The Kitchen Table at The Modern

We had previously been to The Bar at The Modern, where the value to taste ratio was quite good. In an effort to knock another off our list, we booked The Kitchen experience. On the other side of the bar, there was a dining room with a lot of natural light of the garden of the Museum of Modern Arts. This area served a more extensive tasting menu with wine pairing options. The kitchen is the same, except if you book during lunch, you have access to the dinner tasting menu as well, i.e. the full experience. We made a reservation for 12:00 PM on a Saturday without much difficulties as long as you make the reservation when it opens up.

This is currently a Michelin 2-star restaurant and has held this for several years.

Ambiance & Service

The kitchen area seats 1-4 guests, and it’s your own personal experience of the kitchen. You can observe the (lack of) chaos of the kitchen, and how it operated together as a well-oiled machine. The kitchen hosts were very nice, and they chatted with us frequently. What was interesting was that the kitchen was divided into separate kitchen and bar-room areas. They did have a universal bread, salad, and dessert station.

The service was spot on because the pacing of the food was on point. It was rarely too long nor too short between courses, and the timing was impeccable.

A nice gesture at the end of the night was they gave us free tickets to The MOMA, so we can burn off some calories.

Food

The White Pepper cocktail ($20) came with Japanese gin, Brooklyn kombucha, aquavit Gentian liqueur, yuzu, and almond. This wasn’t super spicy or peppery, and it tasted really balanced and good.

The Bluefin Tuna, Sorrel, and Black Truffle came on a tartlet. This was really good and fresh. The black truffle wasn’t potent enough to irk my partner, who typically loathes anything truffle.

The first pairing was the Guiborat “Prisme” Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs extra brut, Champagne, France. This was made from 100% chardonnay. It was quite bubbly and intended to cut through the next course.

The Eggs on Eggs on Eggs was the signature caviar dish for this restaurant for many years already. This came with a brioche, pickled shallots, and fresh dill. This was quite heavenly and very delicious. The brioche was basically fried in butter, but it was a great vessel to scoop the egg sauce at the bottom.

The second pairing was the Alemany I Corrio “Cargol Treu Vi” came from Barcelona area, Spain 2021. This has aromas of white flowers, white fruit, and some noticeable minerality tones. This was a medium body with some bright, higher acidity to the tip.

The Heirloom Tomatoes, Lovage, and Clams was an interesting salad dish. The sorbet on top was made of lovage, which has notes of celery and parsley. The tomato on the bottom was quite lovely. The little clams on top was an interesting addition.

The third pairing was the Albert Boxler “Brand” Grand Cru, Pinot Gris from Alsace, France 2014. The pinot gris was a noticeable bold yellow color. This had a dry, well-defined mineral, and savory taste to it.

The bread was a Buckwheat sourdough with cultured better and their own sourdough starter. The cultured butter was so delicious, and the sourdough bread was piping hot with a perfect crunch on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

The Arctic Char came with sweet corn and a duck consomme. On top was pickled daikon and shiso leaf. The arctic char’s skin was wonderfully crispy, and the fish tasted delicious. The duck broth with the sweet corn was pure heaven, and the shiso leaf flavors really accentuated everything. This was one of my favorite dishes of the night.

The fourth pairing was the Catena Zapata Malbec from Uco Valley, Argentina 2021. This malbec came from a colder climate and was very well balanced. It was slightly spicier and richer with some notable black cherry notes to it. The front of the label was interesting in that it denoted images of the three stages of life: life, death, and rebirth.

The Monkfish was roasted on the bone and came with pickled “bird’s beak” peppers and young squash. The monkfish was cooked superbly, and the sauce was delicious. I first had the bird’s beak peppers in Brazil, so it was interesting to see them use this pepper here in the states. The peppers aren’t spicy at all, and they have a slight sour taste to it. Monkfish, for those that don’t know, is a very lean and dense fish protein that is quite tasty and can be eaten as a steak.

The fifth pairing was the Michele Satta “Piastraia” Bolgheri Rosso Superiore, Tuscany, Italy 1998. This is a super Tuscan with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese. The color of this looked like a somewhat unfiltered, gritty red look which was different than other Tuscan wines I’ve had. Nonetheless, the flavor of this was exquisite with a lot of fun fruit flavors and spices on it.

The 15 day Dry Aged Duck came with wild blueberries and chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked in butter, and there are some basil leaves. The meat jus was cooked down and included citrus zest and red wine vinegar. The duck was sublime and perfectly cooked. The sauce gave it a nice acidity.

The sixth and final pairing was the Chateau Climens, Sauternes from Barsac, France 2011. The sweetness of this wine was not overpowering and quite balanced. The flavor was distinct yet subtly smooth. This was a very good complement to our remaining desserts.

The Dark Chocolate Tart came with blueberries and sunflower seeds. This was salty, sweet, and balanced. It was a delicious dessert.

The Frozen Melon and Celery came with watermelon ice cream and celery granita. The watermelon ice cream at the bottom was a surprise, and I wish people use watermelon as a flavor more often than not for desserts.

The Peaches and Custard Cream came with a peach croissant and a peach custard on top. The croissant was super fluffy and crispy.

In the rear were Cinnamon Roll Macarons. These were pretty good though most macarons taste similar to each other.

In the front were Champagne Bonbons. The bonbons were good!

Final Verdict

There are very few exquisite restaurants that we’d return to, and The Modern is one of those. Both the Kitchen and the Bar Room experience were simply outstanding when it comes to service, quality, and taste. Whether you choose either experience, you are definitely guaranteed a great night. The Kitchen experience will be unforgettable.

Yelp Jabs

This is a a secret three-Michelin-star-spot with just two stars for now, rivaling some of the best restaurants in the country (Why no third star? Maybe it’s the bathrooms…)

One misconception that many Yelpers, Elitists, and Foodies have with the Michelin guide is that they do not give stars for the bathrooms or anything non-culinary. In Michelin’s FAQ, it explicitly states, “A Michelin Star is awarded for the food on the plate – nothing else. The style of a restaurant and its degree of formality or informality have no bearing whatsoever on the award.” Even though good hospitality typically comes with fine dining, it’s not a prerequisite for a star.

I ended up getting sick later that evening. I will spare the details but I was rolling on the floor from 3-3:45 AM on a work night. This was the most expensive meal I’ve had up to this point and if there was anywhere in the world I wouldn’t have expected for this to happen…it would be at a 2-Michelin star restaurant. The only meal items I had that differed from the rest of the table were the squab and the eggs on eggs on eggnog. I’m pretty sure it was the squab that upset my stomach

Another common misconception is that a Michelin star restaurant will give you healthy foods. Yes, the quality is good, but in reality, the foods are typically quite rich. If your body cannot handle the sudden influx of this quantity of richness, it will definitely have some issues. Some people when they eat too many eggs, let alone raw yolk, may experience issues later in the evening as well.

Revisions

1. Sep 14, 2024 - Initial revision.