Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
Last week I wrote about my incredible birthday lunch at a secret sushi bar. This week, I want to write about what I had for dinner. I know, I’m one lucky guy!
For dinner, I finally got to put on a nice shirt and try out Agern, which is the fancier option in the iconic Grand Central Terminal from acclaimed Danish chef Claus Meyer. He also runs both a Danish hot dog stand and the Great Northern Food Hall in the building.
Agern is a bit hard to find and when you enter the doors, you are transported to another world inside the beautiful train station. It’s pretty cool.
I was a bit hesitant about the food. Scandinavian food has had a moment or two in the last few years and my few experiences with it in the fine dining world has been interesting but not always satisfying. This was both.
The bread and butter, which starts the meal off, is awe inspiring. Much more exciting than the free samples of rye bread they give out at the food hall. This sourdough loaf is dense and warm and served with house churned butter. Wow!
The appetizers were also great, especially a surprising gluten free ravioli made from thinly sliced celeriac and served with a smoked cream cheese sauce.
I ordered an entrée that I usually overlook. Mackerel. I’ll certainly eat the fish presented to me but generally it’s a bit too strong flavored for me to choose it as my main course. However the waitress sold it well and it sounded more interesting than most of the other choices.
Very happy I went a bit out of my comfort zone. The grilled fish had a bold flavor with notes of smoke and ocean. It was served with seasonal vegetables like crisp celery and shaved radishes. And the fascinating whey BBQ sauce was dotted with a few soft meaty mussels. One of the more interesting and successful dishes I’ve tasted in a long while.
This was only the second stop of my birthday extravaganza. I could write about the cocktails I had at The Aviary next week, but I’m afraid they were a lot of smoke and mirrors and nothing quite as good as the food I tasted. So I guess I’ll just have to count the days until my next birthday meal. Price: $28
| AGERN |
| 89 East 42nd Street (at Park Avenue), Inside Grand Central Terminal Midtown East (646) 568-4018 |
| agernrestaurant.com |
