Landmarc

This post is totally out of the blue, but I was thinking about this restaurant the other day and how much I love it, so I thought I should share. Landmarc is a fantastic restaurant in Tribeca, which my friends and I discovered when we lived downtown. I guess the genre would be New American or maybe French. We have been there countless times. I don't really remember our first visit, I'm sure it was for one of our "supper clubs" - the 4 of us would take turns picking a restaurant that was completely new to the whole group. A bunch of us girls went there the night Amy got engaged (dinner was before the engagement), I've taken my parents there, Peter and I brought a group of his friends there for New Years Eve last year, and Amy, Jess, Chelsea and I returned for our last NYC supper club (photo below). And there have been many other visits in between all those events.



Now onto the food. I wish I had some pictures of the wonderful things I've eaten here, but I never thought about it at the time. First off, the wine list is extensive and inexpensive - two very good words to describe a wine list. I remember hearing some back story as to why they can sell their wine at such great prices, but it escapes me. After choosing a wine, the bread arrives at the table - a basket of slices from a crusty loaf with a little dish of butter topped with crunchy sea salt. Perfection.

On to appetizers. I think almost every time I have been here, my group has ordered the smoked mozzarella and ricotta fritters, and the fried calamari with spicy tomato sauce. There's something about that tomato sauce...we always end up asking for more. And they serve fried thin lemon slices with the calamari which are actually really tasty. They also have oysters...yum.

Landmarc has daily pasta specials, and the menu changes slightly with the seasons. A permanent fixture on the menu is steak - they offer several cuts, with a choice of 4 or 5 sauces. I'm partial to the filet with green peppercorn sauce. And I'm not just saying this, but their french fries are really some of the best I've ever had. Perfectly crispy and salty with a little bit of chopped parsley. Some of my other favorites on the menu are mussels in white wine, grilled tuna with lentils, and lamp chops when in season. And in the winter you can't miss with the side order of brussels sprouts with pancetta.

The dessert menu is designed so that you couldn't possibly think about skipping something sweet at the end of the meal. Everything is mini - just a taste served in a little ramekin. Creme brulee, blueberry crumble, and tiramisu are all staples. They also have a nutella eclair, and several flavors of ice cream you can get served in a little dish or on a cone in a cute little ice cream cone holder. And they have a daily flavor of cotton candy - which is never on the menu, but always available.

Landmarc is a perfect neighborhood spot. The location in Tribeca (there's one in Time Warner Center too, but Tribeca is my favorite) is two levels. The downstairs has a small bar and an open flame grill where the steaks are cooked. In the summer they open up the big front windows and offer seating outside. The upstairs is a little quieter and cozier.

Definitely high on my list of favorite restaurants. Ok, now I'm hungry...