Being weary on a Tuesday evening I spied the mid-town restaurant The Point and instantly recalled a rather good experience in the past. So I entered and was politely greeted and given a table right away. There was a nice buzz going in the bar and people looked comfortable.
Not having had a Manhattan in many years, I was inspired to have one from the ample cocktails menu. It was delightful and produced a warm glow to match the warm and cozy feeling in the room.
I ordered from the Prix fixe menu - but it took me a long time and about half way through the Manhattan to decide because so many dishes looked attractive.
I began with the butternut squash soup with maple creme and candied walnut dust. After tasting the degree of sweetness, I added salt and pepper to tone things down a bit. After several spoons full, I realized that it was actually a squash foam due to significant over blending. That texture made it difficult to eat as a soup. Perhaps it would have been nice as a mousse.
The view of Madison Ave. is lovely,
and the ceiling mirrors add a bit of quirkiness or interest.
My main course was the chicken chassure and it was lovely. The accompanying vegetables would have been better off left to themselves without the thick coating of garlic and I-don't-know-what, and the roasted potatoes were a welcome relief.
The pistaccio gelato was very mild and the finishing sauces provided a bit of a puzzle. The spoon was constructed so that it was not capable of picking up the sauce, only smearing it around the bowl. When I rested the spoon the back of the handle was immediately covered in the sauce, which then became distributed over my hands and into the napkin. Ahem.
So although a good-looking meal in a handsome restaurant, there was a bit more style than substance and I went away wishing for a cleaner and less fussy meal using most of the same flavors and bringing them back down to a meal that wasn't so over-produced.
