The Crimson Sparrow

I've eaten at Relae in Copenhagen (1 Michelin star, #45 on San Pellegrino's World's Best Restaurant list), Aquavit in NYC (2 Michelin stars), wd~50 (RIP, but 12 Michelin stars in 12 years), Bhoga in Gothenburg (1 Michelin star), Madam Brazier in Lyon (2 Michelin stars), Okagesan in Tokyo (1 Michelin star izakaya with fresh local ingredients daily), and Blackbird in Chicago (1 Michelin star), and I have to say that The Crimson Sparrow stacked up to or exceeded all of them.

Chef John McCarthy's creations use local ingredients, Japanese ingredients, and French culinary techniques to create a tasting menu experience that goes well beyond my expectations for a relatively unknown restaurant in a sleepy town in rural New York. Trained under Wylie Dufresne at wd~50, this chef knows what he's doing. The creativity, passion, and skill shine through.

I won't bother going through the menu point by point, since it changes weekly, but do yourself a favor and order the chef's menu - not the shorter tasting menu. It's worth it since the premium dishes added to the standard testing menu are probably the best things you'll eat this year.

Weather permitting, sit outdoors at the bar facing the kitchen to watch Chef John prepare your dishes. If you're too big a group, grab one of the other outdoor tables to get your plates served by the cooks themselves. Private dining rooms also available indoors.

The drinks menu is extensive running from beer to wine to sake to cocktails to craft spirits (real craft spirits, not that swill repackaged from the factory in Indiana) to Japanese shochu (thank god - my favorite drink is finally appearing on American restaurant menus, at least a fine dining places like this). The bar menu looks fun and I'll definitely come back to try that out as a casual dining experience.

On the one hand, I'm so happy that The Crimson Sparrow is close to NYC. On the other hand, I wish it were IN NYC. Then again, it'd be twice the price and the tables would be three times closer together.

Kampai!

Fantastic food. Great care is given to all ingredients: I can still taste the thick cut bacon. The jelly donuts were a highlight. And you have to have the Bloody Mary for brunch - bourbon and not vodka. All class.

Amazing tasting menu experience. Glad to have had my romantic 30th birthday dinner here.

Upstate for the week and found this place. Amazing food. Genuine service. Really nice sake pairings! Could not ask for more. Anywhere...