Some say the turf is cursed at what is now Borough Food and Drink (12 E. 22nd Street) and what used to be Caviar and Banana before it was the infamous Rocco's 22. I suppose the lease on the space is never-ending, diametrically opposed to the success of any of the aforementioned concepts. I happen to have loved the Brazilian fusion concept of Caviar (and Chef Claude Troisgros is no joke), but I think it was ahead of its time in the concept restaurant arena.
So here we are at Borough. It is a nice neighborhood spot seemingly unattached to any real cuisine or geographical stigma (unless of course you consider the 5 boroughs of New York to be a specific cuisine...). The space is beautiful- they did a nice job creating a warm rustic feel, billiard table and all, although the footprint remains the same from Rocco's and Caviar.
I must admit- the menu is quite limited, and a bit scattered. The starters were eclectic-sounding, and not necessarily in a good way. I tried the shrimp summer rolls: they were surprisingly tasty, very fresh and a nice portion (3 long rolls to an order, halved). The accompanying dipping sauce was tangy without being overwhelming. I then moved on to their Bibb lettuce with goat cheese, blood orange salad. Quite good, plenty of greens, not overdressed. My mom tried their striped bass. The portion was on the smaller side, especially considering the price, but passable. Cooked well but herb crusting was on the heavier side. The chef also went a little overboard with the oil and jus that remained in the plate. Potatoes so so, and green beans are hard to ruin.
Once again, passed on dessert (if you've noticed, I don't have the biggest sweet tooth), but espresso was good! Bottled wines were limited, and glasses even more so. We had the syrah which was good.
Service was ok but the waiter was a bit overbearing and on the annoying side (he "loved" just about everything on the menu... not so helpful).
They also offer a happy hour special (only at the bar) which features 2 for 1.
Mark: B
Happy Eating and Que Aproveche!
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