Peachy Picks The Public House
We first introduced you to The Public House in Tasty Tidbits:
We are pleased to announce it has graduated to Peachy's Picks! Just look at that Grilled Ribeye and please keep your computer screen clean, no drooling. What the midtown lunch crowd and the happy hour goers have not discovered is that this is a top contender for a premium dinner in Midtown Manhattan, and it is particularly convenient if you commute to Grand Central as it is only blocks away. Certainly The Public House is excellent for a party atmosphere but we want you to know it boasts great culinary talent and even has some alcohol we have reviewed and recommended independent of this review of The Public House including McWilliam's Riesling and Shiraz and Veuve Clicquot which reminds us of Mover and Shaker Mirelle Guiliano; these are what Peachy Deegan had with her dinner. In fact just this summer Peachy had dinner with Scott McWilliam and the lovely people from Gallo who import it from Australia. We were also pleased to see Mover and Shaker Jeff Glassman's Fire Island Ale on the menu. She is totally brand loyal as you know and was only disappointed that they did not have Star Vodka on the menu and we certainly hope to see it in the future. It's the only vodka she drinks and you'll say the same once you've had it.
As soon as the Whom You Know dining panel entered Public House, we were warmly welcomed by Chaemee Colfer, Restaurant Manager, and introduced to Pegi Kallioras who did not miss a thing as our waitress during the evening, and was sharp in attention to detail. Gretchen Brinson, the Chef, impressed us the most with her cordial nature and her diligent commitment to educating the Whom You Know panel about everything culinary at The Public House. Brinson attended the Natural Gourmet in Chelsea for Culinary school, and is a true carnivore now as the Top Chef at the Public House. Though the Ribeye from Legal Sea Foods was amazing, it was Peachy that made it for herself in our Peachy's Pantry column and not Gretchen in the recent review...next time we know who to call. You don't see a Chef Peachy column, do you?
Peachy Deegan had a lovely Grilled Wedge Caesar salad, to which she chose shrimp to be added. You also have the choice to add any of the following: Crispy or Grilled Chicken, Hanger Steak or Wild Salmon. We love bespoke everything, including salad. The Grilled Ribeye, pictured above, was absolutely to die for and grilled to perfection. Joined by heavenly Lemon Herb Butter, Steamed Red Potatoes (oh that takes Peachy back to the rolling green hills of Ireland that she loves and has lived in) and sauteed Garlic Broccoli, the Ribeye was succulent and among the best we've had, and that includes steakhouses. Peachy finished off with the chocolate chocolate chip cake! Listed on the menu as chocolate chip cake, we want to point out it is even more fabulous than it is listed as the cake itself is chocolate! (not like an inferior yellow cake with chocolate chips...Gretchen really outdid herself with this!) Peachy could go on and on, you know she likes pubs, but she likes pubs with outstanding cuisine the best and is pleased as punch to pick The Public House.
Don't take just her word for it though. The distinguished culinary experts of Whom You Know say:
From the moment I stepped into Public House New York, I felt comfortable and at ease. The high ceilings and spread-out layout give the restaurant an airy, spacious feeling - not something I experience too often in Manhattan! There is a large bar area, which looks like a great place to meet for after-work drinks or to take in a football game, and there are also big-screen televisions scattered throughout the dining area. We were seated in a comfortable booth and greeted promptly by our waitress, Pegi. We'd just begun looking over the menus when Chef Gretchen Brinson dropped by to chat a bit about the menu and answer any questions we had. The menu is fairly straightforward, featuring an appetizer menu full of great bar snacks, a nice assortment of salad options, an extensive offering of sandwiches, and a concise but interesting choice of entrees. I mentioned that I was thinking about ordering a sandwich, and Gretchen immediately suggested the Turkey-Brie Sandwich, which sounded like a great choice to me, and actually made the rest of my ordering much simpler! I chose a Sauvignon Blanc to accompany my food, and decided to start with the Gorgonzola Salad. Before the salads arrived, though, Gretchen and Pegi put their heads together and sent out an assortment of some of their favorite appetizers, which we enjoyed greatly! The Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip was delicious. It was served piping hot and accompanied by tortilla chips. It was creamy and very tasty, thanks in no small part to the white cheddar and parmesan cheeses that were mixed in with the spinach and artichokes! We also sampled the Fried Stacked Mozzarella, which was panko-crusted and served with beefsteak tomatoes, marinara sauce, and fresh pesto. This was terrific - I'm a big fan of mozzarella in any form, and I thought the combination of flavors on this worked very well. The pesto was outstanding, with a very fresh basil flavor, and the panko crusting on the mozzarella made it very crispy and extra savory. The third appetizer we tried was one of the restaurant's most popular treats - the Crispy Mac & Cheese Squares. As advertised, they were perfectly crispy on the outside. The inside was warm, gooey and delicious, though! The squares were served with both marinara sauce and hot sauce. Both worked well, but the hot sauce was definitely my favorite!
After the appetizers were cleared, my Gorgonzola Salad arrived. It was pretty to look at as you can see above, and even better to taste! The combination of arugula, sliced pear, gorgonzola, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette was perfect - a little bitter, a little sweet, a little savory, and a little tangy. Also, I really enjoyed the combination of textures - from the crunchy walnuts to the soft cheese, the variety of textures kept it just about as interesting as a salad can be! Next up was the Turkey-Brie Sandwich. I've had many turkey-brie sandwiches, but this one was definitely a standout. First of all, I would have been happy with just the bread itself for a meal. It was whole wheat raisin pecan bread, which was absolutely delicious. The bread was toasted and covered with a coat of honey mustard, and then stacked with granny smith apples, smoked turkey, and brie. Like the salad, the combination of flavors was simply outstanding! The turkey and brie were both great, and the apples added some extra sweet/tangy punch. And the bread was just the icing on the cake, so to speak - the perfect platform for the main ingredients. I didn't know if I had it in me to order dessert, but after seeing the Cookie Dough Smash on the menu, I figured I'd make room for it somehow, and boy am I glad I did! Served in an small skillet, the dish featured a warm, ooey-gooey, chocolate chip cookie, topped by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Wow! It was, quite simply one of the best desserts I've had - ever! Delicious!! You can see above...! Just to die for.
Overall, Public House NY provided an excellent dining experience - great food, fun, relaxed atmosphere, and terrific service. I'm definitely looking forward to another visit in the near future!
Dining at the Public House was an extremely pleasant experience. Even before tasting our first bite of delicious food, we encountered something that is often hard to come by in New York City - hospitality. Our waitress was warm and friendly and made us feel right at home almost instantly. Throughout the evening, she checked in with us to make sure we were enjoying our meal, and she made some great recommendations from the menu. Even the chef came out to greet us and check in with us several times throughout the meal. This kind of service can be particularly difficult to find in the city, and it was quite refreshing to have a meal in such a welcoming environment.
But of course, the friendly service is not the only reason to visit the Public House. The food was absolutely excellent. The appetizers we sampled were mouthwatering. The hot spinach and artichoke dip was freshly prepared and probably the best I've ever tasted. The fried stacked mozzarella was made up of delicious layers of mozzarella, tomatoes, marinara and basil pesto. Tasting the crispy mac & cheese squares instantly transported me back to my childhood, reminding me of my grandma's homestyle macaroni and cheese. For my main course, I had the grilled salmon, shown above. The fish was flaky and tender and drizzled with a white wine butter sauce. The asparagus on the side was crisp on the outside, but soft, juicy and flavorful on the inside. I was very pleased to have chosen this for my entree! Finally for dessert, I had the decadent chocolate chip cake. This chocolate cake loaded with chocolate chips is any chocolate lover's dream! After finishing the cake, I was completely stuffed, but I enjoyed every minute of my delicious meal at the Public House!
Having visited Public House on several occasions, a few very merry happy hours and one underwhelming dinner, I had to say that my opinion for Public House was yes- to the bar, but, no- to dining in. But after finding myself at Public House last night for another go-around at dinner, I'm glad to say that I'm changing my opinion for dining at Public House to a yes! From the moment we stepped inside, my party of 4 were warmly received and looked after by our server, Pegi, as well as Chef Brinson, who together walked us through every portion of our meal, from the drinks to start and on down to the appetizer, dinner and dessert selections. The appetizers that my group and I shared, were arguably the best part of the dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed the Crispy Mac & Cheese Squares (heavenly and a different taste sensation with the hot sauce/marinara dip), Fried Stacked Mozzarella (excellent, so delicious), and Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip (this tastes freshly-made). My entrée was the Crab Cake B.O.L.T. (Bacon, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato), which was very tasty and flavorful, it's just the right amount of breading and smeared with pesto mayo, seen above. On the side was a hearty portion of fries that have a slight hint of garlic, which I thought complemented the crab cake very well. Next, our party shared a selection of 3 desserts: Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Chip Cake, both of which were basic but good, and then the showstopper of the evening, the Cookie Dough Smash, which is a scrumptious bed of half-baked cookie dough with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top and drizzled with chocolate sauce. This was a melt-in-your-mouth slice of heaven and a must-try for any dessert lovers out there. You can be sure that the next time I stop by Public House, if just for a round of drinks, I will be ordering up some of these great appetizers and making some extra room for the Cookie Dough Smash!
Peachy Picks The Public House!
