Terrific Takeout: The Daisy Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
James O'Hanlon, Owner of The Daisy holding Fettuccine: Cockles, Tarragon-Scented Lobster Cream and Fresh Homemade Pasta
Below: Octopus with Chorzio, White Lima Beans, Salsa Verde Cruda and Mango Chile Ancho Puree
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It's not every day that a high caliber venue devoted to excellence opens on the Upper East side, but we believe we found a new one! Please meet The Daisy, an absolutely brand new Agave Gastropub on 1641 Second Avenue and 85th Street owned by our friend James O'Hanlon, who also owns Agave, where he has also pursued his culinary vocation for 13 years.
The Daisy opened Monday, October 12, 2015 and we think we saw Gatsby out of the corner of our eye and we also searched for the green light at the end of Daisy's dock.
The Daisy is the epitome of authenticity and is far from the myriad of Mexican cliches in food that permeate the Manhattan dining scene. Clearly a cut above, The Daisy is even named after a cocktail, something we can personally appreciate.
Historically, the original Daisy cocktail was Brandy, Triple Sec and Lime juice. At THIS Daisy, you can find a play on this original called The Daisy. Mover and Shaker Greg Franzese will be pleased to know that both the bar in front and the bar in the back are crafted from concrete!
We began with a Kale Salad.
The pickled Pork Belly, from upstate New York, has sensational flavor and is joined by avocado, grape tomatoes, red onion, beet bulbs and of course kale, and they all dance in a splendid caesar dressing. We even liked the dressing. All produce is organic and locally sourced. This salad is delicious!
Look at that smile coming from the Duck Mini Wellington!
The Duck Mini Wellingtons are fragrant and warm and perfect for fall. The ultimate in comfort, the white truffle oil teams up with porcini to enhance the duck breast which hails from upstate New York. Green market pepper sauce is a lovely highlight.
The Octopus was perfectly pan-seared and announced just how amazing this cuisine is! Joined by chorzio, white lima beans, salsa verde cruda and mango chile ancho puree, the octopus was clearly the star of the show on this plate and was pure quality down to the ideal tenderness. Also we liked how thinly sliced the white lima beans were.
For an entree, we opted for the comforting Fettuccine. Cockles, Tarragon-Scented Lobster Cream and fresh homemade pasta will totally tantalize your tastebuds.
Leave it to an Irishman to do Mexican properly! (James's mom is from Tipperary; James's dad is from Armagh.) This is a must-visit, and you don't have to be an Ancient to love it (Ancient is a Miss Porter's School graduate; the official school flower is The Daisy and every graduation there is a school-long Daisy chain that is placed on Sarah Porter's grave at the conclusion.)
The Daisy is Terrific Takeout!
We look forward to seeing what they do next.
The bartenders, Joel Basilion and Jon Palmer, are fantastic!
