Peachy Picks Sojourn
Sojourn was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
And later it graduated to Tasty Tidbits:
Its solid cuisine with the ability to impress even the most discriminating tastes will exceed your expectations, especially if you are one that is an Upper East side regular that walks by it all the time on East 79th Street without going in....run by entrepreneur Sam Musovic, above, Sojourn has been open two years and we believe it will be open many more, and here's why.
Their concept is clear-cut. When we go to a restaurant, we want to know what they are all about. Are they Italian, and Northern or Southern? Are they French? Are they Greek? Most restaurants that try to be too many things at once with a worldwide concept fail miserably because they do not have clearcut definition, but not Sojourn. Sojourn is one of these few success stories that can pull off a concept and a menu that boasts international flavor with distinction. Sojourn is named after "short journey" and it has a menu with worldwide influences. Another plus? Service is superb-both Sam and Jose Almonte were on the ball all night and the value is great as well.
Sam decided we should try some of the cheese-he was right.
Above from left to right was the triple cream brie, 5 year aged gouda, and parmigiano vacche rossa. Peachy is a fan of the latter two as you know she is more an advocate of hard cheese.
The prosciutto de parma and coppa continued to ignite our appetite in tandem.
As a starter, Peachy Deegan opted for the wild arugula salad which she'd recommend. It was fresh, original and the combination of granny smith apples, red onions, and toasted almonds were combined in an attractive ratio. They followed directions and held the blue cheese, which is usually a component (but never a component in anything Peachy eats) and put the lemon vinaigrette on the side.
The skirt steak is a prime example of how Sojourn takes something straightforward-skirt steak-and serves it up in an extraordinary way. The flavor of asian pear and soy marinade was a complete knockout and it was seared to a lovely medium as requested. The scallion fried rice was completely addictive and this is a dish Peachy absolutely would eat every night, and was just as good if not better than the salmon she enjoyed for the takeout. Peachy highly recommends the skirt steak served like this.
She sipped on a Brut Rose Prosecco - Rotari (Talento). The cappuccino was quite nice and they even had skim milk. (applause! You know who does not like fatty milk...) Sojourn has an interesting selection of desserts and they even managed to present three of them in a fashion that we have never had before: blueberry and ricotta cheesecake, creme brulee with figs (ooh you know Peachy loves almost anything that reminds her of Boston College which of course is in Newton...Sojourn we love your maroon and gold website) and date pudding-so clearly they are advocates of dried fruit. We saw the menu after the desserts were brought out and now that Peachy's seen it she'd say the flourless chocolate cake looks good!
Don't just listen to Peachy though, our esteemed panelists add:
Upon first glance of the interior of Sojourn, I actually thought the menu would have some sort of Asian influence because the wooden decor was reminiscent of a modern Japanese steakhouse, but the menu is really an eclectic mix from around the world. Sam, the owner and manager was the perfect blend of accommodating and friendly and says he tries to visit all his tables to add a personal touch to the dining experience. We started with a cheese plate that featured a triple cream Brie along with a 5 year aged Gouda and a Parmigiano Vacche Rossa. All three were an absolute must for a cheese lover.
My appetizer was the Roasted Butternut Squash Salad that consisted of delicious bites of roasted squash, brussel sprout leaves, shaved pears, toasted pecans and goat cheese, all tossed in a wonderfully refreshing champagne vinaigrette. The salad was so good I even ate the brussel sprouts, my least favorite vegetable! I also sampled the Butternut Squash Soup which was velvety smooth, had toasted pumpkin seeds and creme fraiche as toppings and had a lovely hint of Curry, which set it apart from the typical version of squash soup.
My entree, the Black Pasta, consisted of black linguine with a Lobster Arrabiatta sauce. The sauce was one of the best Arrabiatta's I've had, not too spicy but just enough kick, and the lobster meat was perfectly cooked.
Delicious. When Desert came to the table it looked gorgeous. Sam brought us the Ricotta Cheesecake with a Blueberry Compote and a Date Pudding that were both absolutely delicious.
The cheesecake was so light and non-cheesecake-like that it would convert even the most hardcore hater and the Date Pudding was such a surprise (having never tried date pudding before) I kept going back for more! Just when I thought my stomach would explode, our delightful waiter, Jose, brought us one last desert to try: their Creme Brûlée with Carmelized sliced Figs on top.
I adore Creme Brûlée and have had a lot of various toppings with it in the past, but this was the first time I experienced it with Figs and it has become my new favorite. It was also a fun side note to learn that the figs are from Sam's fig tree in his backyard in Long Island City. Sojourn was beyond delicious and a wonderful dining experience. I will definitely be returning!
Upon entering Sojourn, the restaurant's modern yet inviting ambience sets a relaxing tone perfect for a food and wine destination. The soft lighting, plush red banquettes, and chef's tasting table with a view of the kitchen makes Sojourn a restaurant in which you would want to linger with a date or good friends. I started off with a glass of the Reisling, which was dry and balanced, pairing beautifully with cheese and charcuterie. The by-the-glass wine list is well-curated and priced. Both the coppa and prosciutto di parma were excellent quality and sliced paper thin, and the three cheeses (Triple Cream Brie, 5 Year Aged Gouda, and Parmigiano Vacche Rossa) complemented each other nicely.
I was in the mood for seafood, so Sam suggested that I try the roasted salmon, a house specialty. The beautifully cooked fish, accompanied by delicate and woodsy chanterelle and crimini mushrooms, as well as brussel sprout leaves in truffle oil is a perfect fall dish that did not disappoint. The earthiness of the entree was only accentuated by Sam's pick of a smooth red from Sicily, Rosa del Montalcino. Sojourn's Executive Chef, Peter Petti, has put together a fabulous continental menu based on fresh seasonal ingredients. The standout desserts, a decadent date pudding and a creme brullee with ripe figs, followed in this vein. In fact, I will be dreaming about the creme brullee until my next visit to Sojourn, which will be soon.
Peachy Picks Sojourn!
