What Recent Meal "Blew You Away"?

I was just visiting NYC again this past week, and ate at the following restaurants: Momofuku Ssam Bar, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Prune, Babbo, Felidia, Les Halles, Aquavit, and WD-50. This is a wide range in terms of price and style, so in a way a fair sampling. What stood out the most? Both Momofukus's pork bun sandwiches (I will be dreaming in pork belly for some time to come), the horseradish aquavit and herring sampler with aquavit and classic beer chaser (lovely little dilled potatoes with dollhouse cheese wedges on the side), a real Scandinavian fantasy-come-true, and, finally, and I say without hesitation, every single dish (and we ordered MANY) at WD-50. It ALL worked. I say this, though I am a jaded, world weary eater by now. But the food was playful, inventive, and fully delicious in every animal sense, as it should be or else what's the point of molecular conceptual play? I found absolutely no pretense here, as the place really delivered. One day, I may rhapsodize in another post about each dish, when I find the time. But everyone should try for themselves.

Beyond that, the service at WD-50 was generous and knowledgeable, and the chef, who was there, a sweetheart to let me take a picture with him and have a few words. Our knowledgeable waiter showed us the kitchen. And I was not anyone special in the chef's world, just another customer who had made a reservation online.

I would return to these three establishments in a heartbeat.

Hope this helps.

illtryit in Manhattan