All Photos By Gail
Remember The Before Times, when NYC’s semi-annual Restaurant Week lasted just one week? Back then, you had to act fast or miss your chance to dine-out at a fancy, expensive restaurant for a bargain price. Well, things are different now, and Restaurant Week continues for an entire month! Wow! This means you still have until August 21st to take advantage of all kinds of special deals. Interested? I hear you, because dining out is awesome. If you’re looking for a place that serves eclectic fare, located in a neighborhood you probably haven’t spent any time in (in other words a Culinary Adventure), I’d like to recommend UN Plaza Grill, the city’s premier globally-inspired kosher restaurant. For what happens to be the 30th Anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week, UN Plaza Grill is offering a three-course prix fixe for just $60. Let’s take a look at what they’re serving.
The menu from the only full-service kosher restaurant participating in the Summer 2022 edition of this popular, citywide culinary promotion features a well-curated selection of its most popular dishes. You’ll also find hits from the recent Israeli and Indian cuisine prix fixe menus that UN Plaza Grill has presented as part of its ongoing, Global Chefs Pop-Up Series. While this special menu represents an average 30 percent discount on a la carte pricing, UN Plaza Grill’s regular menu is also available.
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For example the Tandoori Chicken Wings and Masbacha Israeli Salad are featured as two of the six appetizer options on the event menu. There are so many delicious choices, you may have to go back a few times! Here’s what we ordered on our recent Restaurant Week visit.
I started my meal with the Steak Tacos: three hand-crafted, crunchy-fried corn tortilla shells stuffed with chucks of lean, tender steak and topped with fresh pico de gallo and lots of house-made guacamole. These tacos were excellent, and something that you would probably pay $20 for as an appetizer at your favorite local Mexican place.
My dining companion, who loves Indian food, chose the Tandoori Chicken Wings as her appetizer. You get three meaty, juicy wings to savor.
Of the four main dish offerings, we both chose the Center Cut Rib Eye, served with a side of crispy, hand-cut steak fries, and an array of sauces including Béarnaise sauce, and a pan gravy.
We also ordered a side of mixed seasonal vegetables to share, which really complemented our meal.
Here’s a close-up of the very generous cut of well-marbled, juicy rib eye, seared to perfection on the grill. If you’re craving a classic Steak Frites meal, this one surely satisfies.
If steak doesn’t strike your fancy, you can also enjoy the Crispy Pan-Roasted Salmon, with Asian glaze, jasmine rice, and stir-fried vegetables; Pan-Seared Chicken Scallopini, with lemon-caper sauce, and herbed mashed potatoes: or the house-made Potato Gnocchi, with basil pesto, blistered tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. There’s something for every palate.
The menu ends on a sweet note with a choice of Apple Tart, Molten Chocolate Cake (both complemented by vanilla ice cream) or Pavlova, a meringue-based dessert served with coconut-lemon cream, sumac and strawberries. We were having a hard time deciding, so our waiter brought us all three, which we enjoyed sharing. Take a look!
The Apple Tart features lots of fresh baked apples on a light and tender puff pastry. Scrumptious.
Everyone loves Molten Chocolate Cake, with its surprise gooey chocolate lava center, which partners perfectly with cool vanilla ice cream. So yummy.
If you’ve never had a Pavlova, it’s a light dessert featuring a crispy meringue shell. This one is surrounded by a sweet coconut-lemon sauce and fresh strawberries accented with the flavor of sumac. If you’re feeling a little full, maybe opt for this choice.
UN Plaza Grill underwent minor interior renovations a few months back, which included the removal of a section of front-of-the-house seating, and the installation of a new bar area.
Serving trendy cocktails and wines, the bar will formally open later in the summer.
The UN Plaza Grill, open Sunday through Thursday, from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM, is located at 845 1st Avenue (at 47th St.). On-site parking is available at a flat rate of $25 with validation by the restaurant. For NYC Transit, take the M15 Bus. Reservations can be made on the restaurant’s website at www.unplazagrill.com or by calling 212-223-1801. UN Plaza Grill is under the kosher supervision of the OU. Enjoy!
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