Zoe Townhouse, NYC Dining out

135e 62ND ST

So i went in for F&F the other night, now first off i am sad the old chef left, (chef Eben) he is a good cook, but perhaps he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now if any of you have been to Jovia, its a very nice building, but perhaps the decor was a bit stuffy, especially for the casual diner.

the kitchen now ran by chef Matt Zapolis with his exe sous Constance, Matt also runs ZoE downtown, has revamped the menu in his image. Now i got to explain this was a cocktail party, and not a sit down dinner, so hors d`oeuvres were passed out by the waiters, and waitresses. Anyways these were some, NOT ALL of the dishes served.


Ricotta Gnocchi fava beans, fiddlehead ferns english peas & balsamic butter sauce
I dident get to try this one, by the time i was smart enough to stand by the kitchen =P i was so full i couldent even eat the dish, for all intents and purposes... it looked nice.

Ahi Poke Chips marinated tuna on crispy lotus root asian octopus salad & wasabi tobiko
These went around the most, i musta eaten at least 8 of these, they were good, but it seemed however quickly the kitchen could pump these out, the chips were always just about to become non crunchy, but overall, the wasabi tobiko was able to mask most of the dish. But it was tasty =P i love wasabi tobiko

Pan Roasted Day Boat Halibut heirloom tomato confit baby spinach & popcorn puree
Interesting, but lacking in some acid and flavorz

Seared Sea Scallops roasted chioga beets purslaine & red wine - beet emulsion
I think the beat was alittle overpowering in this dish, the scallop was good, and the beets brought out the sweetness, but ultimatly in the end i thought the beet was alil much.

Roasted Long Island Duck chamomile scented jasmine rice sweet & sour early bing cherries wild nettles
This dish was deff the winner, the cherries made this dish, and im really starting to like this combo more and more with fattier meats, the cherries are all in season now, and makes a great accompaniments to these dishes. Good Job!!

I think i may have had a dish or two more, i just dont remember, i was wasted, they had some great cocktails, like their sangria, and a cherry drop.... i forgot what went into it, it was all muddled however, and the last drink i remember trying was the burbon and strawberries.... it was good really good, but i would have passed right out in the restaurant.

The deserts were very very good, the strawberry tart with anise pastry cream was excellent, the moose seemed a bit thick like melted chocolate, with some gelatin attached, im not a big sugar person so i dident try the cookies, but my friend said they reminded her of her moms... whatever that may mean. (maybe her mom was famous amos) There was also a blueberry tart with pastry cream infused with something, sorry i forgot that one again, but it wasent as good as the strawberry one.

Overall i see great potential for ZoE townhouse, i hope they make it, i really do.