Hello Single Gourmets, The days are not getting shorter any more, but they sure are getting colder. Thankfully it hasn’t really snowed yet. I’m sorry this newsletter is so short, and that there are only 2 events. I’ve got 3 lined up already for next month; I will get the February newsletter out early. In terms of travel, the feedback I have gotten is that there is some interest in Los Angeles/San Diego (probably in April), Croatia sometime in the summer, and Spain in the fall. Stay tuned!
JANUARY EVENTS
State Grill and Bar
21 W 33rd St
(inside the Empire State Building)
enter on the north side of 33rd St between 5th Ave & Broadway
Saturday, January 18
6:00 PM optional drinks
7:00 PM dinner
$88 prix fixe includes
3 courses, glass of wine, tax & tip
$98 for non-members or if payment is received after Wed, Jan 15
The Patina Restaurant Group owns 60 restaurants including favorites such as Café Cento, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 1/2, Sea Grill, La Fonda Del Sol, Cuccina & Co, and Naples 45. We dined here when it was brand new and loved it! Now the public has discovered this gem too and gave it a whopping 25 Zagat rating. With executive chef Priscilla Yeh at the helm, it is no wonder this is a top NYC restaurant. Chef Yeh graduated top of her class at the French Culinary Institute and went on to work at Bar Boulud, Dressler, and DuMont. At State Grill and Bar, dishes are all locally sourced and guests can watch their food being prepared in the open kitchen.
MENU:
Appetizers (choice of):
- Caesar Salad
- Grilled Shrimp
- Calamari
- Farm roasted chicken
- Scottish salmon
- Short ribs
- Roasted cauliflower
- Chocolate cake
- Ice cream sandwich
- Seasonal desserts
Land of Plenty
204 E 58 St
(between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
Saturday, January 25
6:30 PM optional drinks
7:30 PM dinner
$79 prix fixe includes
3 courses, glass of wine, tax & tip
$89 for non-members or if RSVP is made after Wed, Jan 22
Come celebrate the Year of the Rat this week with us at an old favorite restaurant of the group. If you were born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, or 2020, your Chinese zodiac animal is the rat, the first of all Chinese zodiac animals. If you were born in the year of the Rat, don’t take it as an insult — in Chinese culture, rats are seen as a sign of wealth and surplus. Because of their reproduction rate, married couples also prayed to them for children. In terms of the Chinese Yin and Yang theory, a Rat is Yang.
Land of Plenty is Michelin Guide recommended and listed as the inspector’s favorite: “Why do they call it Land of Plenty? Perhaps it’s the abundant flavors amongst the plentiful reasons. And although the focus here is definitely the food, this fiery haven feels more elegant than the other Szechuan spots in midtown. Tucked into a sleek, subterranean space, the décor features marble floors and mosaic-tile walls. A professional service staff helps further set the tone.” We will have a huge Chinese feast with a wide range and variety of different foods. Come hungry. This was a favorite restaurant of our founder Art Fischer who noted that if the restaurant is full of Asians, this means that it has to be a great and authentic restaurant. Gong Hey Fat Choy! (That’s “Happy New Year!” in Chinese.)
The menu will be a selection of Land of Plenty’s best dishes from the menu.
