Country

I’m a fan of this place, but I’d never go here on my own free will.
This place has only existed in my professional life, save for that one time Unilocal threw the Inaugural Ball here.
The times I’ve received an invitation from a company to have a luncheon or dinner here have made my heart skip a beat! Yippee! Everything is decorated nuovo-​euro tastefully, the chairs are cushy, the service is attentive and helpful.
The place is just so comfortable and they have fancy, fancy soap in their washrooms!
Their cuisine is normal Jean-​Georgey french-​fushion-​new-​american ‘ish. You won’t be getting food poisoning.
Country serves its purpose as a classy venue for fun business outings very well. I salute thee.

So here we are at another celeb restaurantuer restaurant… so be sure to manage your expectations around that thought. Of course, you will have the over priced alcohol, the over the top ambiance and the in between portion size…
With that in mind, I had to give this restaurant 4 stars on the overall experience I had. The service was extremely attentative and the special request for intimate + great booth was honored. We sat right in the middle of restaurant in a «cushy» booth that was both romantic and with full view of the entire dining space.
To make this review as concise as possible… I ordered the roast chicken, plain and simple. And this simple order is what really made the food experience great. Usually, this type of food is something you remember your mother making for you and no place can compete with that. Guess what, on this night they got this roast chicken perfect. To me, if a restaurant can redefine such a simple elegant dish to be that perfect and memorable then they deserve and will receive a great review from me. It was great meal.
So if you can over the «trendy» restaurant factor and see they have that ability take something you find so easy and familiar to another level then this is a place you need to visit.

I had a great RW meal here! Is it just me, or has RW (Summer 2009) improved by leaps and bounds??? Recession special?
Country has a great space: dim, low-​lit, quiet, sleek, and sexy. I had an intimate date here with Michelle H :)
We both chose the heirloom tomato salad, which was great! The tomatoes were mostly black krims, which isn’t a surprise given the mostly miserably-​cold summer. They were succulent and meaty, and covered with this amazing ricotta sauce. Drool.
We shared the lamb and fish options, which were both savory and tasty and very well executed. Portions were very generous.
We both chose the crème brûlée with berries for dessert. This was interesting. I love cracking the top of the dessert with a couple wrist flicks (Amelie, anyone?). Then I savor the crisp layer of sugar mixed in with the sweet, thick cream. But, whoa. The crème brûlée here had a layer of hardened sugar like, ½ inch thick. No kidding. It wasn’t bad. Actually, it was. It lacked the finesse this dessert usually has. And cracking the layer involved arm pounds (with the spoon perpendicular to the table) instead of delicate wrist flicks. But the flavor and berries were fine.
Anyways besides the bizarre dessert, everything else was great. I’d definitely return for a future RW dinner!

Ive eaten at the café. The space is gorgeous, service was fine. Food was not what I hoped, but the French Onion soup, something I hardly ever order, was out of this world.
After Country, dont miss the cocktail bar upstairs. The hotel is beautiful and not to be missed

Upon staying at the Carlton Hotel, I went to Country twice. The first time, I was there for drinks and the bartender was nice. The drinks were decent and overpriced. Nothing great!
Then I was there again for breakfast. The service was probably the worst at any restaurant that I’ve ever been to. There were plenty of empty tables and it took us over half an hour to get seated because no one was there to great or seat us. Waiters just kept walking by telling us to wait. While waiting there must have been another 10 parties that collected behind us, and they were equally frustrated. Once seated, it took about 40 minutes for anyone to take our order and probably another 40 until we were served coffee. The reason why I’m not giving it 1 star is because the food was great. It’s sad that the service was that bad baecause this was a nice place with good food.

décor was great, but since it was inside the Carlton hotel, I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Ordered a bottle of wine for this, and although we came for restaurant week, three of the four of us didn’t even stick to the menu of restaurant week… a little ridiculous of us.
Shared the tuna tartare with a girlfriend as an appetizer, it was fresh but nothing out of the ordinary you would expect of such a restaurant, I’ve had better. Ordered the cod, lobster & scallops for entrée. Cod was not a favorite of mine, as it was drenched in creamy sauce, yuck.
Cousin and his girlfriend had the potato soup, he liked it, the gf didn’t, they also ordered the salad, the cod, the bar burger with fries, spinach. Cousin liked the bar burger but please be warned if you think other rated restaurants serve in small portions, you haven’t seen anything yet till you arrive to country. Bet my cousin was still hungry after all that food he ate.
Dessert we had the banana crisp, crème brûlée, and three scoops of ice cream. Banana crisp was good, it was flaky as it should be, again not anything out of the ordinary for a dessert. Crème brûlée with blueberries was sweet, probably way too sweet.
all in all, would i come back to Country? No, there are better restaurants in the city to discover for the same price or less

Just dined here for restaurant week and left very happy. I had no idea what to expect, but was extremely happy.
Deborah H. and I both started with the heirloom tomato salad. This was quite yummy. The tomatoes were fresh and it was accompanied with a ricotta sauce, olive oil, and a touch of vinegar (I think). The flavors went really well together. For entrees, the two options were cod or lamb, so we tried both. The cod was definitely generous and came with baby carrots and two types of potatoes (one being a creamy mashed). I can’t recall how everything was seasoned, but very tasty. The lamb with hummus and okra was very good too! We both enjoyed our main courses. For dessert, we both selected the crème brûlée, which also came with a side of cherries/​blueberries sauce type thing. The custard part of the crème brûlée was wonderful but the sugar coating was so hard and thick we had a tough time breaking through it.
Service was attentive. Nice ambiance. Great date place!
I’m a fan!

Delicious classic american dishes, some with a Meditteranean flare. It’s a classy joint with great service. The French onion soup is a must as well as the risotto. I really enjoyed my pork chop which was a nice sized portion. My friend had the scallops which looked perfectly cooked. The profiteroles were the best way to end this dinner.
Try it — you will not be disappointed!

This place is aside the Ritz Carlton Hotel and has a wonderful wooden design, but My goodness, can I have a LITTLE more light to read the menu? I don’t feel like they realized how I could possibly go blind trying to see my family, trying hard to make out their facial gestures from across the table.
Besides that, I have attended many fancy-​schmancy restaurants and the food here was not that impressive. It was OK, and nothing was terrible. Their menu is not extensive, and neither is the flavor. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return here.
I can give a definite thumbs up for the home-​made gelato and sorbetto. That made it slightly worth 3 stars. I’m really basing this on the elegance, I guess.

Country is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It is gorgeous and the food is awesome.
The best part about the venue is the Tiffany stained glass dome! Though the champagne bar is pretty cool too.
The menu was really good and the wine list is phenom. They change it seasonally so recommendations may be tough. This summer I had a lobster and pasta dish that was amazing. The beef carpaccio was also a must have. I also tried there burger and it was awesome!
They also have a really nice chef’s table. The table is near the dome and right in front of the kitchen. If I had the $$$ i would totally go for it.

A solid 4-​star restaurant. I went here during restaurant week and was thoroughly impressed with the food, service and atmosphere.
The shrimp appetizer with beans and bacon (can’t go wrong with bacon) was phenomenal, but the panna cotta was just ok.
The crispy chicken entrée was so tender and juicy that I may have to revise my policy on not ordering chicken at a nice restaurant. The salmon was also good — cooked perfectly.
The crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake desserts were both excellent. The chocolate lava cake was a little too rich for me, but I still managed to eat about ½ of it.
Thumbs up!

I thought I might as well go before the Inaugural Ball tonight and get this review in before all of Unilocal was released on Country. Turned out, I had a good time too.
Food:
My mother and I went to Country for her last lunch in the City before she left for the cold, cold North Country. It was Restaurant Week, and the pre fix looked almost as delicious as their full menu, so we stuck to it and ordered a bottle of wine to beef up the check.
For appetizers we got the celery and cauliflower panna cotta and the chorizo bean and tiger shrimp. I got the former, my mother the latter, but we switched because we liked the other one better. Both were good, although the panna cotta needed more salt for me, or more something. I couldn’t quite define it. The shrimp were good, but small, and only two on the plate. I would have like some more food, but Country sticks to small portions, and in the long run, that’s probably a good thing. I would have eaten a dozen of those little crustaceans.
The entrees were just as good, probably better than the appetizers in their own way. While the wild mushroom risotto was a tad bit too aldente, the flavor was amazing. I personally don’t like to eat the mushroom itself (it’s a texture thing, I know, I’m crazy, deal with it), but I love their taste. This dish was a fantastic combination of mushroom flavors that I think I might have eaten more of it than my mom did.
I got the salmon, which was cooked to perfection. Not too dry, with just the right, tender, medium rare center. The pesto sauce it was served with didn’t do the fish as much justice, it was better without it. I will say, I was disappointed with the foam. I’m going Colicchio for a moment: I don’t like foam, especially on a fish dish where it adds nothing and really just makes it look like my fish took a piss before it was cooked. A personal thing, sure, and I got over it, as the leek and potato were good too.
Dessert was yummy, of course, and for the second time in 24 hours, I consumed a chocolate molten cake. Gotta work off those carbs, but it was delectable, served with coffee ice cream and a blueberry compote. Momma got a crème brule, and it was fine, but cold. A gripe of mine is crème brule should be served slightly warmer than just out of the freezer; a bit of room temperature wouldn’t harm the thing, you know.
Still, lunch was delicious, roughly a 3.95, but what puts this restaurant into full 4.47 territory is the location and décor.
Venue:
LIke my mother, I’m a sucker for the finer details. Cute salt and pepper shakers, for example, boost your restaurant in my eyes. An artsy and innovative waiting area, complete with large, overhanging silver stand lamps and mismatched but meshing ottomans, equal more pluses.
The overall feel of Country is comfortable, with with class. High ceilings, and glass meld with dark wood and cream walls. It’s part old world League of Extraordinary Gentlemen smoking parlour, and part nuevo-​art influence. I’ve you’ve ever been there, think Apsen in the Flatiron District, with with less of a campy, outdoorsy atmosphere. It’s got that feel to it.
And I love the place as a venue. While I am alive, my goal will be too have an event here, so Unilocal,you’re a bit of an awe in my eyes for this Inaugural Ball you’re throwing. I got the chance to speak with David, the operations manager, and he informed me that the restaurant can, in total, have around 1100 people for standing room. The upstairs can do around 210 for sit down banquet. There are 4 additional private rooms for more intimate 14 to 20 dinners, and areas not even attached directly to the restaurant for more seclusion. As a special events girl, I love this space for it’s versatility, you don’t find that much in the city any more, and it made me drool a bit. Now, if only I had a large budget and a 1000 friends…

1.10.09
Had brunch in the café this past Saturday. Although, apparently the upstairs restaurant part is closed until March 2009? (Thanks, Jinny B and Gayot).
Loved the fact that it was quiet and practically empty at 1:30 PM. The café level downstairs was lovely dark wood, masculine, tables arranged around a central bar. The center of the room was an open atrium to the upstairs, serving to expand the space, as well as to provide contrast with its light, white feel.
The food was solid. J had the lobster bisque, which was poured piping hot into a pristine white bowl with a lump of cream on the table. (On a side note, does anyone know if this style of serving soup has a term?) After that, he had the brie and ham omelette. The soup was a little too light but the taste was good, and the omelette, served with two dense potato cakes, was well-​made.
I had the braised short-​rib ravioli. The ravioli were served al dente (yecch), but the dish was served with delicious brussel sprouts and a nice sauce. comforting overall.
There was an average drink menu. I opted out of the Bloody Mary for once and went with a glass of sauvignon blanc (Domaine Brocard, St Brie 2007). J ordered an Arnold Palmer, which he loved despite my true revulsion to them.
Service ranged from excellent to terrible. The male staff were very good. I’m not sure if they were carryovers from the dining room part, but they seemed to be experienced in formal service. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what their jobs are now because it seemed like they were only assistants to the either brain-​dead or extremely hungover waitresses (all two of them).
The waitress from the table next to ours seemed genuinely shocked when we asked her for our check after being unable to find ours for a good fifteen minutes after finishing.
Furthermore, there was an extremely awkward moment with the hostess who waited as one of those male ‘floaters’ fetched our coats, who said she recognized J from having come in several times, to which he just nodded as it wasn’t worth the effort to explain he had only been once before about two years ago.
Unless THIS is where that bastard’s been hiding his other women!

Great service and food; friendly, professional staff. Country is in Carlton hotel; wonderful ambiance, quiet environment in both the hotel and the restaurant.
Booker was our server; he was awesome — very attentive, professional and provided great service. The food was great and the atmosphere was perfect for a Christmas meal with my family, who was visiting from out of town.
Christmas day pris fixe menu was $ 65. First course: endive salad, pumpkin cream soup, rabbit pâté, poached egg over polenta. Second course: Sauteed lobster, crispy pheasant, roasted quail, mushroom risotto, smoked scallops. Third course: Honeycrisp apple tart, bittersweet chocolate pot de crème, gingersnap parfait, milk chocolate bread pudding.

Country is divided into the Café (downstairs) and the Dining Room (upstairs), which is fancier.
I ate at the Café. The selection was wonderful — lots of different types of fish and meat. They have a good variety of appetizers as well. The food tasted great. Again — an «affordable luxury»
The wine is a bit expensive.

Would someone please remind me not to get the fish at high-​end restaurants like Country? Somehow I’m overtaken by the need to be healthy — makes sense, I guess, since a dinner like this is quite sinful overall — and so I think to myself «I won’t feel guilty afterwards if I order the fish!» What I unfortunately forget is the corollary: «I won’t feel like I had an 5-​star meal if I order the fish!»
In this case, it was the black bass that I had, and the bison that I SHOULD have had. The fish was good, but just not fantastic. Plus, I think the sauce had a hint of fennel. Suffice it to say that fennel and I don’t get along. The lesson here — that I should have learned from Annisa, too — is: get the meat! My co-​worker got the bison, and it was so tender and rich, and served with white asparagus and some interesting mushroom.
Going back to the appetizer, I had the soft-​shell crab, which was quite good — and the little green salad on the side was tiny but tasty. The risotto was okay, but didn’t blow me away.
I probably would have given this place 3 stars, except a) it’s absolutely gorgeous on the inside, especially if you’re on the 2^nd floor [we had the chef’s table, by the kitchen, which was cool to watch] and b) the brioche they served before the meal, which was warm, soft, and sprinkled with a tiny bit of sea salt — perfection — and also c) the swath of peanut butter smeared on the plate of my brioche/​chocolate dessert.
Even though I went with people from work [and didn’t pay — so complaints about price don’t factor into this], I would imagine this would be great for a date — very romantic.

Not impressed. I came here with a big group for brunch, and I found the service to be somewhat inattentive. For the pretense and the size of our group, we should have gotten a little more TLC from the staff.
As Daniel W says, it’s a dark restaurant, you enter from the even darker lobby of the adjoining hotel, and to make use of the facilities you have to walk down the darker yet hallway (don’t make a wrong turn into the kitchen, as my friend and I did). Also, on a semi-​related note, this neighborhood isn’t my favorite.
As for the food, I had scrambled eggs — simple and a brunch staple, right? At Country: unremarkable and unmemorable. I had to drench my dish in Tabasco and ketchup to make it somewhat tasty! Even a little dill or parsley would have kicked it up a notch (I am loathe to use you-know-who’s phrase, but I sometimes you gotta).
I have to add that the coffee was very well prepared, and I loved the Bodum tea and coffee accoutrements — an excellent touch.
I give them 3.5 stars because everybody else in my party seemed to enjoy their meals. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing. I am open to giving Country another chance — I have a feeling that they may fare better at dinner.

I went to the Café part of Country (that sounds odd) after a long day of battling Christmas shoppers in Herald Square. The bar was recommended to me by my fashionista brother and I definitely needed a drink.
I had a blast — the cocktails were well-​made, the bartender was very attentive and they did not hesitate to serve their appetizers at the bar (Gruyère cheese puffs — YUM!). The ambiance was lovely and the crowd was pleasant. A bit on the pricey side, but everything is spelled out on the menu, so there are no surprises.
I am definitely coming back for a more substantial meal!

My friend Meghan had heard good things about Country, and given that it was adjacent to my hotel, the cards were all dealt for brunch this morning.
Without a reservation, we sat at the Café Bar, which was fine by us, since our bartender was ready to serve us some rather excellent Country Bloody Marys, perfectly spicy and certainly the pick me up I needed from the night before.
There were so many great sounding options on the menu (stuffed French toast, crisp market salad, marinated herring in a jar), but we opted for the more «lunchy» items. I went with the Macaroni Gratin, which Meghan remarked was quite possibly the best macaroni and cheese entrée she’s ever had. Her own choice, the Pulled Pork Grits, was also quite tasty.
I hear the Dining Room upstairs is fantastic too, great for something a little more elegant; the $ 85 prix fixe menu is the way to go on this option.
The food has a sense of rugged elegance I suppose, perhaps a New Yorker’s take on what a dignified Southern lifestyle should be all about.

Country is housed in a glamorous, newly remodeled 3 part space carved out of the Carlton hotel. There is a definite nod to 70’s luxe downstairs in the water gilded moldings, the discreet use of cubist lucite and the abundance of chocolate leather. Upstairs however is anything but discreet, with it’s vivid original tiffany dome, and the plethora of silver and heavy cream colored moldings that reflect darling, reflect, in the radiance cast by the Ventian chandeliers encased in frosted glass.
The food downstairs is deeply satisfying. Our party of 4 sampled much of the intriguing menu, starting with a silky terrine of foie gras, the beet and black truffle salad with blood orange, giant sweet scampi with bruleed lemons and the table favorite, earthy roasted artichokes with an aged balsamic and wild cherries. Our entrees were equally as good. Well chosen produce cooked with care, from the slow braised lamb shank flavored with pomegranate seeds and preserved fruits falling from the bone to the scallops marriage with squash, an unexpectedly perfect union of flavors.
Desserts were good, though leaning towards the homespun — sugar is the new comfort food, apparently. I really liked the wine-​list too, though we were bemused by the single rose offering amidst the 200 odd bottles on the list.
Later. we got a kitchen tour for a night-​cap, by Chef Zakarian’s charming wife and muse. All quiet, all still, and as we stepped shyly up to the giant silvered altar, all reverence.