Peachy Picks Beacon Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Executive Chef and Owner Waldy Malouf holding Wood Roasted Rainbow Trout
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Our first clue that Waldy is as much of a peach as he is was the Peachy Martini with peach-infused gin each of us were presented with at the opening of our review! Clearly he is reading, and what he didn't know before Peachy herself arrived is that she has admired his talents for years. If you think you don't know Waldy Malouf, think back to the glory days of the Rainbow Room. That was his work. And, in the summer of 2000 when she was being taken out for lunch by a firm that was interviewing her for a job, Peachy was taken to the Hudson River Club, which he was once a part of and influence on. So, she's always wanted to go to Beacon, and the night exceeded her expectations even. Beacon was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
We are pleased to announce it is a definite Peachy's Pick due to Beacon's excellence in open fire cooking, the elegant, welcoming atmosphere, the upbeat attitude of the staff and the sincere care exuded by Waldy himself, who simply could not have done a better job. We hear it is more corporate at lunch in atmosphere as are most midtown venues, however you can be assured by dinnertime it is a fine mix of crowds-some social, some business, all happy to be in this Midtown destination hotspot. If you have not been to Beacon, you are not living your best life in New York! Waldy's first name derives from a religious order and if cuisine were a religion also, he'd have quite the congregation. About 80% of his ingredients are locally sourced this time of year, and he was one of the farm-to-table pioneers in the 1980's. He's been in New York since age 22 and the city has been the better for it.
You know we always order an appetizer each if you've read us before, but Waldy decided we'd try ALL of the appetizers. We suggest you do the same!
The Waldy Malouf hit parade began with the Wild Mushroom and Red Onion Pizza, which is what Peachy was going to order for an appetizer anyway. You know the girl thinks pizza is one of the four food groups. Its light crisp crust bursting with an array of flavors ignited our appetites for a feast that is unparalleled in our most recent experiences.
Peachy is not such a fan of soup, especially soup in the summer, especially when she's wearing a white dress (but thank goodness she has a friend like John-Claude!) However, after one sip of this amazing concoction and bite of the succulent shrimp convinced her that soup is where it's at at Beacon! Roasted Chilled Yellow Tomato Soup highlighted by jalpeno cilantro relish had the proper amount of kick of spicy without any need to swallow some serious aqua as a follow-up.
Lobster rolls, lobster rolls, how we adore you! As you can see, every Beacon item is an aesthetically pleasing. We did not see these on the menu at the restaurant but we were absolutely delighted by their appearance! The lobster was fresh, absolutely gorgeous and short-lived on the table and reminded Peachy of watching 41. Beacon honors all areas of American cuisine from fish to beef to vegetables-you name it. Since its opening in 1999, its innovation in open fire cooking has been lighting up New York, and perhaps one of the best highlights and examples of this were the Wood Roasted Oysters:
These are not to be missed and should you limit yourself to just one appetizer, this should be the one you embrace with open arms. It will return the love on your palate. With shallots and verjus, these oysters boast a flavor like no other oysters we have EVER tried. EVER. How often do you see that word capitalized in our dinner reviews? After over 160, we've found places that are fantastic as others but rarely do we find something we haven't experienced before that you ought to experience because of its sheer quality and not its ability to shock.
The beefsteak miniburgers were juicy and enticing as well, and they'd be a proper dinner if you were sitting at their gorgeous bar at Beacon. Peachy also sipped on a Cabernet Sauvignon, Sean Minor 2009 from Napa Valley which was bold, rich and a perfect companion to each component of her meal.
This summer we've had lots of fresh fish that have impressed us, but few have been in the category of this Wood Roasted Rainbow Trout. The flavor that the wood gives it really makes it pop and combined with the spices and delicate halved cherry tomatoes of contrasting colors made this a dish to admire on the plate as well as on the fork. (See Waldy holding this at the top.) The fish easily fell off the skin and was expertly filleted. Every bite was pure deliciousness. If you are in New York only once this summer, this is the dinner you should eat.
A wide array of side dishes joined the party and spinach was at the top of Peachy's list of high accolades, although every one we tried was terrific. Who knew that Peachy would also fall in love with Summer Succotash!
The Grilled Filet Mignon of Beef dancing in cabernet and wild mushrooms is a total winner as well and we were blown away to share this entree also. The Beef was soft and perfectly grilled to a lovely shade of pink that absolutely melted in our mouths, as did the divine chocolate cake that followed:
Do not leave without tasting the Wood Roasted Strawberries:
They are absolutely to-die-for and you ought to order two-one to take with you to eat at breakfast the next morning as you'll still be thinking of them then!
Clearly, as all of these outstanding options exemplify, you absolutely cannot go wrong at Beacon; even the pickiest of eaters will find something to love.
Our esteemed panelists add:
Last night I was so pleased to be introduced to a new restaurant. As I work Uptown and reside Downtown, I often tend to overlook Midtown as a destination for only corporate lunches and touristic dinners. I learned last night that I am making an overt judgment and clearly need to expand my horizons. Beacon was a lovely space with room to spread out, yet it allowed for conversations at the table. Chef Waldy was wonderful and is clearly passionate and dedicated to his craft and food. Food started arriving and wow was I impressed. Open fire was the main stay of this establishment, and that was apparent in all of the dishes. Wood roasted oyster in shell on a bed of salt was citrusy and peppery and really stood out. The flavors melded so well, and I knew instantly I would be coming back for another visit! A flat bread pizza which was thin-crusted with mushrooms and tomatoes reminded me of pizzas in the South of France – I was transported by the char and flavors.
Next came lobsters rolls and mini burgers on toast rounds– creamy lobster and perfectly rare beef.
With the lobster rolls I could have been in Cape Cod. Each dish took to me to another region in my mind! And to round off the appetizers was a chilled yellow heirloom tomato soup with a poached shrimp. At the end of every Spring I eagerly await gazpacho season. This soup was excellent and as someone who has a chilled tomato soup 4 plus times a week in the summer this was a winner.
For my entrée I picked a wood oven roasted chicken with a pickled tomato panzanella salad. First off the chicken was on the bone. This always makes for a juicier meat and a different type of heat. The wood fire allowed for a second set of tastes as well as great flavor from the herbs. The panzaella salad was a great compliment to the chicken with the heirloom tomatoes and toasted bread. This was a different take on the traditional salad, and it was crisp and lovely. As a side dish I was most taken with the succotash. A staple for my family’s Thanksgiving, it tasted wonderful and reminded me of the most perfect type of comfort food.
I tend not be a dessert girl, sweets aren’t often my thing, but that being said dessert was fantastic. A small personal sized cast iron pan was placed in front of me with a cobbler of peaches and blueberries with a small boule of vanilla ice cream. It was sublime with a great crust! Overall this was a great meal. I will be back with friends in tow!
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I had a fantastic night at Beacon! From start to finish my experience
there was superb and my personal favorite dinner review thus far.
When I entered I was impressed with the large main dining room which o
pens all the way to the back where the open fire, wood burning
kitchen is. Even on a Tuesday night, all the tables were full with
happy custumers, which doesn't surprise me at all.
We started with a specialty cocktail of theirs, a peach infused gin,
which was sweet and refreshing. Perhaps Beacon will give the Peachy
Deegan cocktail a try some day?
The charismatic Chef/Owner Waldy greeted us and made some great
suggestions for appetizers, which I was very excited to try. The wood r
oaster Oysters were excellent! Cooking them in the open fire brings
out a great depth of flavor and slight sweetness. This is one of the
most popular menu items, and I now understand. I will be ordering this
again when I return to Beacon. We also tried the Roasted Chilled
Yellow Tomato Soup. A great summer soup, very refreshing, and with a
touch of my with my favorite spice, cilantro.
For my entree, I choose the Paisley Farm New York Lamb Chop. I am a
huge fan of lamb, but finding good lamb can be difficult. Beacon does
it right, by staying with local farmers and in season ingredients. The
lamb was super tender, came right off the bone with my fork, and sweet
tasting. No gaminess that lamb can sometimes have. I would highly
recommend this dish.
I also enjoyed the Summer Succotash, a mix of beans, corn and spices.
The flavor really caught me by surprise. It was great!
Dessert. Wow! Carmalized Apple Pie Pan Cake. Amazing! I could not get
enough of this stuff. I also got to try the Wood roasted strawberries
with cheesecake ice cream. Also very good.
Great food, great atmosphere, friendly & knowledgeable staff, and a
passion for what they do, Beacon has it all! Thank you to Waldy and
the staff at Beacon for a fantastic evening.
Peachy Picks Beacon!
Beacon is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
