Owner Brian Daly with the quintessential cheeseburger
Grilled Octopus at The Reading Room
It's never been who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW. And EVERYONE knows there have always been two types of people in this world, those that are Irish and those that wish they were. Well, The Reading Room is of Irish descent: Limerick and Carlow to be exact. Owned by Brian Daly, Niamh (say NEEVE) Daly, Executive Chef Rich Schoenacher and Jason Clark, The Reading Room opened in The Gotham Hotel in July 2022 and though they do room service, the ownership is independent from the hotel itself.
Called The Reading Room because of the history behind The Gotham Book Mart, it is evocative of the literary salon it once was...and now that we have been there we hope to make it even more literary! Read This has 926 book reviews so far but who's counting? Peachy is reading something from Harvard now so stay tuned. This is our first visit ever to The Reading Room and their first review of course.
We were highly impressed with the quality of the salad selection and also in the fact that they listened and in all cases, adhered to Ms. Pretty Picky's request of dressing on the side. Above, please befriend the Baby Beet Salad! Frisee, Arugula, Shaved Fennel, Creative Chipotle Almond Crumble (fresh! crunchy! fun!) and Golden Raisins combine for a nutritional, delicious winner. Note that this is usually with Goat Cheese, but you know who does not care for Goat Cheese. An attractive red wine vinaigrette arrived nicely on the side.
The Bleu Gem Salad was Peachy's favorite with perfectly cut up cherry tomatoes, Chives, Bacon, Endive and Egg. Note they normally put Bleu Cheese on it which obviously gives it the name, however, Peachy feels the same way about Bleu Cheese as she does about Goat Cheese. For someone that nearly never likes anyone's salad dressing anywhere, Peachy loved the buttermilk ranch that arrived in style here at The Reading Room.
The Caesar Salad is exactly what you want it to be and we reveled in its simplicity. Croutons, Shaved Parmesan Cheese and of course Caesar Dressing was especially great in its bite-sized well-cut pieces.
A most outstanding appetizer not to be ignored is the Grilled Octopus:
The tenderness level was perfection and they nailed it on their first try.
Lesser places (probably not Irish) can make it rubbery when it is not grilled correctly, and these people don't understand goodyear tires belong on your sportscar, not on your dinner plate. The Standout Grilled Wonder of the Sea at The Reading Room parties with parsnip hummus (amazing item we have never had before, which is really saying something 14 plus years into this), grilled Trevisano, Parsnip Crisp, Chorizo and Vinaigrette. As you can see, the presentation is outstanding and the flavor combination culminates in a superior taste.
Another standout hot appetizer is the Octoberfest Mussels. We haven't been so impressed with Mussels since the highly talented Luc Holie closed Jubilee. (Peachy is still mourning the loss). Obviously, it doesn't need to be October to eat these wonders which step out in toasted lager, sauerkraut, seared sausage and whole grain mustard. Grilled Ciabatta seals the deal!
This Banshee Cabernet is the perfect companion to everything edible you indulge in, especially as we head towards the colder months! The Irish reference in the name was not lost on us.
For the Pescatarians, Grilled Branzino is what you're looking for.
Cauliflower Puree, Curry Roasted Cauliflower, Grapes, Almonds and Lemon Brown Butter all rejoice around this convincing sea swimmer, grilled just right.
Braised Short Rib is even more delectable with butternut squash risotto, striking the right note for the fall season. Grilled Broccolini and Orange Gremolata class it up even more!
Anywhere in Manhattan that is in it to win it has got to have a great burger, and The Reading Room certainly does. We absolutely adored the cheeseburger (cheddar) and the french fries were excellent, as to be expected from someone Irish. Potato perfection! The eight ounce burger luxuriated on the brioche bun with butter lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli. Note everything actually does look this fantastic: we do not edit pictures. Also, The Reading Room is one rare venue where we liked the music! Lots of Hartford Whalers warm-up music if you were in the Civic Center back in the day, and also they played a lot of songs that were later done by the Perilhettes.
Perfectly medium rare:
Key Lime Pie was superlative in flavor and presentation, and the toasted graham crust was perfectly thin and the merengue fluff tasted like heavenly clouds. And a sneak preview: December 1st: Apple Cider Donuts will be making their menu debut and they shine in this fall season! Caramel dipping sauce plays an ideal sidekick.
We were impressed with The Reading Room and hope they keep up the excellent work!
