A little luxury in NYC

I LOVE fine dining. I've stated this before. It isn't for everyone; my friends and family are kind enough to indulge me (within their reasonable standards) from time to time. I am always grateful to them for that. However, when I knew I was going to be in New York last week, I decided that I wanted to experience fine dining at a Michelin Star restaurant. I was astounded to learn the price per person for a dining experience at a Michelin Star restaurant. I read the reviews of a few and then decided that I could splurge on a 2-star Michelin dining experience at Gabriel Kreuther. The restaurant was within walking distance from our hotel (Hotel Hendricks).

We chose the 3-course option that we felt would match our appetites and the time we could afford to spend at the restaurant. We had to be done within 90 minutes so we could scram to the Minskoff Theatre to watch the Broadway production of The Lion King (which deserves a post on its own). I decided to glam up my wardrobe a bit for the occasion. I wore my recently purchased Coach Heritage leather skirt and with my LV Pico GO-14 (limited edition) in hand, I stepped into a magical dining experience that could only be made better if the plates, cutlery and glasses came to life and started singing Be Our Guest!

We were greeted by the host and two other gentlemen- I have no idea who they were, but one might have been a manager. We were led to our table for two, where within seconds of seating, we were greeted by our waiter and then, who we imagined was the maitre d'. We were offered a cocktail and wine list, which was unlike any I've seen before. It was tres fancy and expensive! We decided to get a bottle of red, which was poured into a decanter and filled into our glass at any point in time when our wine level was close to depletion by at least 3 different people assigned to serve us.

Our 3 courses were well spread apart, with surprise servings of the Chef's creations in between! We started with a delicious in-house bread served with a creamy, buttery, almost lemony garlic spread. It was smooth and delicious! It was a sort of light pea-green colour, which was surprisingly not off-putting. We were then treated to an amuse-bouche! A small serving of beef tartare sandwiched between two small square crackers, oysters with all of its garnishing on the side, another unique creation by the chef, which was savoury and melted in the mouth, and a shot of his signature kombucha blend. Between our 3 courses, we were served additional tastings. Combined together, we felt satiated and could barely finish our dessert.

Not only was the service amazing, but before I booked the restaurant, I had read one review in particular that stated the waiters and other staff are supposed to clean your table of any spills, crumbs, etc., as you dine. I thought they were kidding, but NOPE! Our table (mostly my side) was cleaned at least 3 or 4 times when the smallest crumb fell onto the tablecloth. I did spill a bit of something on the edge of the tablecloth, which wasn't cleaned. I supposed this was because it would be awkward to do, as it would require some scrubbing and where the small spill was on the tablecloth closest to me. Yes, I'm a messy eater. No matter how I try to be clean, I just cannot do it.

When we finally paid the bill and the 20% gratuity, we were bid adieu by the Maitre d' and I thanked her for the experience. After all, when you go to a restaurant like Gabriel Kreuther, you're not just going for the food that comes out in small portions and is artistically presented. You're going there for the entire experience which includes the service, the ambiance, and the attention to detail. We were given a new set of cutlery with every meal, heck, we didn't even know how to use some of it! I told the waiter before we left that we had eaten fine food before, however, we had never had a fine dining experience such as the one that evening.

The staff were classy, very professional, respectful and kind. They made us feel completely comfortable in an uncomfortable situation when we don't know what all our eating utensils are for or what on our plate is for presentation or actual consumption. Would we do it again? Maybe, but not anytime soon. I think I'm satiated for at least another couple of years. It was definitely luxurious and worth every last penny.