Peachy Picks Delmonico's Encore Review America's Oldest Restaurant Est. 1837 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
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We wish we could say that we've been alive since 1837 to tell you that all these years we've been dining here, however, our relative youth hopefully ensures that instead we'll be crossing our fingers to live until the 200th anniversary! Delmonico's is clearly in a class by itself and no other restaurant can rival its history (click here to read it!) since it is America's oldest, established in 1837. As we said last time, it's even older than Miss Porter's (est. 1843), however, Sarah herself could have dined here. Mark Twain did.
(borrowed from Delmonico's website)
We added Delmonico's to Peachy's Picks in 2012, and its encore performance was all that we had looked forward to. Just like our pal Billy Martin in Georgetown, you won't find anyone resting on the laurels of history here at Delmonico's where excellence is the embodiment of every executed culinary endeavor. Yes, even the butter is gorgeous:
The first dining establishment in America to be called by its French name, "Restaurant"
The first dining establishment to have a printed menu
The first restaurant to offer a separate wine list
The first dining establishment to have tablecloths
The first restaurant to offer private dining rooms
The first restaurant to accommodate a ball or gala outside a private residence
The first restaurant to allow women to congregate as a group
The first restaurant to have a "star" chef
The first dining establishment where guests sat at their own tables
The first restaurant to have a female cashier
The first restaurant to offer Eggs Benedict
The home of Delmonico Steak and Delmonico Potatoes
When you walk in, you enter into a decadent sphere of old-world excellence, and the moment we arrived the general manager greeted us as well as Executive Chef William Oliva, who is a total peach. William exudes total professionalism and brilliantly introduced all courses to us with pleasure and enthusiasm that is only displayed by the best chefs who truly revel in their vocation. Dennis, we missed you but we are sure we'll see you next time! (and we did meet him last time.)
When she sat down and perused the wine list, Peachy Deegan ordered a robust American red:
The Rock Island Red from Ryan Patrick Vineyards in Washington State proved to be an ideal companion for the carnivorous endeavors to follow. With Cabernet Sauvignon dominating the blend at 58%, we were quite happy. Malbec and Syrah came to this blend party.
As an appetizer, Peachy chose the succulent Seared Diver Scallops, which were the embodiment of perfection. An apple cider glaze enhanced them perfectly without being overwhelming and the mushrooms, parsnips and pomegranate made this the most delightful fall festival on a plate! This dish is an example of exactly what we are looking for: something delicious and traditional with a twist that is just creative enough to be interesting and different without anything extra that takes away from the star of the show, the scallops. We'd order this again and again, and when we return to a venue for an encore review, this is why. And look they are even using microgreens which certainly weren't making an appearance in 1837.
Narrowing down which appetizer to try at Delmonico's is one of life's most pleasurable problems. Normally decisive Peachy also tried another crowning glory of this area of the menu: Acquerello Risotto.
How we love terrific seafood! As we've mentioned before, we never edit pictures and photoshop. If something looks this delicious, it is. Shrimp, baby octopus, maine lobster, roasted fennel, and uni-emulsion waltz brilliantly in this risotto of the Gods (and Goddesses, of course.) Here's William introducing it to us:
When in Rome, you ought to do as the Romans do, and at Delmonico's we believe it would be a sin not to order steak! Peachy chose the majestic filet mignon and it arrived perfectly medium, as requested. Every bite of it was pure ecstasy and eating a steak at Delmonico's ought to be on everyone's bucket list. It lives up to the hype and history.
One of the best sides ever are the Charred Brussel Sprouts enhanced with bacon and Sriracha honey, and if you don't think you like Brussel Sprouts, the only thing we've got to say to you is TRY THESE. Not to be outdone, the Delmonico's Potatoes are glorious fingerling baked potatoes rejoicing in a winning team of parmesean and cream. We'd order these sides again and again.
Definitely save room for dessert, because Delmonico's not only makes the best Baked Alaska we've ever seen or eaten, but also they INVENTED it. How do you like them apples.
A newer incarnation of dessert comes in the form of Winter Chocolate-Caramel Crunch Mousse, joined by a blood orange sphere and yuzu ganache proving that not only does Delmonico's celebrate its heritage on the menu but also Chef William steps it up a notch and makes it even better. Finally, we tried the Baked Apple Mille-Feuille with honey ice cream and caramel apple jelly which sent the smile on our faces straight to our stomach.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
A dinner at Delmonico’s is like going to a concert. You’re there to see the star, which in this case is the steak, but you also anticipate a collection of talented sidemen in the band as well as a fabulous opening act. Delmonico’s doesn’t disappoint.
I started with a Caesar salad that was garnished with aged parmesan, lined with white anchovies, and topped with a poached egg. The dressing was sturdy but light enough to enhance the ingredients rather than overwhelm them. Definitely a great start.
At the suggestion of the chef, I chose a bone-in ribeye. I had asked that the temperature be medium and it arrived with a hint of pink inside. The marbling of the steak lent a tender consistently to the dry aged meat. In fact, whether you prefer dry aged or wet aged, Delmonico’s has the process covered.
As a side, I chose the charred Brussel sprouts with bacon and Sriracha honey. The tasty blend was a wonderful surprise, one that made me really appreciate the often overlooked vegetable.
The encore was a baked Alaska. Notoriously difficult to make, the meringue topping Delmonico’s version of the dessert looked like a miniature snow-capped peak from its namesake state. Slicing though the white wisps I came upon the ice cream, a treasure hidden beneath the mini mountain.
With traditional New York establishments seeming to disappear every day, it’s nice to know that Delmonico’s, like an old friend, will never let you down.
Peachy continues to pick Delmonico's!
Delmonico's continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
