I never really go to the Flatiron District, but was enticed to that neighborhood this weekend when my friend invited me to dinner at Almond.  I had never heard of it before, but when I looked it up I was highly intrigued by the “nouveau French/American” menu.  And of course, my friend has great taste for fine dining, so I trust her recommendations whole-heartedly.

When I go out to eat in New York, I am shocked by how tolerant people are of sitting in tight, crammed spaces and bumping their chairs into each other, especially in the more upscale restaurants where if you’re dropping so much money on dinner, you’d best be able to enjoy it without fear of getting your elbows bumped.  Anyway, this was not the case at Almond: the restaurant was spacious and cozy with warm, wood-themed decor.

Starting with drinks, Almond houses over 20 different microbrews, we each tried a different one recommended by our lovely waitress.  Just name a brand of beer that you like and they suggest a comparable one from their selection.  For food, by ordering a few appetizers for the table to share, including the escargot drenched in buttery garlic sauce, a chilled plate of oysters, and their steamed black mussels with shallots in white wine parsley.

There extensive menu had so many great options that made it hard for me to make a choice.  For my main dish, I had the delicious bass with fingerling potatoes, veggies, and a side surprise of tempura, but I was wildly jealous of my friend’s grilled scallops that had ravioli, duck prosciutto, and veggies.  Trying to decide on a side dish, the waitress recommended that we try their macaroni and cheese with prosciutto and chopped truffles, the “le grand” size.   Being obsessed with cheese, I can’t emphasize the extent to how delicious it was.  But I think it’s a good thing I didn’t order this as an entree on my own and instead shared with the table,  because I may have had a heart attack from it’s richness.  A good idea to share, as it is true that you can have too much of a good thing.

After all this food I was deathly full, but of course it would be unheard of to go without dessert.  The buttermilk waffle was to die for, spread with homemade nutella and mascarpone sorbet, and I stole a few bites of my friend’s crème brûlée with banana sorbet.

Co-owners Jason Weiner and Eric Lemonides opened the first location in Bridgehampton and brought he same farm-freshness to us here in Manhattan, which we are immensely thankful for.  Get your own taste of the Hampton’s freshness and make your reservations soon!

Yours,
Von

Almond
12 East 22nd Street
Between Park and Broadway
212.228.7557