Peachy Picks Lillie's Times Square Our Coverage Sponsored by Maine Woolens
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As soon as you step inside Lillie's, you'll know you're somewhere special. Peachy discovered it herself simply by walking by when she was on her way to another review, and in all of the reviews we've done we don't know that there is another venue with decor that trumps this, all of you that are all about Chez Peachy and interior design. Lillie's brings new meaning to the word gorgeous and Frank Mc Cole the owner-along with Tom Burke- does have a brother in Ireland that frequents estate sales, which is clearly beneficial. We almost expected our Irish ancestors or the cast of Downton Abbey to walk in the door as we felt so at home and felt it was their kind of place as well. Their facebook page tells us: The ornate wooden carvings and antiquities in Lillie’s were procured from a ballroom in an 1800s estate in Northern Ireland. The establishment combines an authentic ostentatious decor with a down-to-earth, mellow ambiance, that represents one of the last great Victorian “gin palaces” that once flourished in the industrial cities of Northern Ireland and England. We serve an eclectic, traditional m
enu and offer an impressive range of over fifty domestic and imported beers, both on tap and bottled, as well as a fine selection of whiskeys and scotches. Our hand-picked selection of wines, the majority of, actually come from the Langtry estate in California, which was founded by Lillie herself in 1888, add to the authentic ambiance.
The antique, carved-wood bar and furnishings, the likes of which have not been seen in many years, were acquired from a Victorian mansion in Belfast, Ireland. Great care was taken to have them preserved, wrapped and shipped across the Atlantic to their new home in Times Square at the heart of New York City.
It took a year and a half to get Lillie's looking this pristine and perfect.
Lillie's was first featured in Tasty Tidbits (which we encourage you to read so you know all about her prior to your visit!):
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2012/08/tasty-tidbits-lillies-times-square.html
We were having a pretty outstanding day before this dinner, so standards were high. On our way, we met a gold medal winner from the Olympics-Thanks Meghan! In actuality, our expectations were exceeded at Lillie's. Camila warmly greeted us as soon as we arrived and was tremendously hospitable all evening. And we were also pleased to work with Ciara, who not only is a server doing a top job, but she's also authentically Irish, which we look for in a place like this.
Lillie's has graduated to Peachy's Picks because of its phenomenally decadent decor which we absolutely adore, the care of its owner, Frank (loved meeting you Frank!), the service overall and the delicious cuisine which is among the best for its genre.
Many of our friends share our philosophy of checking out the bathroom first to make sure it is clean. Not only was it clean, but we think Lillie's may be the first to have a bathroom that is visually depicted. The decor carries on to this area as well and look at how lovely the sink is.
There's also a radio!
Make sure you look perfect in case you meet a Lord or Lady or any of the peerage!
For more on that, Read This:
This is the high ceiling you see once you enter the main room. Open since January 13, 2012, Lillie's is a hidden gem in the monster of Times Square that is absolutely the place to be. It's civilized, after all.
One wall as you walk in looks like this.
The most beautiful bar we've ever seen on this side of the pond looks like this!
Look up and appreciate the ceiling.
The far wall has stained glass.
Words do not do the decor justice so we won't even try, but be aware your dinner will taste that much finer when you are dining in such splendor.
A pint of Guinness was calling Peachy's name as soon as she walked in the door. Everyone KNOWS Guinness is good for you. Just ask the Toucan, or the myriad of others in the Guinness ads. The Guinness at Lillie's is fantastic and it is blacker than most on-taps that we see in New York since Frank knows what he is doing. He is Irish, after all. He came to the USA in 1987 and has been active in Real Estate development and also is instrumental in Devon and Blakely.
We were greeted with warm, cheesy bread which hit the spot and set the right tone.
Peachy chose the Spinach Artichoke Dip, since isn't spinach good for you too? Plus, it's green and guess who's favorite color that is. The dip was warm and creamy and not too heavy like lesser dips can be. You can tell the ingredients are fresh and the toasted pita bread was perfect to dip into it.
Every last detail is looked after at Lillie's and every aspect is aesthetically pleasing, which we do look for. We like nice plates. In fact, one of our panelists is an expert on China and we don't mean the country.
As you know Peachy is Irish and her Aunt Ronnie, pictured in all the photos to the right of the Deegan girls, has plates similar to this and is the culinary expert in the kitchen of the Deegan family. Watch out-Aunt Ronnie is so talented she even makes her own BAILEY'S. We call it Deegan's.
Sometimes we only stick to the main menus but the specials at Lillie's were so spectacular we could not resist. First we tried the Salmon Sliders:
They were every bit as delicious as they look. One aspect that makes them special is that the rolls are made out of the same bread the pretzels are!
The salmon was fresh and perfect for summer and if you are just popping in for a drink you should order this hot number. They are served with chipotle tartar, regular tartar and fries.
And then we heard that there was a crabcake special!!! You know Peachy always, always orders crab everything as she is so in love with eating them (except for Chadwick of course). The crabcake was substantial and didn't fall apart and had great fresh crab in it. The surrounding garnish was lovely and basil aioli was a nice highlight to the overall flavor. Clearly, by looking at this item alone you know you're in no ordinary Irish bar of New York. You're in extraordinary Irish bar of New York, and believe us, Peachy has been looking.
If you still need to be convinced, you must try the Lillie's House Salad which is served with TRUFFLE dressing. Absolutely decadent and to-die-for. They should bottle it.
They smartly put the dressing on the side (though in this case, clearly Peachy could not get enough!) and it joined the party of mixed greens, dried cherries, Oregon blue cheese, walnuts and crispy onions. In Peachy's opinion, the entree to beat is the Steak Frites: seasoned steak grilled medium, just as requested, was absolutely spectacular in a chive butter joined by hand-cut french fries and a baby green salad, also with the famous truffle dressing. Even better than some of the French Steak Frites we've tried!
Also note the gorgeous blue and white plate.
We also learned that the halfway mark is to make a Black and Tan:
The cranberry bread pudding was outstanding as a grand finale and at the conclusion Peachy wishes Lillie's had been the dining hall at University College Cork the semester she was there....
Do not leave without trying a Lillie's Pennie: Russian Standard Vodka, Ginger Beer and Fresh Lemon Juice! Their cocktail list is terrific but we have one idea for it...
Some people may go to this block to see Book of Mormon which has put Broadway on fire, but Peachy Deegan goes there for LILLIE's.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
When I walked into Lillies I had to stop for a minute to take in the
place. It is very elaborately decorated from floor to the raised
second story ceiling with imported Victorian Era art, furniture, a
long marble bar, and stained glass. You could spend a good portion of
your evening examining all of this amazing decor, which really takes
you back to another time.
Luckily its not just the furnishings that are great at Lillies, the
food is very unique and tasty!
I started with a pint of Guinness, on tap of course. Our waitress Camila was
very knowledgable about the menu and I took her recommendation for the
Fresh Steamed Mussels as my starter. The muscles are made in a green
sauce with jalepenos and cilantro.
They are slightly spicy (which I
love!) with a nice fresh flavor from the cilantro. Definitely a great
way to start the meal. followed with a Warm Beet Salad. This had
some oven roasted beets (both yellow and red) served over arrugula &
goat cheese, phenomenal!
For my main I went with the Stuffed Organic Pork Chop. This was a HUGE
pork chop stuffed with blue cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. B
ring your appetite for this one! It was absolutely delicious and was
complimented well with the home made sweet potato puree and string
beans. I'd highly recommend ordering this main, and I would even get
it again myself.
Owner, Frank wouldn't let us leave without trying his desserts.
I tried
the apple pie, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It had a very homemade
taste and reminded me of something I'd have at a family gathering.
I
had a nice single malt to go with it, the Balvenie 12 Year, and also
had a few laughs with Frank (you can't beat the Irish sense of
humor!).
Whether you are looking for a pre or post theater bar (located
directly across the street from the Book of Mormon) with a great
ambiance or an amazing and unique meal, stop by Lillies! This place
will enchant you!
Peachy Picks Lillie's!
Lillie's is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
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