder with baby beets, fennel- saffron puree and pine nut pistou- flounder was fresh and full of flavor. The white sauce was unforgettable, not other word, just good.
3. Atlantic Cod, Wild Mushroom And Leek "Brick" with green papaya salad and chive sauce- It was a good dish and creation. But since we ordered two plates of fish, it made me enjoyed this dish less than I expected.
From Three:
1. House Made Alsatian Country Sausage with sauerkraut and whole-grain mustard sauce. One of our friends eats really simple, and only would like to try the sausage. I've never got sausage, but luckily I got this chance to try. The sausage here was definitely the softest I've ever had. Interesting texture with good flavor.
2. Crescent Farm Duck Breast "Cassoulet"- By the time the duck showed up, we were already 90% full. The duck breasts were very delicious. I just hope that my belly had more space  to enjoy it.
Wine: A bottle of  2007 Le Pigeoulet en Provence Rouge, Provence, France
The best part of it is, they were so nice and sweet to bring us two glasses of champagne  as a gift to thesoon-to-be bride and groom!
I usually wander into the bar after doing some shopping nearby. I always seem to arrive before HH and dinner crowds so I take a seat at the bar and watch the place fill up fast. I've only eaten here once, but who knows how many glasses of wine I've had.... Bartenders make excellent wine selections and are pretty friendly and chatty.
The food, while delicious, is quite pricey for the fairly small portions. The duck confit was delicious, crispy on the outside/tender and juicy on the inside. The popcorn is an interesting snack but dont fill up on that or the bread - as tasty as they are.
Have always met interesting folks while sitting at the bar - this is a good place if you're by yourself or with a friend or two.
Its a trendy place, people get dolled up, but I've never felt out of place in jeans and flats.
We really loved the place. Â We frequently visit MOMA but this was the first visit to the restaurant. Â The service is particularly good, friendly, prompt and helpful. Â The setting is what one would expect from its' name, it is "Modern", sleek, spare and yet very comfortable. It is located in MOMA after all. Â The food was wonderful. Â The two standout dishes where the poached egg with lobster in a sea urchin foam and the apple strudel. The servings are small but each dish is artfully prepared. Â Be prepared to spend $250 for two.
Review Source:The service was alright. The food took a long time. However, the poached egg with sea urchin and lobster in a jar was DELICIOUS! We also ordered the pork belly and it was better than we expected! The food was good!
Don't go when you are super hungry! I think we waited 30 mins for our food. Otherwise, pretty good!
Went here for lunch a few weeks ago; we had the Alsatian Tarte Flambee, Arugula Salad, Diver Scallops with cauliflower and Tagliatelle with Rabbit, all very tasty and accompanied by a very good beer (Aventinus). Â Though crowded, it did not have a crowded feel and was not particularly noisy.
Review Source:we'll be back! Â Went there with my husband for the first time. Â
Staffs were all friendly. Â I tried making reservations for the dining room, but it was all packed. Â The bar room was pretty full itself when we got there. Â We did make reservations, but it doesn't seem like you really need to. Â It's a Saturday and there always seems to be 2-3 tables available. Â Very trendy place.
Had the 3 course meal. Â Each one was amazing. Â There is a wait between the courses, but if you are going to dine at a place like this, obviously you should not be in a rush to leave. Â It does take about 2.5 - 3 hours. Â
Anyways....
2 glasses of white wine, 3 course meal for two, two desserts... = $238.00 plus 20% tip. Â
DELICIOUS!!
I was at the Bar Room at The Modern last night with a group of 4. Â Service was great and the food was even better. Â The atmosphere is modern and relaxing.
We shared the following appetizers, all of which were fantastic: Â Scottish Salmon Tartare, Upside Down Tuna Tarte, Modern Liverwurst, Foie Gras, Spicy Steak Tartare.
For dinner, I had the Horseradish Crusted Scottish Salmon which was cooked excellently, tender and juicy and the flavor was great. Â
For dessert, we shared the Beignets which come with 3 different sauces all of which had great flavor (my favorite was the caramel). Â
I would definitely come back here.
The Bar Room was surprisingly crowded at 4 pm on a Saturday. Â Fortunately, we were eventually able to get a table. Â The creme fraiche tarte flambee was tasty and the crust was thin and crisp. Â The steak tar tar was also quite good. Â The beignets definitely hit the spot and the caramel sauce was delicious. Â The pistachio dark chocolate dome was also a great recommendation from our waiter. Â The drinks were decent as well but at $18 a pop, not really sure if it's worth it.
My main complaint is the service was quite spotty. Â We had two different servers and one was very helpful and attentive, the other not so much. Â It took about 10 minutes just to get some water and a menu. Â
Overall, the Bar Room is a decent place to grab a drink and a tasty snack if you're willing to shell out the cash.
My friend and I made a reservation for 6:30 pm but they were nice enough to seat us when we arrived at 5:50, even though they technically only have the lounge area open till 6. In the words of the hostess: "you guys are hungry and want to eat right away, huh?... ok."
Grilled diver scallops w/ grits, mango, etc: this was a special that day and I'm glad I listened to the waiter who said this one was better and than the one on page 2 of the menu. If they're serving this in the future, try it!
Crescent farm duck breast: duck was a bit salty, but overall, I really liked this dish. Also, they asked how I wanted my duck cooked -- don't think I've been asked this for duck before. They recommend medium rare.
Alsatian country soup: my friend ordered this and really enjoyed it. I tried a bite and it was pretty good.. there are a large number of scallops in this soup too.
Alsatian buckwheat spaetzle: my friend's dish. I tried a bite and found it interesting.. seems like a lot of tuna crudo. Kind of overwhelming, but that chunk of foie gras on top looked delicious (and according to my friend, it was).
Modern cheesecake: Amazing! This deconstructed take on cheesecake makes it more refreshing and lighter seeming than actual cheesecake. Must try.
No doubt about it, this is one beautiful restaurant. Yelped this place prior to dining here and was not disappointed with what we got. Presentation of all the dishes was really nice although the lighting made it a little hard to get good photos of some of those dishes. Standouts were the spicy steak tartare, the slow-poached farm egg and the duck breast. Portions are a little small for sharing with more than one person.
Review Source:Slow poached farm egg: You should get this. Â You should really get this.
Alsatian Buckwheat Späetzle: Interesting, but the flavors did not really mesh into anything more than the sum of their parts.  Not bad, but not essential.
Beer-Braised Berkshire Pork Belly: Elegant pork. Very good, but not necessarily mind blowing.
Beignets: A bit overhyped. They are fancy donuts.
Modern Cheesecake: One of the best I've had in recent memory.
Modern Martini & South by Southwest: Very impressed with both drinks.
---
Service was top notch. Â Waitress was knowledgable and pacing was excellent.
I think the decor is crap, but it's a fun restaurant so whatever. Â I'd go again.
Get the farm egg.
I've yet to try the food here but my boyfriend and I really enjoy getting a drink here when we're in the city. Â They have really nice wines and always have cool beers to try! Â The atmosphere is really, really nice! Â I will warn you, the bathroom is coed! Â Makes things interesting! Â :P
I'll update my review when I try some of the food!
I feel that the food served in the Bar Room at the Modern is actually better than the menu in the Dining Room. And that is saying something, because I loved my four course meal in the Dining Room, and have been wanting to go back for the 8 course tasting.
The food in the Bar Room has a more upscale/gourmet comfort food feel to it....case in point- one of the Top Ten Best Things I Have Ever Eaten- the Buckwheat Spaetzle with seared foie gras, tuna, and black pepper gastrique. Un-freaking-believable. I don't know what is in that black pepper gastrique...besides black pepper, but it should be available in beer mugs. I assume that all the duck fat from the foie gras is in that sauce, because it was very rich.
The other dishes I had were the spicy steak tartare and the duck breast with pistachio truffle sauce...both were fantastic as well. The menu is about 30 savory dishes and 7 or 8 desserts...and they all look great. My problem when I go back is if I'm going to want the same exact meal or try new dishes.
The bartender, Vicki, was fantastic, very friendly and made great drinks...her negroni was one of the top two I have ever had, and thr cilantro-infused gin martini with lime juice was a homerun for me also. I like the duality of The Modern..fine dining area and more casual bar room, and I love that I can pop in for lunch and sit at the bar and eat. So this is definitely a spot I will be frequenting.
A place that makes you feel special.
If you're Asian, you'll want to apologize to your dinning friends in advance for obsessively taking photos of all their food before they can eat it. Everything is really nicely plated. (if you're not Asian, you still might be seduced into taking photos of the great looking food).
Starters:
Wild mushroom soup - deliciously mushroom-y. Kind of frothy and light with intense mushroom taste
Salmon Tartar - I don't usually like tartar, but this was my favourite dish of the night. Great texture from all the components. There was crunch and creamy and silky. Just amazing.
Tarte Flambee - ok, but didn't wow me like the other two starters
Main:
Long Island Duck Breast - It's a win. A delicious, fatty, cripy-skinned win.
House Made Alsatian Country Sausage - good, but a little underwhelming given the other amazing menu choices.
Dessert:
Beignets - I've had the Cafe du Monde ones in New Orleans, and these are comparable good. Get them if you've never had beignets.
Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome - as described, it is a dome. A semi-spherical piece of dark chocolate. You'll be as impressed with the construction as the taste.
+ the modern yet cozy decor
+ delicious and beautifully presented food
+ large wine selection
- kind of expensive (but yes, worth it)
- sometimes loud
It has a unisex bathroom (just FYI).
Dinner with a friend at the Bar Room. Â Came with high expectations, left satisfied but not blown away.
They have a one-two-three style menu. Â Most items between $14 and 25. Â You'll need two to consider it dinner, and if you're hungry you'll have no problem taking down three.
One - salmon tartare. Â It was a strange thing. Â So many flavors and textures but somehow didn't seem to coalesce. Â Would not recommend.
Two - horseradish salmon - apparently I was craving salmon. Â Horseradish was surprisingly mild. Â Definitely has the flavor but not the kick. Â There was a foamy sauce that was sort of weak. Â This was better than the tartare but if I went back I wouldn't get it again. Â
Three -- pork belly. Â this was excellent. Â it's served on a split pea puree which was not remarkable really. Â the top is crisped nicely, but the knife they give you is not adequately sharp to cut it (especially swimming around in the pea puree). Â So you pull apart the pork with your fork (comes easily) and have the crispy top all in one bite.
The highlight of this place is the drinks. Â Had several of the cocktails, all were fantastic. Â The Blood and Sand was great, but the standout was the Girovita. Â Cocktails between $15 and 20 so you're paying for it but felt it was worth it. Â Also they have an extensive beer list stocked with lots of unusual brews (and many cask beers if you're into that).
Decor, lighting, and presentation of the food were, indeed, modern. Â Fairly loud inside, especially as it got later.
I find myself wishing they devoted more space in the Bar Room to the bar, and less to the sit-down eater.
Located right next to the MoMA, the Modern is one of my favorite places. Â I've come here for lunch, dinner and drinks. Â The decor is sleek and elegant, with a beautiful accent wall on one end of the Bar Room. Â
FOOD
* All the portions are small, which I appreciate. Â If you're looking for a full and hearty meal, I recommend you order 3 items. Â The menu has 3 panels organized in 3 groups to help with your selection.
From Panel ONE
Wild mushroom soup - Comes with two dumplings you can dip into the soup. Â Nothing special about this soup, but I love mushrooms
Upside Down Tuna Tarte
Tarte Flambée with mushroom - Can share this dish
Warm Lamb and Goat Cheese Terrine - Recommend this. Â The mix of lamb and goat cheese is delicious
Spicy Steak Tartare - I've come to really like steak tartare, and I thought this was good
Foie Gras Terrine - The one item I didn't care for. Â The foie gras just wasn't that tasty.
From Panel THREE
Roasted Long Island Duck Breast
Beer-Braised Pork Belly
- These are my two favorite entrees. Â The first time I ordered, I was shocked by how small the portions were. Â I really wanted to order more! Â Now that I've been a few times, it's actually a good size. Â You don't really taste the flavor after more than a few bites, so this portion now works well for me
DRINKS
Good wine selection
HIGHLY recommend. Â This place is even good for work drinks as there's a section with low black sofas in block shapes that you can all sit in if you get there before 6 pm. Â
You should make a reservation before you go. If you decide to walk in and sit at the bar, it usually gets crowded 30 minutes after opening.
Decent food, pretty slow service. Also the furniture made me feel like I was in a cafeteria..
Appetizers, the wild mushroom soup was rather disappointing. There was like one piece of ravioli. The spicy steak tartar was okay, though it really looked like uncooked meatloaf. The slow poached farm egg was done very well, and I liked the hint of uni in the froth.
For mains, roasted duck breast was okay. Dining partner really liked the peppercorn-crusted apples. Had trouble tasting the truffle in the sauce..I preferred dining partner's beer braised pork belly.
Ended with the citrus carpaccio to share, which had a great basil sorbet.
All in all, it's okay. Food is good, but nothing spectacular.
Thanks to a generous invitation, I was able to enjoy a wonderful early dinner at The Bar Room at The Modern.
Note: The Modern offers a set prix fixe menu that costs $98 per person, whereas The Bar Room offers a three page a la carte menu allowing you to mix and match flavors and quantities to best suit your tastes and appetite.
Everything we ordered at the Bar Room - the mushroom soup with chorizo ravioli, the alsation tarte flambé (a thin crust pizza, really enought for a full meal for one), the alsation sausage with saurkraut, the duck confit a la orange, among other dishes - were flavorful, sophisticated, interesting, elegantly served and filling.
While nouvelle and international, the cuisine has a noticeable Alsation accent. Although sausages and saurkraut are not foods I normally enjoy, the Bar Room's rendition is beautifully seasoned.
It is tempting to order three items per person, one from each page of the menu. However, I found the two plates is more than enough food for one person with a hearty appetite.
Besides, at this restaurant you want to save room for dessert. There are several delectable creations on the dessert menu, my favorite of which was the dark chocolate tart.
The Bar Room is tight. Â Tight, tight, tight. Â I'm not even knocking off a star for our slow service at lunch. Â The tarte flambe (classic style) is a revelation not to be missed. Â The scallops are perfect. Â Excellent wine selection by the glass--and a healthy pour when my companion and I couldn't commit to ordering that 2nd glass and "split" one. Â
The complimentary beignets and homemade ice cream--mouth watering just thinking. Â Excellent, tight, refined lunch. Â I most certainly felt like a lady who lunches, but I ain't no lady...
I've eaten at The Modern's Dining Room before years ago, and I remember it being delicious but pretentious. I had a tour of The Modern a while ago though and saw that they've changed the approach so I've been curious to go back. My friend and I wanted to try the food, but we decided to go to the Bar Room instead.
We ordered the cod, skate, duck breast, beef tenderloin, and pork belly to share.
The Atlantic Cod was cooked perfectly, the fish was soft and there was a thin crispy skin. I mostly tasted the fish and the mushroom as the sauce was quite subtle.
I enjoyed the pan-seared Skate more than the Cod. The brown butter vinaigrette was scrumptious and this dish tasted more complex than the cod dish for me. The crispy rock shrimp was a nice and delicious companion to the fish.
Next we tried the Roasted Long Island Duck Breast. This was my favorite dish of the night. The pistachio-truffle dipping sauce was so good. Though I do have to say that I couldn't taste the pistachio as much since the truffle was so distinct. Still, it was one of the best sauces I've had. We had asked for medium, and I was slightly worried that it would be over cooked, but it was cooked perfectly, the texture was just right. I also very much liked the peppercorn-crusted apple slices on the side.
The Beer-braised pork belly was good, but after the duck breast I was a little disappointed. I have high standards for pork belly as it is one of my favorite food items. Though this was done well because it melted in my mouth, I can't say that it was my favorite.
Black Angus Beef Tenderloin was also yummy, but again I loved the duck breast so much that this was not as impressive to me in comparison.
For dessert we got the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome and another one that had mango. The second was in a cup, and I liked that one more. There was an assortment of flavor in the second dessert. The chocolate dome was also delicious but not as unique as the other.
Overall we had a fantastic meal. The skate and the duck breast really stood out for me, although maybe a little too much since I can't remember the other dishes as well since I was so preoccupied with the two I loved. The drinks were also excellent, as was the service.
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