Peachy Picks Gabriel's
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and now we know Gabriel!
Of course, that is Gabriel and Peachy.
For the past 22 years, Gabriel has been pursuing excellence on the Upper West side at his namesake restaurant that caters to the uberfamous as well as neighborhood clientele and tourists alike wishing that they could find this in their hometown. Well, they could, if they just moved to Manhattan! Every dining occasion at Gabriel's is one to remember, whether you are the guest on Anderson Cooper's show across the street (oooh you know Anderson's very cool mom went to MPS!), Betsey Johnson and her husband (who were there when we were; now Betsey we have seen you at dinner on both sides of the park), and more that we were too busy to notice because Peachy was in a scallop trance...
.
Gabriel's hit parade began with some welcoming bruschetta.
Crispy and delicious, this super start boasted amazing olive oil and cheese sliced to perfection.
Gabriel's was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
& it advanced to Tasty Tidbits:
The phenomenally creative and high-quality cuisine, the collegial, warm atmosphere, the convenient location and the genuine care and commitment exuded by Gabriel himself make Gabriel's a clearcut Peachy's Pick.
Peachy Deegan began with the Caesar Salad: hearts of Romaine tossed with Maine Crab meat, sesame seeds, and croutons. Topped with shaved parmesean and marinated anchovies, this was a delightful start!
You know who has visions of crabmeat dance in her head on a regular basis, and she was entirely floored to see this in a caesar salad which is often joined by chicken or shrimp, which is not as succulent or creative as crabmeat. And the crabmeat itself was a total winner and lumpy like we love it!
If your Caesar isn't crabby you have to ask yourself why you don't know Gabriel, yet!
You can see the atmosphere is quite warm from the lighting and that adds to the overall appeal.
Gabriel's must be highly commended on their excellence in cocktail-making and you know we know a few things about THAT. Peachy tried three Bellini's: blueberry, peach and blood orange and each was pure, freshly squeezed juice in a party of prosecco and delicious! Finding a restaurant that makes high-quality juice for their cocktails is not a regular occurrence, even in Manhattan.
First off, look at how gorgeous the presentation is of these knockout sea scallops.
You'd think they were in costume for their performance at Lincoln Center!
Served with Tarragon Aioli and dancing above their skirt of roasted potatoes, these hot scallops were served in a party of grape tomato and corn salad that will delight even the most discriminating connoisseur.
The menu is well-thought out and though the choices are not endlessly overwhelming like they are at many venues of this caliber, you will find everything you want and exactly what you want.
A side of asparagus was cooked to perfection joined by fresh parmesean!
This is a side dish not to miss!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes became fast friends with Peachy and subsequently her stomach...and by the way the bread on the table is fabulous, by Tomcat Bakery.
Edis the Bosnian waiter was perfectly pleasant the entire evening.
Warm chocolate truffle cake had Peachy's name written all over it.
With vanilla gelato, the soft-hearted cake of grand mariner was drizzled with raspberry sauce making the experience of this dessert orgasmic. You absolutely must order it.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
What a great evening I had dining at Gabriel’s. I knew I was off to a good start when I walked through the door. A warm gentleman immediately thanked me for choosing Gabriel’s. This warm man catered to (personally or instructed someone) to address our every need.
I started with a Vodka Gimlet. I was impressed they remained consistent throughout the evening. The raisin walnut bread was sooo amazing (I think I ate a whole loaf). We were offered Bruschetta that was very fresh and the aged Balsamic Vinegar…SPECIAL!
I chose the Bresaola served with Baby Arugula and Parmesan Cheese drizzled with Lemon and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as my appetizer and really enjoyed it. I had a tough time deciding on my entrée. I couldn’t decide if I wanted the Marinated Lamb Chops, Baby Chicken or the Beef Shorts Ribs braised in Dark Beer, Orange and Sage. I decided on the Chicken marinated in Garlic, Lemon and Rosemary, served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Broccolini. I REALLY enjoyed it but should have followed my gut (no pun intended) and gone with the Lamb Chops.
Peachy Deegan always asks if the owner would join us for dessert to converse about their vision and get to know them. Not only did the owner (THE WARM GENTLEMAN) I spoke of earlier, join us, he shared our dessert!
Overall, Gabriel (the owner) made me feel as if he invited me into his home for dinner. The service, quality of food, his conversation and attention to detail reminded me of the years I lived in Italy.
I will return…and those Lamb Chops will be mine!!!
Peachy Picks Gabriel's!
Gabriel's is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
Gabriel's
11 West 60th Street
212 956 4600
